RICARDO’S
KITCHEN NEWSLETTER - June 2005
I never really know where to start with
my newsletter. I think I will start this time with the Griffin’s
Kitchen Garden.
Now in its second year, things are naturally
much improved from last year. Unfortunately we had a cool
spring, though, so everything is a bit late. But the strawberries
(the amazing Gariguette and Marais le Bois varieties) are
flowering well and will be on your plates in July.
So fingers crossed and let’s hope
for a warm summer for our different varieties of tomatoes.
The potatoes are doing extremely well so soon we will serve
again the pink firapples and the BF15 for the best mash you
have ever had. Hopefully, most of this summer’s garlic,
onions and salad will also come from the garden.
We’ve now had new season lamb
(from Paddy Sweeney in Brecon) on the menu for a few weeks.
Yes, I know they are sweet when you see them in the fields,
but you can’t beat new season lamb with all the great
young vegetables around this time of the year. It has been
enormously popular.
After the summer months we will start
again to organise wine dinners. The first one will be at the
end of September with Liz and Mike Berry. They (Liz is a Master
of Wine) are among my all-time wine heroes. Click here [Callum
– can you insert link] for more information.
Here’s a tip if you’re looking
to buy 2004 Bordeaux and don’t want to buy whole cases:
send an email to dion@gfwl.co.uk, once at La Vigneronne and
now specialised not only in Australia and Burgundy, but also
in 2004 Bordeaux and in half cases. So you can buy more different
wines.
A few thoughts if you are heading to
Paris this summer: I mentioned the cookery book shop, La Librairie
Gourmande (7 Rue Dante in the 5ème), in an earlier
newsletter. It is, as the Michelin guide would suggest, “Worth
a detour”.
Around the corner on the Boulevard St. Germain is the Rhumerie:
a fabulous shop specialising in real Rum (and I don’t
mean Bacardi). If you are interested in tea there are two
shops that you mustn’t miss. Mariage Frères and
La Maison des Trois Thés. I know the British are proud
of their English tea but, believe me, the French know how
to make a great pot of tea.
And to end let me recommend a
great book about British Food: the Land that Thyme Forgot,
by William Black (www.amazon.co.uk) . A joy to read with a
cup of tea by your side.
Ricardo
Van Ede
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