ASpecial Celebration…

This May brings a very special Royal Celebration - the Coronation of King Charles III on the sixth - a ceremony that most of us have never seen before, and a oncein-a-lifetime event for many of us. There will be bunting and buns, street parties, flags and of course the Coronation Quiche, the recipe for which we include this month.

As well as the Coronation, May is the month when the countryside bursts into a riot of colour - the month of blossom and boom - the month in which there is so much going on in the natural world. Here at Station House, each May we look up at the old horse chestnut trees at the front of our garden and feel that never before were their leaves so green and their candles so beautiful and creamy. And if we are still and listen closely on a sunny afternoon we will hear the drowsy murmur of thousands of bees among those ivory candles, busy at their work as we sit and wonder at it all.

In the kitchen it’s a great time to make use of early herbs. There aren’t any big, full-flavoured vegetables to enjoy - those earthy root vegetables, so suited to winter stews, soups and casseroles, are a thing of the past. The herb garden now comes into its own, providing everything we need to make the most of the new season’s ingredients. Chervil, chives, lovage ,parsley, rosemary, sage, sorrel and thyme are all abundant this month and lend themselves to fragrant, fresh dishes that announce the new season has arrived. Just stuff them into chickens, crust them over new season lamb and coat fresh fish in them all month long!

Hopefully the weather will be kind and the day of the Coronation will be warm and sunny - a great day to pack up our baskets and head along to the nearest street party of other gathering to celebrate in the company of friends, family and neighbours. And if it’s raining the village hall will be pressed into service and if possible we’ll all have even more fun, packed in tightly and enjoying every moment!