Europe 2006

London: A Picnic on the Heath

6/28/2006 09:32:00 PM

There were a couple of kids (the gorgeous Anna-Luisa and Lucas... see below) staying at Clarice's over the weekend, so on Sunday we all went for a picnic at Hampstead Heath.

We made Nigella's storecupboard chocolate cake (How to be a Domestic Goddess), her double bean and courgette salad (Forever Summer), as well as a random pasta salad, and ham sandwiches made with pain poilane (fab, fab bread) and leftover ham in cherry coke.

The chocolate cake is ludicrously easy - just melt and mix all the ingredients together in a saucepan, and then bake in a lined and greased springform tin. The recipe stipulates marmalade, but according to Clarice, who has made this cake many times before, cherry jam is a much better alternative. (Apparently, sweetened chestnut puree works really well too, so give it a go).

As for the bean and courgette salad - you roast yellow and green zucchini in the oven, boil green beans and (shelled and podded) broadbeans until tender, and then mix them all together with lemon juice, olive oil and basil.





Storecupboard Chocolate Cake
























We had a punnet of fresh raspberries too (of course!), which were very nice eaten with the cake.
















Ooh... you can see all of London from Hampstead Heath!



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2 comments

  1. Anonymous9:06 PM

    Hi Sarah,
    Thanks for those lovely pictures of Borough Market. I used to live in London and your report really brought back memories. Have you checked out any Waitrose supermarkets? They are the best!
    By the way, your photos are gorgeous. What type of camera do you use to take them? I am looking for a new digital camera at the moment, am totally bamboozled by them all.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous11:46 AM

    Hi Sarah! Your holiday looks awesome, I really wish I could have gone in your suitcase. Can't wait for you to be back in Melb.

    ReplyDelete

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