Talton Lodge

home

the set up

where we are

team meetings & away days

photos

what guests and press say

sites we like

The Kitchen Garden

On our 20 acres we keep pigs, sheep, and poultry, and grow a wide range of fruit and veg, from which we produce as much of our food as possible. Olivia will cook for you during your stay. While living in London she worked as a chef under Gary Rhodes and Fergus Henderson, and subsequently had her own private catering business, she also helped set up the first Farmers' Markets in London. She has now taken her passion for food right down to basics, producing food from the field right onto your plate.

When you come and stay, your accommodation fee includes some breakfast provisions: tea, coffee, our own bacon, sausages and jam, local bread, milk, eggs, and butter. There is a farm shop 3 minutes walk away from which you can stock up on any other provisions you may need. With plenty of notice Olivia can cook for you and serve you in the barn or the giant tipi. For groups of more than 4, you need to decide on your menu before you arrive. Group leaders need to choose 2 options for each course from the menu below, then we need to know numbers a week before you come. Main courses always come with 3 or 4 side dishes that make a delicious meal in their own right. See our wedding menu for some more examples of our food.

Elizabeth David is supposed to have said "Good Cooking is Trouble". I have a very faded picture of her in my kitchen, looking down on me making sure I do, take trouble over all the food we prepare. This is "Slow Food", and you can see much of it growing around you during your stay.

Possible menus to sample during your stay

Starters	Mains	Puddings
Straight from the garden when in season: Asparagus with hollandaise (April-June) - Roasted asparagus with bacon and gruyere - Globe artichokes with lemon butter (June-August) Heavenly Hog charcuterie: Air-dried ham, figs, and soft cheese - Potted ham hock with chutney and toast Soup Jerusalem artichoke and sorrel - Roasted tomato and red pepper - Watercress (from our river) and potato - Lamb, chickpea, and spinach Platters of antipasti/tapas/mezze to share, which would include five of the following Stuffed vine leaves; falafel; bruschetta with various toppings; patatas bravas; roasted veg; roasted nuts, olives and caperberries; air-dried ham/salami/cured beef; pickled herrings - usually served with bread and traffic light dips (a red one - beetroot or tomato based, a green one -broad bean or herb based, and an amber one- houmous or spicy yoghurt) OR: Gem squash stuffed with spinach, chickpeas, pinenuts and yoghurt - Potato pancakes with beetroot and horseradish - Chicken liver/Stilton and walnut paté with toast and chutney - Devilled Pigeon breast/lambs kidneys served on brioche with rocket - Fried polenta and mushrooms with a poached egg - Goat's cheese and olive filo parcels with artichoke and mint salad Salads for starters or accompaniments to a main: See our wedding menu - Bang bang pork (shredded pork, spring onions, coriander, with asian dressing) - Cured trout with potato ,sorrel, cucumber, and poppy seeds - Roast butternut squash, shredded ham (omit this for veggies), red rice, spring onions,and pumpkin seed - Berkswell (local sheep cheese), caramelised onions, fennel, hazelnut, with damson dressing	Lighter lunches: Wood-fired pizzas - Pork pie/Quiche and salad - Homemade ravioli with seasonal filling (can also be a starter) - Heavenly hog ploughman's Hearty Dinners: Slow-roasted pork/lamb shoulder (for groups of 8 or more) - Shawarma kebab platter, (chicken/lamb/beef/Roasted veg and haloumi) served with homemade flatbread, tabouleh, salad, yoghurt sauce and pickles - All year round Thanksgiving dinner- Roast Turkey prepared in brine; Cranberry sauce, gingerbread stuffing, bread sauce, sweet potato mash with marshmallows, etc. (min. 8 people) - Marinated BBQ'd chicken - Venison sausages - Glazed ham - Roast Venison/beef - Cornish pasties (lamb/root veg) - Game pie - Tomato and broad bean risotto - Flatbread parcel stuffed with sweet potato, feta, and pumpkin seeds - Seasonal quiche/puff pastry tart - Spanakopita - Spinach rotolo (a large caneloni) with tomato sauce - Buckwheat pancakes stuffed with mushrooms and leeks topped with gruyere	Chocolate, coffee, and cardamon torte with orange and rosewater salad/summer berries - Rhubarb jelly, ginger ice cream and shortbread - Hazelnut and summer fruit pavlova - Marmalade cheesecake - Rice pudding with gooseberry and elderflower sauce - Hedgerow fruit soufflé - Lemon tart with blackberries - Polenta, plum, and almond cake - Chocolate bread and butter pudding - Affogato (vanilla icecream with hot coffee) - Chocolate/Strawberry/Blackcurrant sorbet with cinnamon and walnut biscuits - Summer pudding - Trifle - Rhubarb and strawberry crumble. - Mini apple/gooseberry pies - Platter of sweets(baklava, florentine, truffles, sticky semolina cake - English cheese plate with quince cheese and crackers.

Talton Lodge 2012