Tip #3: Go seasonal
Keeping everyone entertained is one of a host’s main jobs at the dinner party. Conversation should flow (and ideally faster than the wine). Food is a topic on everyone’s mind. Unique ingredients like imported oils or unusual herbs are talking points around the table.
Unfortunately, these exotic ingredients are often expensive, full of calories or have been flown halfway around the world before arriving on your table. By using seasonal ingredients, the produce you serve will be at its freshest and most delicious.
Seasonal ingredients also add an instant theme to the dinner: tomatoes and berries refresh in the summertime, apples and pumpkins inspire the harvest in the autumn, cranberries, parsnips and pears feel festive in the winter and watercress and broad beans awaken the palate in the spring. These touches are certain to charm your guests.
By using local ingredients, you can take this idea one step further. One of my friends has told me before: “I love telling my guests where the food on their plates is from. Mushroom soup is one of my specialities, and it’s great to say that the chestnut mushrooms are from
Roasted mushroom soup
(serves 8 as a starter)
750 g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
250 g shallots, peeled and sliced
4 cloves of garlic
4 stalks of rosemary
20 sprays of olive oil
8 pints of hot vegetable or chicken stock
Preheat the oven to 200 C.
Add the mushrooms, shallots, garlic, rosemary, and olive oil to a foil-lined roasting tin. Roast for 30 minutes.
After roasting, decant the vegetables and juices into a large pot and add the hot stock. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer for at least 20 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and use a hand blender to puree the soup, adding 1 pint of skimmed milk during blending.
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