THE GARDEN MUSEUM, the U. K

The most sustainable Chelsea Flower Show garden ever? Joanna Fortnam explores how Sarah Price and her team for the Nurture Landscape Garden are pushing the boundaries of how sustainable a show garden can be. A forgotten garden in Hadleigh, Suffolk, has provided the creative inspiration for a show garden at Chelsea this year by designer Sarah Price (who won Chelsea gold in 2012 and 2018). “It’s very rare for me to be inspired by gardens,” she says. “I prefer the spontaneous planting I see in nature and on roadsides,” but in this case she was lucky enough to “turn up at the right moment and see something fresh and fleeting”. Her interpretation of a “ghost of a garden” will showcase traditional crafts and she aims to make her project as sustainable as possible. The abandoned garden that provided Sarah’s starting point is not your average plot of brambles, collapsed fence panels and a rusty bike. This is Benton End, a manor house with 16th century origins, once the home of the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing run by the plantsman-artist Sir Cedric Morris and his partner Arthur Lett Haines in the Fifties. In its heyday Benton was a legendary bohemian hub, visited by a constant stream of leading writers, artists and creatives…. Keep reading Cooking Masterclass Borough Market: The Knowledge with Angela Clutton If you follow the Thames path northwards from the Garden Museum, you will eventually find yourself at London’s premier food market – the world renowned Borough Market. Angela Clutton is responsible for their latest cookbook Borough Market: The Knowledge which explores the wide variety of traders at the market, along with recipes for their produce. During the class you’ll learn recipes that showcase the joy of shopping and cooking seasonally and hear from Angela on why markets and seasonality matter, explore what spring / summer produce might be and ways to enjoy it. Sample Menu Black rice and feta stuffed chard with spiced yoghurt Roasted asparagus with tarragon mayonnaise / hollandaise Watercress soup with lemon & thyme breadcrumb Sun 30 April, 10.45am – 2pm £90, includes includes a sit down lunch and a recipe pack to take home Book tickets Online talk this week! Alice Vincent: Why Women Grow This week we are delighted to host the official launch of Alice Vincent’s new book Why Women Grow, a major narrative exploration of the relationship between women and the soil. Over the course of two, largely locked-down years, Alice visited the gardens and growing spaces of 45 women from all walks of life. Why Women Grow is a collection of these conversations. Alice will be in conversation with Sui Searle (@decolonisethegarden), herbologist Maya Thomas and Ayurvedic Practitioner Anne McIntyre. Tues 28 Feb, 7pm In-person tickets are sold out, livestream still available! £10 Book tickets Plant of the Week: Juniperus ‘Grey Owl’ By Matt Collins, Head Gardener I have a soft spot for junipers — that beleaguered evergreen of the yesteryear shrubbery — developed almost entirely from encounters with their amorphous, ancient, often scruffy yet always remarkably resilient wild forms. I’ve found them creeping over ruined chapels in the Scottish highlands and spiking the narrow footpaths of Pyrenean woodlands; on Greek islands their bushy habit has harboured little pools of fragrant Mediterranean herbs, and in baking Oregon I walked among whole forests of juniper heady with their own intoxicating aroma (in the drought-ridden high desert there I met a 1,600 year old veteran Western juniper — Juniperus occidentalis — its branches shaped and smoothed by sand and wind, a survivor of centuries of forest fires). Juniper forest in western Oregon The domesticated exception was a visit to Chanticleer Garden in Pennsylvania, where, along with tumbling Michaelmas daisies and golden nassella grass, glaucous agaves and yuccas, gorgeous columnar junipers punctuated the stone steps of the gravel garden. The effect in autumn was strikingly bold, the little statement trees contrasting brilliantly with the softer perennials.

Juniper on Naxos in Greece For our own developing gravel garden at the museum, I wanted to find a juniper that embodied the best of all these qualities — the resilience, the drought and cold tolerance, the berries, fragrance and the contrasting evergreen statement — and landed upon J. ‘Grey Owl’. It’s foliage veers towards the blue-green end of the spectrum (the other end is silver), yet its habit remains full and bushy: it creeps but it also bulks. I took a risk in planting larger specimens — a risk because our soil there is so dry — on account of how slow growing junipers can be, but already after two years in the ground they have put on impressive growth: a cultivar highly recommended. About our gardens Images: Sarah Price; Ben Boscence; Borough Market: The Knowledge image courtesy of Hodder & Stoughton (c) Kim Lightbody; Juniper photos (c) Matt Collins

Garden Museum 5 Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7LB gardenmuseum.org.uk

THE GARDEN MUSEUM NEWS …the UK

Sow, Grow Eat A new programme for teenagers to explore horticulture and cooking Do you know any teenagers aged 13-17 based in South London who might be interested in dipping their toes in the career of a gardener, food grower or chef? We are looking for up to eight teenagers to join our free ‘Sow, Grow, Eat’ programme, which involves spending one Saturday a month at the Garden Museum for ten months. Participants will learn sowing, planting and gardening skills in our greenhouse and gardens, then in our studio kitchen we’ll do hands-on cooking sessions using some of the produce grown throughout the year. No prior experience necessary, just an enthusiasm for plants! Apply by Monday 13 February Programme runs March – December Find out more Life Drawing Class Lucian Freud: Drawing Plant Portraits Back for a second session by popular demand! Lucian Freud is infamous for his gritty, fleshy nudes, and so inspired by our current exhibition Lucian Freud: Plant Portraits, London Drawing Group will be offering a life drawing class like no other. Set against the soaring backdrop of our central nave space, and nestled amongst a backdrop of lush plants, our incredible model Lily will be posing in, with and amongst our leafy friends. Tickets include access to the exhibition, guided instruction and bespoke drawing exercises throughout our Life Drawing class. Fri 24 February, 6.30pm – 8.3pm £30 Standard, £25 Friends / Young Fronds Book tickets Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-77): View Across the Rooftops of Lambeth Palace A rare 17th century sketch of the view from our medieval tower is currently on auction with Sotheby’s. We take a closer look at what we can learn from the sketch in this article, reproduced from ‘Sotheby’s New York January 2023 Catalogue: Master Works on Paper from Five Centuries’: Wenceslaus Hollar’s bird’s eye view of Lambeth House (Palace), official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, is a splendid example of the artist’s dynamic ‘on the spot’ sketches. It has not appeared at auction since the drawing was discovered in a sale, in 1931, by the art historian, Iolo A. Williams. Its re-emergence, as a work by Hollar, provides a wonderful opportunity to delight and delve into the world of this fascinating Bohemian artist, whose drawings rarely come to the market. Born in Prague in 1607, Wenceslaus Hollar was a prolific draughtsman and printmaker, who is perhaps best known for his visual records of mid 17th century England. His drawings and prints of London before the great fire of 1666 are historical documents of great importance, as well as aesthetically appealing images of a bygone world. Keep reading

Lucian Freud: Plant Portraits Exhibition Catalogue Can’t make it to see our Lucian Freud exhibition in person, or want to find out more his artistic relationship with plants? The exhibition catalogue is available now in our online bookshop! Beautifully illustrated with examples of Freud’s plant paintings and etchings, this catalogue includes interviews with Freud’s longtime studio assistant David Dawson and daughter Annie Freud. Order your copy for just £20 Buy a catalogue Call for papers! Visions of Welfare Conference This May we are hosting an international conference discussing the role of women in the creation of the spaces of the post-war Welfare States, co-hosted by the Women of the Welfare Landscape Project, the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain and the Women in Danish Architecture project. The importance of quality open spaces for health and wellbeing has been highlighted more than ever by the Covid-19 pandemic. And historically the provision of well designed, accessible, open public spaces was a crucial part of a wider concept of economic redistribution. While previous research has uncovered the work of many individual ‘heroines’ and celebrated iconic design projects by women, this conference invites abstracts that consider the role of women in creating the spaces of the period internationally with the aim of looking beyond individual achievements and professional boundaries. Abstracts of 200 words are invited and should be submitted online by Monday 30 January 2023 Tickets to attend the conference will be available soon Find out more Object of the Week: Illustrated Letters in the William Shute Barrington Archive By Alice Ridgway, Archivist January 16th marked ‘Blue Monday’ the most melancholy day of the year. However, mine was brightened by discovering some charming drawings in the William Shute Barrington archive, which we hold in the Archive of Garden Design. The archive contains correspondence, plans, plant lists, sketches and paintings between 1920-1940 relating to the gardening career of Viscount William ‘Bill’ Reginald Barrington (1873-1960). After a career in the military, Barrington restored and redesigned gardens at a number of stately homes in East Sussex and further afield. His gardening philosophy aimed to give the illusion that a garden had existed forever, stating that ‘its relationship to the surrounding fields, hills and buildings should have a naturalness borne of scrupulous attention to detail’. The letters I found were sent by Guy Roderick Falkner, an unknown gardening friend of Barrington. They thank him for his plant cuttings and hospitality and give short updates about his horticultural projects. My favourite drawing features two cartoon birds – most likely a depiction of the tame pair of starlings that lived with Barrington alongside his partner, Violet Gordon Woodhouse. Keep reading Images: Sow, Grow, Eat illustration by Ross Bennett; Plant Life Drawing photo courtesy of Luisa MacCormack; Visions of Welfare Conference © Fortepan / Szabó Gábor

Garden Museum 5 Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7LB gardenmuseum.org.uk

Preparation of Broth/Stock for Chicken Noodle Soup (REVISED) – 3/5/23 – Sunday Evening

We have a chill in the air and rain coming tonight  Soup for this week will be welcome. Chicken Noodle is a perfect one, so we are preparing the stock now. A family favorite and it makes about ten servings. Enough to freeze a few small containers for those days when you haven’t prepared anything for lunch or supper and it’s cold outside..
……… its a good thing to do!

Remove the meat after roasting two chickens. Separate white from dark meat; bag and reserve for the soup assembly.

Break up the chicken carcass of both chickens and place in a stock pot. Cover with boiling water. Set the heat on medium high. Add two celery stocks cut up in large chunks, three carrots and one whole onion, also all cut into chunks. Add fresh parsley/a half bunch. Use a pepper grinder to add flavor. Generous amount. We add salt also….but only after the broth has finished cooking, because the roasted chicken already has salt flavoring and you may not need more. We are conserving on salt intake, so each individual serving can add their own later to their taste. In general, over salting takes away from the true flavor of the real taste of many foods. And it’s a healthy option to add it later.

Once the broth comes to a generous boil, cover and reduce the heat to your lowest possible setting. Cover. Avoid taking the lid off as then it cools down. Simmering the broth on a low stove setting creates a very rich broth. Simmer about two hours. You want it to simmer not boil.

Once it’s finished set the pot aside to cool.

Later we’ll give further assembly instructions. So keep in touch with us.

It’s way worth it.  Trust us……

“Contessa”’

REVISED – 3/5/23 – Sunday Evening 

This part of the broth making is an extra step, but it’s way more healthy, and so we think it important to give you a rundown of the additional steps needed to complete the broth making.

Once everything has cooled to room temperature, pour the entire contents; vegetables/bones/ and broth into a fine sieve.  Let them drain over a bowl for about one hour. Then toss everything but the broth. After all, you have sufficiently cooked it enough to gather all the nutrients out of the contents, into your broth.  Put the reserved broth  in a sealed container overnight. The next day you will see a thin layer of chicken fat on the surface. It’s not totally unhealthy, but we prefer to remove it before using the broth. Discard it. You are now left with a rich, pure, very clear and very nutritious and flavor filled stock for many kinds of soup. No fat at all. And you should end up with about 16 ounces of pure chicken stock. Once you begin assembling your soup,  if you need additional broth we recommend you choose an organic highest quality store bought container broth. Our   process may seem a bit tedious, but when you eat your homemade soup,  you will certainly know that your time to follow these instructions, has produced broth of the highest taste and quality.  It will taste superb. Success….enjoy!

Contessa says…. It’s absolutely the best!

 

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Hot, hearty soup on a chilly day. Perfect!

Well today we are making some to freeze in small containers so that when the middle of October arrives, along with a chill in the air, we will be ready

I had on hand three chicken carcass’ in the freezer from roasting chickens during the months of July and August. So I put together a broth from them with some celery, carrots, onions, 3 bay leaves, a bunch of fresh flat leaf Parsley and  ground black paper and sea salt. There was plenty of meat still left on the bones of one of the carcass. I reserved it to chop and add once the soup was cooked. So it made a generous rich broth “soup base.” Usually I purchase dry prepared noodles. The brand is important because they taste wonderful.

Strain the broth and discard all the bones and cooked veggies and toss. Your broth will be clear but rich looking and tasting. Approximately 3 to 4 cups. Bring the strained broth, to a rolling boil. And 3 small diced carrots and cover to cook. Then add two chopped medium sized onions and 4 stalks of chopped and peeled celery. Continue the boil and add the noodles. They will cook in about 20 minutes uncovered. And as the hot broth sits later they will cook some on their own. You do not want to overcook. You want them “al dente.”

Now add your chopped/shredded chicken. Simmer all for about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. In addition, I purchase a one quart container of extra – high quality low-sodium chicken broth, as once the soup is throughly cooked, it tends to thicken slightly. You can then add the extra broth as needed to assemble a nice serving consistency. Not too thick, but not too thin. Garnish with cooked petite peas and fresh chopped parsley. It’s hot, delicious, pretty and so healthy.

I grew up on this soup ….at least once a week. I guarantee you will make it often.  It’s  simply heart warming and so delicious. The kiddos will just “love it.”

Enjoy!

Morning Nourishment

Half of a Grapefruit with Honey…..and stewed Prunes (4).

A healthy dose of Vitamin C and Potassium. I’m now good to go until lunch/dinner at about 3:30/4:00 pm. 

Try it… so good for you and you might like it. 

“CONTESSA”

Chili….for a Chilly Weekend and our favorite healthy Kale Salad.

Our White Bean Turkey “Chili” is appropriate for our chilly weekend ahead. Prepared with white beans, green peppers, onions, fire roasted tomatoes, garlic and fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish. It will cook for a couple hours. Our chili powder is a special ingredient; it is salt free, and made by the Morton Bassett Co of San Francisco. 100% organic, it has a unique spicy taste and aroma. It is all natural, gluten free and no MSG. As the chili simmers in our Crock Pot it will take on a rich chili powder glow and it will thicken. A dollop of white Rice is a great side.

We are going to accompany our Chili with our very popular Kale Salad. You can find a recipe for Kale Salad just about anywhere now, because Kale has become so popular and there are many variations. Add strawberries or dried cranberries or apples, if they appeal to you. We like it on its own. The main ingredients are lots of fresh garlic, your best extra virgin olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, ground milled salt and pepper, and the “finale” is to top it off with the very best quality –  freshly grated Parmesan Romano cheese.  Sprinkle on top slivered almonds. Delish…..

ENJOY!

Home-made Chicken Noodle Soup

Hot, hearty soup on a chilly day. Perfect!

I had on hand two chicken carcass’ in the freezer from roasting chickens during the month of November. So I put together a broth from them with some celery, carrots, onions, 3 bay leaves and ground black paper and sea salt. There was plenty of meat still left on the bones/carcass. So  it made a generous rich broth “soup base.” And I had two roasted and shredded chicken breasts to add to the final pot of soup towards the end. Usually I purchase dry prepared noodles. But Today, I made homemade noodles. Pretty simple. One cup of Gluten Free flour, 2 egg yolks, a half teaspoon of salt and one/half egg shell of milk. Knead the dough and roll out with a rolling pin. Hand cut fairly thin noodles.(they thicken once added to the boiling soup broth). Place them on a cookie sheet, fairly spread out, and allow them to air dry. In the interim, strain the broth and discard all the bones and cooked veggies and toss. Your broth will be clear but rich looking and tasting. Approximately 3 to 4 cups. Once the noodles are fairly dry, you can begin putting your soup pot together. Bring the strained broth, to a rolling boil. And 3 small diced carrots and cover to cook. Then add two chopped medium sized onions and 4 stalks of chopped and peeled celery. Continue the boil and add the noodles. They will cook in about 30 minutes uncovered. Now add your shredded chicken. Simmer all for about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. In addition I purchase a one quart container of extra – high quality low-sodium chicken broth, as once the soup is throughly cooked, it tends to thicken slightly. You can then add the extra broth as needed to assemble a nice serving consistency. Not too thick, but not too thin. Garnish with cooked petite peas and fresh chopped parsley. It’s hot, delicious and so healthy.

The home made noodles are way-worth the effort. Enjoy!

A Happy Breakfast – “for brain health”

Breakfast…. your most important meal of your day. I have two poached eggs with some sliced Avacado at least two days a week. Eggs and avocado are low fat and combined help promote “Brain health.” On my other days, I cook Gluten Free “Oat…meal.”  And the rest of the week I eat plain unflavored low-fat yogurt with apple, banana, a few berries and sprinkled with homemade honeyed granola oats. It’s very filling and so fresh tasting.

For me….it’s my best way to begin the day. It’s necessary and it “revs up” my engine for my gardening daily activity. And I’m usually only consuming water up to lunch time at about 3 pm. My lunch actually becomes my lunch/dinner. And in the evening I most often eat nuts and some fresh or dried fruits

I feel healthy. Like everyone, I have aches and pains, but my daily diet in conjunction with my Yoga routine and thirty minutes of brisk walking  is the key to my overall health and the better movement of my body.

I challenge you to keep moving and always make time every morning for your breakfast.

…..happy eating and exercising.  Motion is lotion!!

Start where you are…

”CONTESSA”

PS:  Please stay tuned for “tips from Contessa” as we all prepare for my upcoming Beginners Outdoor Yoga class in May, 2022. 

“heads up”

We are going to make a Gluten Free Pineapple Upside-down Cake. We haven’t had one since….forever. Have a taste for it. They are generally very moist,  but deliciously sticky, with brown sugar and butter. It’s a lovely light and fluffy dessert served with tea or coffee. Looking forward to making this pretty and delicious cake. Yummy!!

Our “DUNN” Family Recipe….Irish Potato Soup REVISED – 2 pm.

The beginnings of Irish Potato Soup……

Prep time:  30 minutes – Easy/Peezy

A staple at my house growing up. Potatoes were always in our garden and on our table almost daily. In fact, it was my task to peel the potatoes after I arrived home from school. I was to set the table for dinner and practice my piano every day. I was in charge as my Auntie and Uncle worked until 5 pm.

Potato Soup is simple. Potatoes, onions, celery, one tiny chopped carrot and one chopped leek. Clean and lightly sauté the leek and add it once the vegetables are cooked. The secret is to cook the vegetable only until slightly tender. DO NOT OVERCOOK. You want some texture. Watch it carefully. Once cooked, drain off almost all the water which should just  barely cover the vegetables in the pot. Then add the sautéed leeks. Set aside and let cool, uncovered

Stay tuned……..we will post final directions this afternoon. Paired with grilled cheese sandwich’s it’s so heart warming, and one of our favorite fall/winter recipes.

“Contessa”

REVISED

Sauté one (1) Moderately chopped and rinced leek in 1 tablespoon butter. Starting  to wilt – not brown. You just want them tender.

Before photo

After photo – sautéed and wilted down

Combine ALL ingredients and add enough milk (we use 2% milk) just to cover, plus one and a half extra cups. Now place in the refrigerator for two hours. Flavors will combine. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Two hours later, remove from fridge and heat very slowly uncovered.  You don’t want it to cook it, just come to “hot” for serving. It is delicious.  We like to add a small “pat” of butter when serving and a dollop of (low fat) half and half for creaminess.  Salt and pepper to taste .And if you are a bacon lover, you can sprinkle some crispy bacon chips on top  YUM! Ready to serve