Book review : Foggy Bottom. A Garden to Share by Adrian Bloom

I was once asked if I had seen Adrian Bloom’s foggy bottom. 

At the time, in the days before I had discovered the joys of gardening and visiting gardens, I was mystified. Who was this man and why would I have seen his bottom, foggy or otherwise.?

Of course, that was years ago and since then I've read some of his books, admired his cultivars at Chelsea Flower Show, watched him on TV , pored longingly over the 8,000 different plants online available from Bressingham Nursery, and finally met Adrian earlier this year. 

He's humorous, softly spoken but passionate when talking about his book which was just published last month,

No wonder, as this book is a labour of love, a testament to over half a century of creating his garden Foggy Bottom in Norfolk from meadowland.

The book begins with a highly personal tour through every acre of the garden from Adrian throughout the different seasons. Crossways Corner is the starting point, a beautiful and joyous riot of colour, photographed in late August.

The hydrangeas may be grabbing the limelight in the foreground but I adore the layer upon layer of colour and height further back,  Adrian explains it was planned to keep this below head height of a very short person to allow views to other vistas.

Adrian leads us through the six acres of garden where conifers, pines, spruces, grasses, ferns, brooms and bulbs abound. If we were visiting the garden by ourselves, we would only see snapshots of each area, captured at a specific time of one day in one season.  The multitude of photos gathered here in the book show how they appear throughout the year, in different lights and it's quite a revelation. 

The treasury of plants in the second part of the book, hones in on some of Adrian's favourites eg camellias, hostas and Japanese maples amongst them, and the part they play in his garden. Well worth seeing how he paints such beautiful palettes of colours with his plant positioning and reading his insights, as the President of Bressingham Nurseries, with a lifetime's experience of growing.

In the third part of the book, Adrian looks back to the past, to 1967 when he began to create his garden. Early photographs show him and his wife Rosemary at the beginning of their life together, the small inroads they made on the land, at first for a little garden around their new house. A family garden, but you can see their dreams grow larger, as brown earth islands appear in profusion in the grass, as seeds are sown, saplings and shrubs are planted, and grow alongside Adrian and Rosemary's family.

The before and after photographs highlight both the sheer amount of work involved, as they are joined by other members of staff, and by Adrian's colourful vision of the possibilities he saw and created with his family over time. 

It's also an achingly personal part of the book, his love and the loss of Rosemary and his pride evident as he marks what his sons have also achieved at Foggy Bottom.

At over 400 pages long with hundreds of glossy photographs taken by the author,  this is not a book to be read in bed ...your wrists may drop off with the weight .At fifty pounds, this hardback book isn't cheap either, but it's an enjoyable insight into an inspirational garden, which is well-loved by millions of visitors, and one which I will be re reading.

Signed copies of ‘Foggy Bottom. A garden to share’ by  Adrian Bloom is published by Foggy Bottom Books. Signed copies are available at www.foggybottombooks.co.uk and cost £50 including postage.

I was sent a press copy of this to review, but was not paid for this review.

Foodie Friday with courgettes and Anna Del Conte's book Amaretto, Apple Cake and Artichokes

It's a good thing I adore growing and eating courgettes. They are growing as fast as triffids but luckily dont have the ability to kill.

 I'm picking, cooking them as fast as I can, in pasta dishes, stir fries, in gratins with cream and gran padano or with tomatoes in olive oil.

They still keep a coming so I was on the hunt for new recipes too. Flicking through my cookbooks for inspiration, I went back to an old favourite from "Amaretto, Apple Cak e and Artichokes. The best of Anna del Conte"

I've cooked from this book for years, but this time, a recipe that I had missed, leapt from the page which filled me with both longing and happy memories.

Courgettes stuffed with ricotta and amaretti, known in Italian as Zuccine ripene alla Mantovana.

At once, I was back in the Piazza della Erbe in Mantua with my husband and two friends, Spence and Linda. Fourteen years ago, sitting at a restaurant near the round 11th century church for lunch on a summer's day. A bottle of prosecco was involved as we ate greedily. Parma ham and melon to start followed by bowlfuls of tortelli di zucca. and I couldn't get enough of the delicious pumpkin filling with amaretti and nutmeg. 

So, seeing those ingredients mixed with creamy ricotta in Anna's recipe, I set to work with a will in the kitchen. 

According to Anna del Conte, her courgette recipe is "characteristic of the cooking of Mantua, There are many recipes for stuffed courgettes but to my mind, this is the most delicious."

She's right of course, so much so, I've made this recipe twice within ten days.

Courgettes stuffed with ricotta and amaretti

Ingredients 

4 medium-sized courgettes

sea salt 30g unsalted butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 shallot 

2 amaretti, finely crumbled

150gm ricotta 

2 tspns chopped fresh thyme or I tspn dried thyme

pinch of grated nutmeg

1 free-range egg

Freshly ground black pepper

dried breadcrumbs

Method

Wash courgettes, drop them in boiling salted water and cook for 2 - 3 minutes after the water has come back to the boil. Cut off both ends and cut in half lengthwise.

Scoop out the unside of the courgettes and reserve the pulp. Leave a half inch layer around the shells and sprinkle the insides with salt. leave upside down on a wooden boardto dran off the excess water.

Meawhileile, prepare the stuffing. Add half the butter and 1 tsp of oil in a pan. Add the shallot, and a little salt and saute over low heat until soft, but not brown.

Finely chop the courgette pulp and add to the shallot. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring and mashing the mixture with a wooden spoon.

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C (375 degrees F) gas mark 5.

Combine the amaretti, ricotta, thyme, nutmeg and egg in a bowl. Add the courgette pulp mixture with all its cooking juices and work everything together. Add salt and pepper if necessary. 

Pat dry the courgette shells inside out with kitchen paper.

Fill the shells with the stuffing sprinkle with some dried breadcrumbs and dot with the remaining butter. Smear the bottom of a rectangular dish with the remaining oil, and lay the courgette shells in the bottom of the dish, hollow side up. Dot with the remaining butter .

Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until the courgette shells are tender and a light golden crust has formed. Serve warm or at room temperature. The whole dish can be prepared and baked in advance in advance and reheated for 5 minutes.

Of course, one fabulous recipe does not a cookbook make. Luckily Anna's book is full of recipes that work, all so carefully explained, and they are recipes that I can rely on. 

Each chapter is dedicated to a group of ingredients, eg nuts, tomatoes, vegetables, not necessarily in alphabetical order, but useful when you need to use a particular ingredient. Do use the index too, because I  didn't find the recipe above with the other courgette recipes...this was hidden amongst the ricotta recipes in the cheeses chapter! 

I couldn't make a really good risotto until I bought this book all those years ago, and I adore the really rustic dishes which are so delicious, such as the stewed vegetables (eg peppers, aubergines, potatoes, courgettes and onions) which are served in a hollowed out round loaf. 

Authenticity is key in this cookbook and I also particularly liked the welcome glimpses of Anna's life growing up in Italy.

Tasting the flavours in the courgette and ricotta dish last night took me back to that stopover lunch in Mantua, on the way to Lake Garda. Now, I can't wait to go back there to see and taste my way around Lombardy....

"Amaretto, Apple cake and Artichokes. .The best of Anna del Conte" was published in paperback by Vintage Press in 2006.

 

A day at the RHS Malvern Show 2023 and why you should visit next year

 It's that time of year when I feel rather giddy. After the long dark days of winter, and let's face it, quite a miserable spring so far, May and the months ahead are full of promise, opportunities, and excitement as the annual round of major garden fairs, festivals and open gardens begin. Each event has its own charm, depending on what time of the year it is held and where.

Going to my first show of the season last week was an absolute delight. There’s something about RHS Malvern Spring Festival that gladdens my heart.

Firstly, the setting is sublime, with the glorious Malvern Hills providing a stunning backdrop and the sheer size of the immaculate Three Counties Showground means there is plenty of space to wander around and more importantly with lots of seating to relax.

The Floral Marquee has a dominating position near the entrance, and you can see visitors debating whether to go in there first to see the 50 nurseries which are exhibiting in the 190 metre long marquee or plough on ahead to see the show gardens.

As it was early morning I marched resolutely onwards before the crowds came, to get a good look at the five show gardens as well as the feature gardens.

It was easy to see why the Bee Positive, Bee Kind , Bee Aware garden was awarded a gold medal by the judges.

Designed by Rock Ford and Katie Gentle for global charity, Bees for Development, the beehives take centre stage, as all around the planting is designed to attract and feed bees with vegetables, herbs and perennial flowers. I particularly liked the living roof of the kitchen,and the area below. In fact, I wanted to leap over the ropes and settle there for an hour, listening to the bees and admiring the layout of the garden. So many good ideas to take home here... 

The Greener Gloucestershire NHS Garden designed by Laura Ashton Phillips is also full of plants to attract wildlife but has been created as a calming environment for patients at the Gloucester Royal Hospital. A well deserved Silver Medal for Laura ….

The pretty, soothing palette of colours and a running stream appeal to the senses, there are wide pathways so the garden is completely accessible. It's an inviting space to connect with nature after being in the sterile world of a hospital, something which has been proven to lower stress levels and improve patient recovery rates.

Meanwhile, Jamie Langlands stole the show with his design for The Wildlife Trusts' "Wilder Spaces Garden” 

It features a pond, a creek, native wildflowers and a wide variety of habitats for wildlife and encouraging diversity. Mind you, it's also an inspiring and restful garden for humans...and this human loved it.

So did the judges here at RHS Malvern.  They awarded this garden a Gold Medal,, Best in  Show and the Best Construction for a garden .

I was there when the judges came over and presented Jamie and his team with the awards. After the smiles for the photographers, the guys had the longest of group hugs and the biggest grins on their faces.

Speaking briefly with Jamie afterwards, he couldn't contain his delight. "It's amazing. This is the type of garden that's more me, and I'm thrilled for my contractors who worked so hard in quite tough conditions. It's great that they have been given this award." 

A large, 25 metre dome which dominated the Show Gardens area was certainly a talking point. Going inside Leaf Tropicana was quite a revelation, leaving an oh so quintessentially English country festival and finding yourself in a tropical wonderland of heat, humidity and lush greenery.

The vision, the scale of the planting (3,000 plants), the height of the trees and being confronted by a huge waterfall  are breathtakingly successful. There's even a little bar to sit at and have a drink.

Chatting with designer Peter Dowle, who runs Leaf Creative, a plant nursery and garden design service in Gloucestershire,  I was surprised how relaxed he was after a build which took 14 men 12 days to construct.“So what happens to all these plants after the show” I asked Peter. Apparently every plant is recycled. Many are hired out for events and he pointed out one huge plant which has been on display 5 times at different events. 

So, these were the four gardens I very much enjoyed t, but every single garden here had  something to admire or an idea to squirrel away for future use.

Of course it's not just the gardens that visitors come to see at RHS Malvern. This year there seemed to be an increasing amount of talks and demonstrations by top florists,  garden experts and designers, cooks plus familiar faces from the telly, such as James Alexander Sinclair, Frances Tophill, Alan Titchmarsh, Adam Frost,,Mark Diacono, Greg Wallace et al.

It's lovely to take a pause for half an hour and listen to knowledgeable and amiable speakers, and they were very popular with visitors.

The retail offer at this spring festival is top notch too. Everything from clothes to garden antiques, thousands of plants in perfect condition, garden seating  parasols, plant pots , tools etc which you never knew you never needed were tempting so many. Artisan and local food and drinks  producers were selling well too indoors and with something new to taste or take home. 

As Thursday drew to a close, it was time to go and at last visit the Floral Marquee on the way out. With the crowds thinning out, there was space to see everything that the plant nurseries had to offer and time to talk to experts in their field of speciality. As suspected, I couldn't resist the lure of seeing plants at their peak and a tray of carnations and three stunning pots of tulips soon found themselves in the boot of my car.

As I made my way home happily, I realised two things: what an entertaining and motivational day it had been, and also that RHS Malvern has become my favourite festival.

RHS Malvern is being held next year from 9 - 12 May 2024.

Foodie Friday with “Real Food Fast “ by Mary Berry

The relentless rain yesterday didn't stop and the heavy dark clouds overhead weren't exactly cheery. It was one of those days that the lights are on all day and you stay resolutely indoors if you can.

The sort of day when you feel the urge to bake. The thing was, I didn't really know what I fancied to make or eat. Time to sit down then with a hot drink, and rifle through my cookbooks for something to tempt and inspire. I didn't want to make a huge cake or something too fiddly, and I'd already made homemade biscuits and shortbread earlier in the week.

Luckily, Mary Berry came to the rescue.

This is a signed copy of her book which was published back in 2005, and given to me for my birthday that year by my lovely neighbour Sharon. Such a useful present, I've been cooking from it ever since.

There are lots of recipes that are speedy to make, or can be prepared well in advance if you have got friends or family coming around for drinks or a meal. Some are fancier than others, (quails eggs, prawn bloody marys anyone?) Some take longer but really, these are uncomplocated dishes which pass the taste test whatever the occasion.

There's other recipes though that are tried and trusted by me - for example the wonderful parmesan and pistachio nutters. Such easy,  delicious biscuits, and then a very moreish mango spiced dip and everyone always wants these recipes.

Starters, fish dishes,  vegetarian,and meat main courses and puddings are featured and there's some chicken dishes I've relied on in past years, and really fancy trying again. Being reminded of Five spice mango chicken again makes me vow I will make it again soon, as well as the mini suasages with mango chutney and sesame seeds which we all love. 

There's a chapter though, which has proved its worth time and time again, and that's Chapter 6, Tea for a crowd.

Mary Berry has opened up her garden for years in the summer in aid of the National Gardens Scheme charity, and so there's a wealth of teatime treats to make in large quantities. A variety of prepare ahead sandwiches, easy but tasty traybakes, cakes and what are called modestly(!) 

"The Very Best Scones"

Actually Mary is right. They are. Light, fluffy and fail-proof. Just the sort of thing when you catering for a crowd, or a school fete or a charity event 

And that's what I decided to make yesterday. Not for any of those reasons. Hot scones with cream and jam, to satisfy my urge to bake on such a dismal, dreary day but also something with the promise and taste of summer gardens and strawberry jam.

They really are a doddle to make - prep time is 10 minutes, cooking time is 10 minutes and makes 40.

The Very Best Scones

Ingredients

900g  2lbs self-raising flour

8 teaspoons baking powder

175 gm 6oz butter 

100g 40z caster sugar

4 eggs

500ml 18 floz milk

Method

Preheat oven to 220 deg C, Fan 200 deg C, Gas mk 7 and lightly grease 2 baking trays

1.Measure the flour and baking powder into a food processor( I used my Kitchen Aid stand mixer) Stir in the sugar.

2.Beat the eggs until blended and make up to agenerous 600ml (1 pint) with the milk. Put aside about  4tblspoons of the egg and milk in a cup for glazing the scones later. Pour the rest of the mixture to the dry ingredients until you have a soft dough, It’s far better to have it on the wet side ,sticking to your fingers as the scones will rise more.

3.Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and flatten it out to a thickness of about 1-2 cm . Use a 5cm (2in) . Gently push the remaining dough together, knead very lightly then gently push the remaining dough together, knead very lightly then re-roll and  cut out more scones as before.

4. Arrange the scones on the prepared baking trays and brush the tops with the reserved egg/milk . Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until the scones are well risen and golden. Coolon a wire rack, covered with a clean tea towel to keep them moist.

5.Serve as fresh as possible , cut in half and spread both halves with jam. Top with a good spoonful of thick cream. 

NB I made 20 scones (halved the recipe) and I used 284 ml of buttermilk instead of milk.

If you are cooking for a huge gang, Mary Berry recommends you will need about 1.3kg (3lbs) of jam and about 900ml (1 and half pints) of cream for 40 scones.

Menwhile, I have bookmarked a couple of recipes which I need to make again soon. 

That's the thing about Mary, her years  of experience mean that all her recipes work, I've never had a duff one which has gone wrong. Everything you need to know is carefully explained  and her huge repertoire of flavours and shortcuts in this book make it a winner.

Fast Real Food was published in 2005 by Headline Publishing.

 

Book Review: "Rekha's Kitchen Garden" by Rekha Mistry

March is usually the month when I'm attacked in earnest by the annual bouts of feverishness, hope and joy of sowing seeds and growing food again for my family.

With recent snow, rain, and very high winds, I'm holding off being too carried away for now though. Instead, I've been spending a couple or so cosy afternoons and evenings on the sofa reading Rekha Mistry's first book  "Rekha's Kitchen Garden" published by DK Books.

I've followed Rekha's gardening journey for quite a while now on social media. I've read some of her articles in garden magazines, watched her on BBC Gardeners World too, so know from experience what good gardening advice she can give after 30 years of growing food for her own family.

So what else can her book offer? Quite a lot as it turns out, whether you are a novice gardener or more experienced, and it has ticked so many boxes for me.

Rekha grows organically (hurrah!) and has plenty of tips for how to plan your plot or patch of garden for bumper crops. She's a great believer in growing what you like to eat, and grows 40 different types of fruit and vegetables on her own allotment.

Some kitchen garden guides merely tell you when to sow seeds, when to plant out and roughly when to harvest. Rekha goes quite a few steps further, holding your hand as the season goes along, so you know exactly when to do what and why you should. 

Having said that,  nothing is set in stone, this advice from one gardener to another is very engaging, readable and practical. For example, when growing purple sprouting broccoli (such a favourite of mine) Rekha writes 

"Purple sprouting broccoli is a laid back plant , and so I take a leaf out of its book (pardon the pun) and ignore the recommended times of March and April. There's no point in rushing to get these seeds sown when there are so many seed trays taking up space in my greenhouse and cold frame. I much prefer to wait until early May, when most of my seedlings have moved on. I'll sow a tiny pinch (not more than 7or 8) of these in a 7 cm pot, sieve over a light covering of compost. After watering, I place the pot in the cold frame because the greenhouse is too warm and small containers can run dry within days."

Such good advice, which I'd not thought of before but which I'll certainly be following this year. There's so many more tips to encourage any gardener to go ahead and grow anything from fennel to french beans, spinach to strawberries, and to save your own seed and get plants for free.

This is very much a personal guide from Rekha, of what works and why for her, but deserves a much wider audience to benefit from all her experience. I only wish this book had been published when I started my own seasonal growing journey. 

I was sent this book for review.

"Rekha's Kitchen Garden " by Rekha Mistry is published by DK Books and costs 18.99