MAY NEWSLETTER
An easy lunch menu for the bank holiday, Fortnum's class dates, Chelsea de-brief, a new series of How To videos. Plus, Humf being cute and recipes from around the Substack kitchen.
Welcome to my monthly newsletter - a round-up of news, recipes and life in the veg patch - which is free to all subscribers. If you’ve made it here without subscribing, that’s easily rectified:
Before we tuck in, a request: I bloomin’ love doing this Substack. It takes a lot of time. Joyful time. But time. I try to keep some content free, but paid subscribers go a long way to help covering the costs. If you’d like to consider upgrading to a paid subscription, it costs less than a fancy packet of heritage seeds per month and you’ll also receive a monthly video (like this), a weekly recipe (like this) and plenty more (see here).
This direct support from readers is huge because it means I don’t spend my days making butter board recipes (or whatever nonsense is trending on TikTok) in order to get my work seen whilst also paying my bills. And, more importantly, you have something better than avocado toast recipes to inspire your cooking.
Whichever subscription you pick, I’m just grateful you’re here. Otherwise it’d just be me and Humf. So thank you.
Hello you lovely lot.
What is it with May? One minute there you are thinking April will never end, then, quicker you can say ‘pea netting’, it’s practically June. Things move fast in May. But not before RHS Chelsea, where I’ve been this week, more of which below, along with news of events coming up in June, some new growing tutorial videos and, it goes without saying, lots of recipes.
(TECHNICAL NOTE: There are a LOT of recipes here and they might not all fit in your email. If so, just hit VIEW ENTIRE MESSAGE at the end of the email, or head to the app or online version.)
Seasonal Sundays at Fortnum’s - 9th June
My monthly Sunday classes at Fortnum & Mason’s continue on 9th June 11am - 2pm. Here’s a run down of our May feast:
We sneak guests in before the store opens so we can have the food hall all to ourselves whilst we shop for a hamper of seasonal goodies. Then it’s up to the 3rd floor studio to cook a 3-course lunch together. Tickets are £45pp.
I’m so chuffed to have welcomed some Substack subscribers to the May class and I really hope these Sundays can act as a way for us all to meet (and eat) in person. See you there!
RHS Chelsea Flower Show
The sun shone on yesterday’s RHS Chelsea preview day. I was helping out on the Freedom From Torture sanctuary garden which was all about horticultural therapy and edibles (or as they prefer to call them, ‘edimentals’ (a happy plant that is both edible and ornamental, yes it was a new one on me too but I like it) - right up may street. Plus, there was a bread oven so we spent the day cooking, telling people about the charity and trying to play it cool with the celebs. Here’s a little video debrief:
‘How To’ tutorials with Roots Plants
I’m very happy to be collaborating with Roots Plants on a series of video tutorials explaining how to grow veg from plug plants, even in a small space, even if you’re a beginner. Here are a selection, including How to Grow Peas and How to Grow Brassicas:
(Please excuse the face-pulling high-contrast cover shots - why couldn’t they pick a frame where I’m just smiling like a normal person for the title pages rather than grimacing or scowling?)
More coming soon!
A nice lunch menu for the bank hols
How about this combination of recent recipes for a Bank Holiday meal al fresco:
Radish tarte Tatin with herby topping
Pea mash and salsa verde greens
Elderflower madeleines with rhubarb syrup
Things I want to cook
It’s been a cracking month for recipes on Substack. Here are a few I’ve saved to come back to:
Not a recipe, but boy am I looking forward to this book coming out from
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Allotment in a box sounds like a brilliant project ☺️.