‘Warmest Summer memories at the countryside’

I have taken a few months of my blog to regroup from the passing of Bella and I thought after our holiday to Spain, it was time to get back on track. I have some photos left from summer which I will gradually be sharing as September begins. Hence, these images are from end of June when we took Bella to the summerhouse for the last time and when we celebrated my hubby’s birthday with my parents. Thankfully I have lots of photos so her memory is strong with me for the rest of our lives. When the weather is amazing, our favourite place to eat is just by the lake where we have a rustic table and a place for an open fire. I still remember the warmth of the day, we swam between the main course and desert and enjoyed a gorgeous meal of tartar and lamp chops. I made a birthday layer cake with espresso flavour and inside a grapefruit curd topped with blueberries. My mom and I picked wildflowers for the table while Bella lay peacefully sleeping in the sunny garden. I love dining alfresco style, a table filled with candles, overlapping clothes and picked flowers from the nature along with rustic pots of herbs that seamlessly collides with natures surroundings.

Summer Shrimp tartar

• 2 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked shrimps
• 1 large teaspoon Dijon
• Few drops of tabasco
• 2 spring onion finely chopped
• 1 juice of lime
• 1 cup sour cream or crème fraiche
• ½ cup chopped radish
• ½ cup of chopped dill
• 1-2 teaspoon sesame oil

In a bowl, mix together the sesame oil, dijon, lime juice and tabasco. Mix in the finely chopped shrimp, dill, radish and spring onions. Fold in the sour cream. Leave it to sit in the refrigerator for about 30minutes before serving. With the help of a mould (we used small coffee cups as we did not have a mould at hand in the summer place) add a serving on each plate and garnish with more dill and pumpkin seeds. Serve with toasted bread and lots of extra shrimps that you peel yourself.

Refreshing Watermelon Salad

• 1 medium roughly chopped watermelon
• 1 cup fresh mint
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 1 cup chopped rich feta cheese
• Black pepper/salt

Mix all the ingredients together

Crispy Lamb Chops

• A few racks of lamb chops, cut individually
• For the marinade: grated garlic, oil, soya sauce, chilli, rosemary

In a large bowl, add the marinade and lamb chops together for a good hour or more.

Grill both sides of the lamb chops until they are beautifully crispy on the outside. We actually overcooked them on the open fire but I don’t mind this with lamb chops as the fat around the meat melts wonderfully at this stage giving the chops lots of flavour. I also love an almost burnt dark crust to the surface. Add some salt and pepper in the end and garnish with a few herb leaves.