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If you go to Down the Woods Today…

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We’ve all been enjoying the glorious weather recently. Heading to the local park on a sunny day is a must. Why not enjoy a lazy summer’s afternoon with a picnic?

Picnic

The classic choice for a picnic is a selection of sandwiches and snacks. Today, we take a look at some other suggestions for a lunchtime picnic.

Quiche Lorraine

Quiche is the perfect partner to a picnic. You can fill it with your favourite ingredients, it can be eaten hot or cold, with or without cutlery. It’s easily transportable in a lunchbox and won’t easily crumble. A firm favourite is quiche Lorraine, check out this recipe from the BBC Food website.

Peach and Roasted Vegetable Salad

A salad is a great tasting, light on the waistline picnic treat. It allows for a combination of flavours that seem to taste even better in the sunshine. Be experimental with ingredients and you’ll be surprised at the results. How delicious does the Peach and Roasted Vegetable Salad look?

Picnic Pie

Nothing beats a homemade pie. They may take some time making but you can store them in the freezer until you decide to go on a picnic. With a wide range of fillings, including bacon and egg, chicken and stuffing and the traditional pork pie, there is no better way to indulge.

Chocolate and Cherry Slice

And for afters? This decadent chocolate slice brimming with glacé cherries is an ideal snack for a picnic: serve with clotted cream and fresh rasberries.

Homemade Lemonade

Why not wash it all down with a refreshing, summery drink? Homemade lemonade is easy to prepare and quenches your thirst on a hot day. Just for adults – why not create your favourite cocktail to enjoy on your afternoon day off? Or if you’re really wanting to treat yourself a bottle of bubbly is just as enjoyable.

Don’t forget to pack a picnic rug. There is nothing worse than grass stains on your bottom. There’s a great range of picnic ware available at John Lewis. As well as this, be considerate of the environment by taking along a rubbish bag so you don’t leave a mess behind.

So what are you waiting for? Gather your family or friends and head out to your local park to enjoy the sunshine.

Celebrate St George’s Day in Style!

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So, today is St. George’s Day, although like many of us, it may have passed you by. For some reason, we often let this patron saint’s day go unnoticed, so this year we are encouraging people to buck that trend and celebrate in style!

What could be more quintessentially English than a luxurious afternoon tea? Here at Vanilla in Allseasons, we love to prepare and serve them for parties, weddings and special events.

Vanilla in Allseasons - Afternoon Tea

Why not make this St. George’s Day a special one and try creating your own? Set the table with fresh flowers, bring out the best china, put up some colourful bunting and serve up an elegant English feast!

bunting

Afternoon tea essentials include –

*Fresh and crisp cucumber sandwiches served on soft white bread
*Creamy egg and cress served on a rustic wholemeal
*Sweet fruit scones with clotted cream and jam
*A selection of delicate cakes.

Whether you have time to bake the cakes from scratch or buy them in from your local bakery, ensure that each morsel is carefully sliced and neatly presented to give that authentic feeling of luxury. Remove the crusts from the sandwiches and present it all on pretty vintage china or tiered plates.

Afternoon tea cakes

Serve it all with a pot of fresh tea or perhaps a glass of icy fizz if you’re feeling frivolous. Whether teacup or champagne flute, be sure to raise it high to good old St. George!

If you would like to know more about our afternoon tea service for your own special event, please feel free to get in touch!

A Little Indulgence

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Everyone knows that good things come in small packages. Somehow, any dish introduced in miniature form becomes twice as irresistible. Desserts are something that particularly benefit from this.

Some dessert recipes can leave you feeling too full but these smaller versions of classics are a great way to complete a meal or include in a buffet at events. Ranging from dinky pies to tiny tarts and bite-size cakes, why not bring these mini dessert dishes to the table?

We’ve rounded up five petite plates – including peanut butter and chocolate cheese cake, golden Victoria sponges and pear, vanilla and smoke cakes – that are sure to take your fancy as well satisfy that sweet tooth.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cheesecakes

Mini Cakes - Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cheesecakes

Chocolate can be quite overwhelming (but very, very enjoyable!) in dessert recipes. This cheesecake recipe – combining roasted peanuts, caramel, peanut butter and chocolate – provides a mouthwatering idea for desserts that just melts in the mouth.

Golden Victoria Sponges

Mini Cakes - Victoria Sponges

This British favourite looks even more appetising with the cream and jam bursting from the sides. What a great idea to accompany your afternoon tea, don’t you agree?

Mini Guinness Desserts

Mini Cakes - Guinness Desserts

A healthy twist on the Italian Tiramisu, this delectable coffee and chocolate dessert is accompanied with a fresh, creamy yoghurt top.

Pear, Vanilla and Smoke Cakes

Mini Cakes - Pear, Vanilla and Smoke Cakes

Another small indulgence, that will tantalise those tastebuds: “The smokiness is balanced by the aromatic freshness of the pear, and the nutty dark chocolate pulls these contrasting flavours together”.

Trio of Desserts

Mini Cakes - Dessert Trio

Why not indulge in more than one dessert? Here, at Vanilla in Allseasons, we offer three miniature versions of your favourite dishes, including lemon tart, meringue with fruit and chocolate brownie.

If these don’t tickle those tastebuds, we can tailor make to match your preferences. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any queries.

A Thankyou from our Clients

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In our line of work we cater for a variety of occasions, some happy and exciting others sad and respectful. Whatever we do, we always strive to provide the ideal service to suit these occasions and compliment them in the best way possible.

This week we received two lovely thank you notes from two very different events. We were touched by both and wanted to share them with you all.

“I would like to thank you and your staff for your help in arranging this event at short notice. Everything about the ‘do’ last week was excellent and just what I wanted. The guests commented on how nicely everything was presented, and the taste matched the presentation. Particularly successful were the chicken sandwiches, chocolate cake and the coffee! Both your staff were pleasant, helpful and efficient – used crockery just disappeared and the coffee & tea pots constantly topped up – please pass my thanks on to them.

Once again, thanks for all your help.

Regards
Penny”


“Hi Adam

I just wanted to to thank you and all your staff for making the wedding such a wonderful occasion.

We got so many compliments on the catering and service, so thank you very much!

Kind regards
Sharon”

Many thanks to these clients for getting in touch to tell us how we did. We always appreciate feedback and these positive comments help to reassure us that we are on the right path.

Summer Sensations

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It looks like the weather has finally decided to start acting like it should. With the sun making more of an appearance, we decided to take a look at what’s going to be hot this summer.

Heritage Chicken

Summer Food Trends - Heritage Chicken

With a rise in the cost of beef, pork and lamb, it seems we are favouring that humble bird, the chicken. Taking more consideration into the farming of chickens is making all the difference. Reared on small farms, heritage chickens are even tastier.

Summer Food Trends - Chicken Kiev

Chicken kievs are even finding their way back on to restaurant menus. We love this recipe from Channel 4’s Simon Rimmer.

Gilded Burgers

Summer Food Trends - Burgers

This year is all about quality fast food. The classic burger is undergoing a makeover with artisan buns, delectable sauces and new flavour combinations. Burger flavours being introduced include pork sage and onion, sweetcorn and turkey and cheddar cheese.

Aperitivo

Summer Food Trends - Aperitivo

The Mediterranean is having a strong influence on our cuisine. It now seems we are following in the footsteps of the Italian in how they do evening drinks. Bars are offering complimentary Italian canapes, such as sweet tarts, beef carpaccio and crostini, to tuck into whilst you enjoy a bottle of wine.

Summer Food Trends - Vanilla in Allseasons - Italian Canapes

Aperitivos make great appetisers at a party. Here at Vanilla in Allseasons we have our own selection of Italian delicacies, if you’re planning an event feel free to contact us and we can discuss any requirements.

Donuts

Summer Food Trends - Doughnuts

This year’s cupcake. Doughnuts, either homemade or bought from a specialist, are a great partner to coffee. With a wide array of fillings to satisfy your tastebuds, they are fast becoming the indulgent treat of the year.

We’d love to hear your ideas for this summer on our Facebook page

Happy Easter! Part 2

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Today, we take a look at our recipe ideas for Easter dinner.

Dinner
Starter – Creamy Curried Carrot and Butter Bean Soup

Creamy curried carrot and butter bean soup

With the weather not exactly being Spring-like, this spicy soup is sure to warm up your guests. The recipe is perfect for feeding a crowd, or you could save the leftovers for Bank Holiday lunch.

Main Course – Garlic and Herb Roast Lamb on Boulangère Potatoes with Green Beans, Pine Nuts and Shallots

Garlic & Herb roast lamb on boulangere potatoes

Green beans with pine nuts & shallot butter

Lamb is the traditional meat to eat at Easter. This garlic and herb roast gives a flavoursome twist to the traditional Easter Sunday dinner and the boulangère potatoes soak up all those delectable juices. Sprucing up those crisp green beans makes for an excellent complementary side dish.

Dessert – Simnel Cakes

Simnel cakes

Another Easter tradition is the simnel cake. Packed full of delicious flavours including mixed spices, cinnamon and dried fruit.

Easter Eggs

So what are you waiting for? Celebrate Easter with an array of flavours that will leave your guest’s mouths watering!

Happy Easter!

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Whether you’re entertaining the family or hosting a larger gathering this Easter weekend, there is an abundance of eggs-cellent (see what we did there?!) recipe ideas to wow your guests.

With March and April providing delicious seasonal ingredients, from lamb to leeks and new potatoes, your only challenge is choosing what to serve!

Today, we offer our choice of recipe ideas to help you narrow down the menu.

Breakfast – Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns

There’s no better way to start the day than with this Easter classic. This sticky version of the hot cross bun is much tastier than those you can buy in the shops. Why don’t you give it a go?

Lunch – Chicken, Spinach and Pesto Puff Pastry Tart

Chicken, pesto and spinach puff pastry

This great light choice provides a quick and easy lunch that can served with a salad or a selection of vegetables. You don’t have to stick to the toppings suggested in this recipe either. You can mix together any combination of ingredients depending on what tickles your tastebuds.

Check back later in the week for our Easter dinner ideas.

Moroccan Magic!

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Yesterday we catered for a Moroccan themed party at Adelphi in Cheshire.

Moroccan Tea Party

Lucky guests were treated to a selection of fruits including sweet dates, melon and fresh strawberries. We also served a selection of Baklava, a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with honey.

Moroccan Tea

Moroccan teas and coffee were served and everyone enjoyed the delicious and unusual food. We rather enjoyed preparing it too!

If you are planning a special party, celebration or corporate event and would like to serve some special food, we can help! Just give us a call.

Kicking Off The Wedding Season in Style!

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It was another busy weekend for the Vanilla in Allseasons team with the hectic wedding season now up and running.

On Saturday we catered for a spectacular wedding at the beautiful Capesthorne Hall then on Sunday we were up in the gorgeous hills of Rushton Spencer in the fabulous surroundings of Heaton House Farm.

Of course, our team were kept very busy ensuring that the newly married couples and thier guests were kept refreshed and happy throughout the day. However, we did manage to grab a few quick snaps to share with you…

Capesthorne Hall Dining room
The Beautiful Dining Room at Capesthorne Hall
Vanilla Catering - Ham Terrine
Ham Terrine with Homemade Piccalilli
Vanilla Catering - Sticky Toffee Pudding
A Sweet & Simple Sticky Toffee Pudding
Vanilla in Allseasons catering - Desserts
A Selection of Dessert Trios, Ready to Serve to Hungry Guests

We had a fantastic weekend and really enjoyed getting back into the swing of the wedding season. It was wonderful to see two great couples hosting such stylish and romantic events.

If you are hosting a wedding, party or special event then why not get in touch. We can provide all manner of catering services and our team will be happy to fulfill your requirements.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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Looking for something to wash down with a Guinness? Try one of these traditional Irish recipes this St. Patrick’s Day from the BBC Good Food website.

Irish Stew

St. Patrick's Day - Irish Stew

This is easily prepared and allows you time to pop to the pub whilst it cooks. Packed full of flavour, it’s guaranteed to leave your mouth watering.

Smoked Haddock and Colcannon

St. Patrick's Day - Colcannon and Smoked Haddock

Colcannon, the traditional Irish potato dish, is a great accompaniment to the creamy tasting smoked haddock. Quick to prepare and light tasting, it’ll go well with that Guinness!

For more, St.Patrick’s day recipe ideas visit the BBC Good Food website.

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