Tag Archives: England

An English Marsh…and Quelquechose

14 Friday Apr 2017

Posted by in Egg Dish, England, Food, Nature, Photography, Travel

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As we prepared for our trip to England I kept thinking of all the things I would see that I had heard and read so much about. I thought of all the places I would see for which my mind already held images from pictures I had seen. And as I stated in my last post, my favorite places from our trip were those of which I had no previous knowledge, no pictures already fixed in my mind.

I loved the narrow roads out in the countryside with the hedges trimmed in a perfect vertical line right up to the edge of that very narrow road. I did not get a picture…we are Americans who struggle enough to drive on what we think to be the wrong side of the road…so we just kept rolling, hoping everyone else would stay on their side of that universally accepted yellow center line!

I loved Kensington Palace, Hatchard’s Bookstore, Glastonbury Cathedral, the ceiling of St. Paul’s Cathedral, the look of ancient buildings set against the skyscrapers of our modern day, sitting on the patio of our rented flat while drawing our backyard, any liquid refreshment made with elderflowers, and all the many parks we found everywhere. I loved the hustle and the bustle of London, the multicultural atmosphere of the city, and discovering that good tea, made right, tastes really good. And for all the days of my life, I will hear the words, “Mind the gap”, echoing in my head.

As mentioned in my previous post, our son asked if there was anything I really had to see while in England. I quickly told him about my desire to see Stonehenge. I also told him that I wanted to visit some sort of wildlife refuge, if that were possible. We settled on Rainham Marshes RSPB Nature Reserve in Purfleet, about forty miles outside London, on the River Thames. We took the train to Purfleet, then walked out to Rainham, one of England’s ancient marshes. What a great day that was!

Rainham Marshes RSPB Bature Reserve

As much as I love a big city, I also love anything nature, anything that requires walking or hiking, anything that dampens the sound of our busy lives for a while, allowing the sound of birds, grasses, wind, or water to break through the din. I loved Rainham.

We walked the trail, from riverside, to creekside, to open fields, and past the ponds.

Walking alongside the Thames…
a quiet, shady walk through a small woodland area…
then out into open fields…
a piece of bog wood. This piece of wood is from the Neolithic period. It had been buried under silt for possibly 6,000 years, before being dug up a few years ago…
We passed many ponds full of birds and ducks…
and slowly wended our way back to the beginning, and the hustle and bustle of the Thames River.

Here in America, most of us are just beginners at the art of birdwatching. In England, they are pros. I was absolutely amazed at the number of people out to see the birds on a weekday, and equally amazed at the equipment they had. We looked like amateurs with our little binoculars…and truth be told, we are happy amateurs. I am posting a few of the pictures…I have been able to identify some of them, but am still working on others.

This is a Magpie, and was surely my favorite…
a cute little bird I am still trying to identify…
juvenile swans and one of their parents…
my most exciting find were these Lapwings…
not quite sure about this guy who had just lifted his head out of the water…
I caught this Great Blue Heron as he was lifting off…
and we saw this little guy through glass in a blind.

We also saw a couple of frogs while in the blind..

And wildflowers and wild berries…

Chickory, also abundant in America…
Red Campion…
Wild Blackberries…
Poke, at least that is what we call it here in the States…
and Yarrow.

We found several snails on our walk, but I loved this guy resting on a leaf…

But the part of our trip to Rainham that touched me most, the part I am drawn to remember time and time again, is that section that holds memories and some relics of World Wars I and II.

the Pill Box at Rainham Marsh

The marsh served as a rifle training range over several decades. Still present on the site is one of eight original Anti-aircraft Ammunition Magazines. Also, still standing, is the Pill Box. It was used in World War I as a submarine lookout. In World War II, anti-aircraft gunners would be stationed on the Pill Box, attempting to keep German bombers from reaching London.

Rainham Marsh was a very special place, on a very special trip. It was one of the highlights of our trip to England.

Quelquechose

I know, what in the world could that word possibly be? It is pronounced kickshaws…and I really cannot say I know why they just didn’t spell it that way. But however it is spelled, or pronounced, this is a really tasty one dish meal, and is very much like a frittata. I found it in “The Tudor Kitchen”, a cookbook I purchased in Stratford on Avon. It is published by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Quelquechose

Adapted from “The Tudor Kitchen” The original recipe calls for a parsnip, but we prefer a carrot for this dish. We leave out the bacon on evenings we want to have a meatless dish (which is most of the time).

We love having this dish with a simple green salad, and a glass of pinot grigio wine. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 leek, trimmed and finely slice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 carrot, chopped into 1/2″ cubes
  • 1/4 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1/2″ cubes
  • 2 strips bacon, chopped (optional)
  • 1/4 cup fresh or frozen peas
  • 6 eggs
  • 2/3 cup half and half
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Grated cheese (optional)

Directions

  1. Melt the butter in a 9-10 inch iron skillet, or other heavy skillet.
  2. Add the onion, leek, garlic, carrot, squash and bacon (if using), and fry on low heat for 15 minutes.
  3. Add the peas the last 3-4 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, half and half, and the seasonings.
  5. Add the egg mixture to the pan and cook gently until the eggs are almost set.
  6. Finish cooking under a preheated grill until the top has browned.
  7. Top with grated cheese, if you are not using the bacon.

That Accidental Special Place Along the Way…and Chicken with Rice and Almonds

16 Thursday Mar 2017

Posted by in England, Food, Photography, Poultry Dishes, Travel, Uncategorized

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Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset, England

It has so often happened, as we have traveled over all these many years, that the most memorable places we have visited are those we merely happened upon. That was certainly true as we traveled to England last summer.

While planning our trip abroad, our son asked me, “Mom, is there anything special you want to see?” I was ready with the answer, the answer I would have had to that question since reading “Salisbury”, by Edmund Rutherford many years ago. I wanted to see Stonehenge. And we did, and I loved it. But…then our son told us that he wanted to stop at a place along the way. He had rented a car for the trip from London to Stonehenge, and this place was along the route we would be taking. And there it was…that special place along the road, the one I never imagined, the one I loved more than anything else I saw on the entire trip. I loved it for so many different reasons, and I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend time walking the grounds of, and feeling the mystique of, the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey.

Glastonbury Abbey as it appears in the 21st century.

Legend tells us that the original church in Glastonbury was built in the first century by Joseph of Arimathea, on a journey he made to the area with Jesus, who was a child at the time. Legend also tells us that it was here at Glastonbury that Joseph buried the Holy Grail, the cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper. You may remember Joseph as the man who took the responsibility for burying Jesus following His crucifixion.

There is no historical evidence to support these claims, and the mystery of the Grail continues to this day. Archaeologists have found evidence, however, that the first church, of wattle and daub, establishing the abbey at Glastonbury may have been built as early as the second century.

The ruins of Glastonbury Abbey

That it is the burial place of King Arthur and Lady Guinevere is another legend associated with Glastonbury Abbey. There are several versions of how the graves were discovered, but we do know that when the bones believed to be that of the King and Queen were placed in a new grave in 1191, pilgrimages to Glastonbury rose, bringing much needed “tourist” money to the abbey. In 1278, the bones of King Arthur and Lady Guinevere were moved once again to a new grave within a rebuilt abbey.

The grave of King Arthur

Here are some facts we do know about Glastonbury Abbey, and its place in English history.

  • The first stone church at Glastonbury was built by the Saxon king, Ine of Wessex in 712. It was enlarged in the eighth century, and then again in the tenth. The stone to build the abbey came from its own quarry.
  • By 1086, Glastonbury Abbey was recorded as the wealthiest monastery in all of England.
  • In 1184, a fire destroyed most of the monastery, leaving only the bell tower and one small room.
  • The abbey was restored with financial assistance from the crown under King Henry II. It was during this reconstruction that the grave of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere are said to have been discovered.
  • In 1539, Glastonbury Abbey was closed by Henry VIII as part of his Dissolution of the Monasteries. The property was stripped of its wealth and its treasures, most of the proceeds going to fund the military campaigns of King Henry VIII in the 1540’s. He sold the property itself, after which much of its stone and ornate stoneworks were taken away to build and adorn other buildings. At one time the abbey even became a quarry.
  • After years of decline and destruction, the abbey came under the protection of the Ancient Monuments Protection Act of 1882. Archaeological studies were conducted, historical research ensued, and Glastonbury Abbey was opened to the public as a place to visit, a place for quiet reflection, a place of renewal.

One of the most beautiful places on the Glastonbury grounds is the remains of the Lady Chapel. A Lady Chapel is the largest side chapel of a cathedral, and is built in an easterly direction from the high altar of the cathedral.

For me, the Lady Chapel was not only the most beautiful, but the most inspiring and sacred place on the grounds. I was most taken by the resilience of nature…that nature can surmount all odds, and burst forth to change our perspectives, our ability to hope and dream, and in so doing enrich our lives. Out of all the ruin, out of all the destruction, came wildflowers and grasses. They were the highlight of my experience, and they were that one thing about the abbey that still stays with me, making Glastonbury Abbey one of my most treasured experiences.

Coming upon Lady Chapel…
The side wall of the chapel…
Looking into Lady Chapel…
After all this time, and all the destruction, the beauty of this place still remains…
I just love this place…
where nature will not be held back…
where nature tells us there is much for which to hope.

The most well preserved building of the abbey is the Abbott’s Kitchen. Built between 1334 and 1342, it is an octagonal building with its massive chimney still intact. Inside the kitchen are four fireplaces. The Kitchen has been set up to display a feeling of how the abbott lived within the confines of the monastery.

The Abbot’s Kitchen…
The chimney from inside the Abbot’s Kitchen…
One of the four fireplaces inside the kitchen….
What it might have been like inside the kitchen in medieval times.

Visiting Glastonbury Abbey in Somerset was one part of our experience of a lifetime, traveling England.

Chicken with Rice and Almonds

While traveling in England, I purchased several cookbooks…it is what I do anywhere I go! I love making recipes from other places, and I especially enjoy experiencing the tastes of many years ago. One of the cookbooks I purchased was “The Medieval Cookbook: 50 Authentic Recipes, Translated and Adapted for the Modern Cook”, by Maggie Black, and published by The British Museum Press.

I can imagine the cooks in the Abbot’s Kitchen cooking up this dish for the abbot. Here is my version of this recipe. I hope you enjoy it, and maybe think about Old England, and what it might have been like at Glastonbury Abbey. Enjoy!

Chicken with Rice and Almonds

A fairly simple recipe to bring to life the food of many years ago.

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. long grain rice
  • 2 1/2 pints chicken stock (I use homemade turkey stock)
  • 4 oz. ground almonds
  • 1# ground chicken (I use ground turkey)
  • 1 Tbsp. lard or butter, melted
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 oz. slivered almonds, toasted
  • A sprinkling of white sugar or dried saffron strands

Directions

  1. Cook the rice in 2 pints of the chicken stock. Cool.
  2. Cook the ground meat in another pan.
  3. In the remaining stock, steep the ground almonds for about 15 minutes. Strain the almond milk into the cooled rice, and bring to a simmer.
  4. Stir in the cooked ground meat and the lard, stirring to warm everything together.
  5. Season the dish as you cook it.
  6. Serve the chicken and rice in bowls with a sprinkle of slivered almonds and the sugar or saffron threads.

 

Stonehenge x Two…and Almond Shortbread

11 Wednesday Jan 2017

Posted by in Cookies, England, Food, Photography, Sweet Treats, Travel

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Several years ago, I read the novel, “Salisbury”, by Edmund Rutherford, and since then visiting Stonehenge had always been on my bucket list. This past summer I was able to realize that dream as we traveled to England to see Stonehenge and a lot more of the country of England.

Stonehenge MST

In the meantime, while I awaited our trip of a lifetime, I was able to enjoy Stonehenge on a smaller scale, right here in my own hometown. And I have been back since our trip with a newer understanding and appreciation of both Stonehenges (not sure what the plural of Stonehenge should be!)

Our Stonehenge in, Rolla, MO, sits among modern buildings. Thousands of automobiles drive past it each and every day.

Our Stonehenge in, Rolla, MO, sits among modern buildings.

My hometown Stonehenge, constructed on the campus of Missouri University of Science and Technology,  is a half scale partial reconstruction of the original in England. Its ring has a diameter of fifty feet with 29 1/2 sarsen stones that surround a horseshoe of five trilithons. Sunrise and sunset can be seen through these trilithons, which one depends on the season of the year.

winter-sunrise-sw-trilithon

Sunrise through the southeast trilithon at Stonehenge MST

There are two features that have been added to our Stonehenge that are not part of Stonehenge in England. One is the addition of an analemma, a figure 8 carved in stones that lie behind the south facing trilithon. Each day at noon, the sun, if is it shining, casts a light through a small opening in the trilithon onto the figure 8 which corresponds to that day’s date.

The analemma behind the south facing trilithon

The analemma behind the south facing trilithon

The second feature of the Stonehenge MST that is not found on the original is the Polaris Window found on the north facing trilithon. On a clear night, a visitor will be able to observe the location of the North Star through this window.

The Polaris Window in the north facing trilithon.

The Polaris Window in the north facing trilithon.

Stonehenge, England

I was so excited about seeing the original, the authentic Stonehenge, and it did not disappoint. Stonehenge lies out in the English countryside, and the trip there was all by itself, a real treat.

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Sometimes, when you travel to a site you have looked forward to seeing for a very long time, you find you are somewhat disappointed…you have, after all, seen that place many times, depicted in many formats, and now here it is, and it is just as you had seen it pictured so often. This was not true of Stonehenge.

Of course I had seen pictures of Stonehenge many times, from many angles, but it is not the same as seeing it up close and realizing that men, not machines, were responsible for its construction. I understood that even before the bus took our group out to the site. There is a huge stone on rollers at the bus platform. It is hard to fathom how any group of men could have moved a stone weighing somewhere in the area of 40 tons to another spot, let alone then standing it on its end!

A sarsen stone on rollers...the method used to move the stones that became part of Stonehenge.

A sarsen stone on rollers…the method used to move the stones that became part of Stonehenge.

And then you finally arrive at Stonehenge. I will leave you to discover the specifics of its physical properties and the purposes for its construction with your own research. My intent in this post is to express its impact, its meaning to me as I walked on the path around it.

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Stonehenge is a magical, and for me, a very mystical place. I was struck by its size, and by the sheer strength and intense work its construction must have entailed. I was amazed at the mathematical understanding of the planners and the builders, who were able, in 2300 B.C., to put up a structure of such magnitude. I was intrigued by the religious significance of Stonehenge, and the religious beliefs of the people who gathered at this important site. And it was so old, and still so solid, so substantial, so permanent.

There is a stone a bit away from Stonehenge, called the Heel Stone. It is believed that this half buried stone, may have been there before any building began, indeed it may have been the reason the builders chose this particular spot to build Stonehenge. It is over the Heel Stone that you will see the rising midsummer sun.

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The Heel Stone at Stonehenge

And then you see them, the gatekeepers of Stonehenge, the rooks.

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Rooks are fairly large black birds, and they are everywhere around the Stonehenge structure. They do not appear to be afraid of people, and often seem to be staring down the visitors at the site. They nest in the sarsens of Stonehenge, and they were an experience I had not expected.

A rook "standing guard" atop the Heel Stone.

A rook “standing guard” atop the Heel Stone.

Rooks flying off a trilithon at Stonehenge.

Rooks flying off a trilithon at Stonehenge.

Another unexpected treat on our visit was the reconstructed neolithic buildings at the visitor center. The small village gave us all a look into the lives of the people who lived in the area, and who would have gathered at Stonehenge.

the reconstruction of a small visit depicting life in the time of Stonehenge.
Inside a village hut
Items that would have been used by the people of Stonehange.

Stonehenge is a marvelous place, and our little Stonehenge here in Rolla is also worth a visit!

Afternoon Tea

While we were in England, I insisted that we have afternoon tea. All the family looked at me as if I was crazy…I absolutely do not like tea! But if you are in England, well…I was introduced to really good black tea at Harrod’s, and ever since I have enjoyed tea very much. Apparently I don’t like the tea here in the states, in a tea bag…my daughter calls me a “tea snob”.

I purchased a small cookbook, “Tea Fit For A Queen” written in association with the Historic Royal Palaces. In it I found a wonderful recipe for shortbread that goes perfectly with my afternoon tea. I have changed all the recipe amounts to the measures we use here in the United States. Enjoy!

Almond Shortbread

Almond Shortbread

Almond Shortbread

Ingredients

  • 1 stick + 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 c. caster sugar, plus extra for dusting*
  • 3/4 c. + 1 Tbsp. all purpose flour
  • 1/3 c. + 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1/4 c. ground almonds

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F, and lightly grease an 8″ round pan.
  2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium low speed until light and creamy.
  3. Sift in the flour and cornstarch, then add the ground almonds to the bowl.
  4. Mix the dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture on low speed.
  5. Press the mixture evenly into the greased pan.
  6. Press a knife edge or fork along the round edge to make a pattern on the shortbread, then score into eight wedges and prick all over with a fork.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and score the shortbread again.
  8. Continue baking for 30-40 minutes or until golden around the edges.
  9. Dust with additional sugar. Cool in pan.

This shortbread can be stored for up to five days in an airtight container.

*Caster sugar is very finely granulated sugar. It is not easily found in the United States, but you can make your own caster sugar by pulsing regular granulated sugar until it appears sand like. Do not pulse too far, or you will end up with confectioner’s sugar!

 

Resilient

02 Monday Jan 2017

Posted by in England, Photography, Weekly Photo Challenge

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Weekly Photo Challenge

Resilient…able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.

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This past summer we were fortunate enough to visit England, where one of my favorite sites was Glastonbury Abbey in Somerset County. Built by the Saxons, and made even more extraordinary by the Normans, the Abbey fell victim to the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII.

Over time, the Abbey was looted of its valuables, and stripped of its lead and stone which were hauled away for buildings elsewhere. By the eighteenth century, the Abbey sat in ruins, and in the nineteenth century, the site was blown apart with gunpowder and became a quarry. In 1882, the Glastonbury Abbey came under the protection of the government and has been a preserved site ever since.

It was my favorite site because walking the grounds of the Abbey, I could not help but think of how resilient are both nature and beauty. You simply cannot destroy the beauty of what was once an incredible building, crafted by talented men who loved their work. Nor can you destroy the resiliency of nature. Nothing gave me as much pleasure as viewing the flowers that grew on the remaining stones of this once magnificent structure. Life is resilient…and it always will be!

You simply cannot destroy beauty!