Pea Puree

Having been enthralled by Masterchef for the last few weeks, had no choice in the end other than to make a scallop and pea puree starter for dinner (there seems to be one in every episode). So went out to the Fishworks and bought eight Brixham scallops in their shells, for £1.20 each, and a packet of frozen peas. It was a great success. The pea puree is very simple - just simmer the peas in some chicken stock for a few minutes, then whizz in blender with some mint leaves. Fry the scallops in very hot pan with sunbflower oil and butter - probably a couple of minutes each side, at least until they had a brown pattern on them. I dusted these ones with salt and cumin before frying. The dollop the pea puree on a plate and arrange scallops on top. The peas have a real zing to them against the seaside flavour of the scallops, make the flavours dance around in your mouth, as they would say on Masterchef.

The Pump Room

A Bath institution, next door to the Roman Baths. Had only been here once before so decided to go again for a mother's day treat. Unfortunately, it being mothering sunday, the menu was a 'special' one, and consisted mainly of roast dinners. For the two course deal I had a main of roast pork followed by a pear and ginger crumble. The pork was very nice, on a bed of mashed something or other, and the roasted vegetables were excellent, but the meat was only lukewarm! And the crackling was tooth-enamel-tough. A bit disappointing. And the crumble didn't crumble at all, in fact it was like a Mr Kipling individual fruit pie, on a slightly grander scale, the crumbly top having solidified into a tough crust. The waiter was a witty chap, a French fellow with a shaved head, who kept us amused. 'I could come back in two hours', he said, after we hesitated over our choices. Then there was the pianist. They always have live classical music at this place, but it is the classical equivalent of nightclub deafening, and this slinky geezer at the keyboard with his byronic hair and his bow tie and tails could only trill and glissando like a poor man's Richard Clayderman, but we did enjoy his finale of a medley of tunes including the Muppet Show and West Side Story. Or my 9 year old daughter did, anyway. It was nice when he shut up and let us talk. The surroundings are the best thing about the pump room, and then you can watch, through the window, street performers on very high monocycles hold flaming torches between their arse cheeks. In fact the food is quite a distraction.

The Settle

I think this is the name of the very pleasant tea shop in Cheap Street, Frome, the famous street that has a watercourse running down the middle of it, which is occasionally the subject of grumbling letters to the local paper from people who claim it is a danger to health and safety, having blundered into it and soaked themselves up to their sock-suspenders, not realising that it is a local wonder that people come from miles around to see and enjoy. My own children used to race leaves and rose petals along its course when they were littler. The Settle restaurant, next door to one of the world's best bakeries (The Old Bakehouse), overlooks the leet in the way that a Turkish coffee house might overlook the Bosphorus, and offers some very pleasant meals. My wife had the famous Thai dumpling things, I've forgotten now, exactly what she had, but they were Thai something or other, a starter. I had the somerset sausages and mash, the sausages being very hearty and robust and meaty and flavoursome little things. It was spring at last, so no need for the large log fire, though it was a nice touch. The staff are quite friendly. The cakes always look very good here. The breakfasts are good, too. You should go there.

Stourhead

The search for the perfect cream tea continues with a visit to Stourhead, the wonderful Italianate house and gardens built and laid out by the Hoare family, 18th Century Bankers, who at least had some good taste, unlike today's moneymen. I was travelling on a number 15 Bus the other month down the Strand when I saw the present day Hoares headquarters, so they still seem to be going strong. The gardens at Stourhead are a treasure, like walking around in a painting by Claude Lorrain. The restaurant at the top by the car park is always slightly disappointing. Lukewarm food, dry cakes, measly portions, offhand staff. But we keep going back there. Today I had a roast beef dinner with a couple of newspaper thin slices of roast beef in a tomatoey sauce (which didn't feel right) and a yorkshire pudding that felt as though it had been pumped up with a bicycle pump. My wife has a vegetable crumble, which she said was too acid, and consisted mainly of some chopped onion and a can of chopped tomatoes (probably Asda Smart Price). My daughter had a cream tea. This one failed on the scone. These had been baked and had collapsed in the baking so that the top had toppled over and it looked like a squashed butterfly. It was impossible to know how to slice it, and when we did, the thing crumbled to pieces anyway, and was also rather dry. And there was not quite enough cream to cover the two scones and their many fragments.

Welsh Cakes

The feast of St David is also the first day of Spring, 1st March, so decided to make some Welsh cakes. Last had these in a really nice cafe in Barmouth, North Wales, but had never made them before. They are very simple. Take about 8oz plain flour, half tspn baking powder, half tspn mixed spice, 4oz caster sugar, 1oz butter, 1oz lard, and rub together till breadcrumby, then mix in an egg and 4oz currants and mix until like pastry, adding tiny bit of milk if necessary. Roll out until about 1cm thick or tin bit less, cut into 6cm discs and fry in frying pan greased with lard, about 3 mins each side, or until golden brown. Sprinkle with sugar and serve. Nice with butter. Basically they are drop or griddle scones.I think the lard is essential. Haven't hard lard for years, it has a rich meaty flavour which is quite a shock if you're used to sunflower oil. Will definitely have these every St David's Day from now on.