What to eat to beat the heat
It’s safe to say that we’ve been blessed with beautiful weather in Surrey this summer, and there’s nothing more inviting than a menu full of flavour, paired with a refreshing, cold glass of wine to enjoy on those lighter, later evenings, alfresco!
When hosting, we understand how important it is to plan and serve the perfect menu, whatever the day of the week, and whatever the weather. Recently, we’ve turned to our Head Chef Simon and Bar Manager, Luke, to share their wisdom on food and drink to beat the heat. Here are some ideas to inspire you!
“Creating light, easy to eat dishes, during the summer months, is always favourable on the palate, and the fresher the produce, the more refreshing the dish” says Simon.
“I’ve always been a big fan of fish between June and September. Tea smoked trout on samphire served with asparagus, puy lentils, caper beurre Blanc and a poached hen’s egg is always a winner, as is char grilled mackerel with courgette ceviche, served with a well-seasoned charlotte potato, fennel and chive salad.
Add a splash of colour to any summery dish by chopping peppers, heritage tomatoes and radish varieties, and when it comes to dessert, something tangy such as a Key Lime Pie served with Chantilly cream and crystallised ginger is well-received. There’s also nothing wrong with keeping it traditional with a berry enhanced summer pudding, laced with cassis for a little twist.
For additional ‘cool factor’ at any summer lunch, why not serve a mouth-watering sorbet course. Base flavours such as mango, passion fruit, blood orange or raspberry are firm favourites, and to elevate them further, pair with a splash of fizz or a flavoured shot of alcohol to recreate your favourite drink or cocktail. Sorbets are also relatively simple to make from scratch!”
Not forgetting accompanying wine, our Bar Manager Luke says, “The Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon grapes taste wonderful with fish and lighter summery dishes, and when it comes to Rose wine, we favour serving Love by Leoube; an exclusive wine that is light, crisp, full of aromas, and has become really popular this Summer. When it comes to cocktails, why not try a Blueberry Mojito or our Vodka and Raspberry Fizz – a Farnham Castle favourite this summer!”
Here’s our Mouth-watering Menu Inspiration for any Week of the year…
Monday: Lighten up your Monday with honey roast salmon fillet, served on a bed of potato, green bean, pea and asparagus salad with herb crème fraiche
Tuesday: Try blackened pork rib with charred cucumber, buttermilk cheese, golden raisins, chimichurri and a fermented black bean and bulgur wheat salad
Wednesday: Feta and quinoa filled peppers with roasted beetroot, red cabbage slaw, watercress and toasted seeds; an ideal, quick mid-week dish
Thursday: If you’re entertaining close to the weekend, consider serving char-grilled marinated chicken with an Indian spiced brown rice salad, served with a mango, chilli, coriander and lime salsa, garlic flatbread, and finished with a kafir lime yoghurt
Friday: Kick-start your weekend with pan seared marinated lamb rump with rösti potato, peas, baby leeks, mint salsa verde and rosemary jus
Saturday: Spice up your Saturday with Sichuan spiced duck breast with fennel puree, fondant potato, bok choi and shitake mushrooms
Sunday: Complete your week with Beef Wellington, buttered savoy, truffled swede, pommes purée, heritage carrots and game chips, drizzled with a port and thyme jus
If you’re interested in hosting a party, dinner or special celebration at Farnham Castle, our Event Specialists, would love to share our menus, pricing and party planning advice with you.