Escape: Sand, sea, surf

See, do, stay, love the UK. This month: Lou Archell stays in a surf shack in Cornwall

Our regular travel series comes from online UK travel guide This is Your Kingdom, whose handpicked contributors explore favourite places, special finds and great goings on.

You can read about one we love each month in The Simple Things - turn to page 80 of the July issue for more of this Cornish adventure - and plenty of others at thisisyourkingdom.co.uk.

Lou Archell is a regular contributor to thisisyourkingdom.co.uk. Follow her blog at Littlegreenshedblog.co.uk and find her on Instagram as @littlegreenshed. 

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The Simple Things letterpress print

When it came to writing a manifesto for The Simple Things, it actually didn’t take long. We made a list of those special moments and and stuff that’s really important.

When we handed out the flyers at shows, we realised how universal they are. People wanted one to take home. So we asked Nomad Letterpress to hand-print a special poster.

Made using Zerkall 225gsm mould-made paper

Measures 380mm x 530mm 

Colours from the top: Teal, Watermelon, Blueberry & Ginger

The Simple Things letterpress print costs £22, unframed, and UK p&p is free*

Buy at icebergpress.co.uk/shop

*Check online for overseas postage prices 

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Dogs in blankets with Laughing Dog

KIZZY, SAUSAGE DOG, 8

“I’m a proud hepdog. Not like those loser, lazy hepcats, I’m an upstanding member of the canine heptathlon association of Great Britain. Well, when I say upstanding, I’m not counting the long jump (that requires a bit of a tumble). Being a hepdog takes a lot of improvisation – sticks for javelins, balls for shot-put and the gate for hurdles. Despite the failure of the Olympic Committee to recognise our sport, I believe we should get a medal for effort alone. Try the high jump with a body like mine. Now, that’s what I call real skill...”

Tweet a pic of your #dogsinblankets @simplethingsmag
#doghappy @laughingdogfood

 

Dogs in blankets is brought to you in association with Laughing Dog

Three generations ago, our bakers discovered that slow-baking was the secret to creating deliciously tasty food. By oven-baking we can protect the wholesome goodness of our farm-grown ingredients, creating a delicious taste loved by even the fussiest of dogs.

To discover more about Laughing Dog’s mission to bake the nation dog happy, visit laughingdogfood.com. Save 25% on your first order! Quote ST16 when ordering

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Escape: Caravan holidays

A new view from your bedroom window but with home comforts all around you: a caravan holiday delivers the ideal combo of home and away 

Have you ever wondered about the appeal of a touring caravan? Then consider the freedom one offers. Not just the obvious freedom of the road, where you can journey spontaneously wherever and whenever fancy takes you, but the freedom to take your home comforts with you. Fancy a cup of tea? Pull over at a lay-by and put the kettle on. Suspicious of hotel bedlinen? Yours is all there tucked away in neat little cupboards, waiting. Worried that tea and biscuits might not be up to scratch in a B&B? You have tins of your favourites stowed away and ready for use. Miss your real home? Furnish your mobile one with customised cushions, curtains and bits and bobs.

Then there are all the benefits of the outdoors. Arrive on site, erect your awning and you can put up a deckchair, barbecue some sausages, let the children run free (and bring the dog) without wandering more than a few metres from your door. Try doing any of that outside a hotel room.

A caravan (and this includes the unfairly derided static caravan or mobile home) also offers the freedom to escape the workaday routine without going too wild. Instead of eating meals on the sofa in front of the TV, you can eat around a campfire beneath the stars. But no camping hardship here: proper plates, cutlery and glasses can be employed, not plastic cups and billycans. And rather than each family member being glued to their tablet, a pack of cards or a board game provides the evening’s entertainment. Really, what’s not to like about caravanning? 

The spirit of the sprite

The first caravan to tickle the fancy of the UK holidaymaker was the Alpine Sprite, above, a light, low-cost (£199) caravan made from tempered hardboard that could be towed behind the family car. It was the brainchild of designer Sam Alper* who in 1948, saw a gap in the market for a post-war leisure vehicle.

As the years went on, Alper developed different models. The model that still survives in vintage caravan sites and the odd front garden is the Sprite 400, which could be towed behind smaller cars, and the Sprite Cadet, launched in 1970

You can still pick up a vintage Sprite on eBay for between £500 and £1,000. 

Turn to page 56 of July's The Simple Things for more of Clare Gogerty's caravan feature.

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Escape: How to read water

We can look at the same stretch of water every day and not see the same thing twice. How is it that bodies of water can change so much so often? Natural navigator Tristan Gooley solves some of the clues on streams and rivers 

• What happens to a river after lots of rain depends whether it is ‘flashy’ or not. If surrounded by impervious rocks and soils like clay then rain can go from sky to river in a matter of hours but if the surrounding rock is porous, like chalk or limestone, then it can be months before the water that collects in underground aquifers (natural reservoirs) reaches the river. The clue is in the bridges: those in flashy river country will be higher and have supporting pillars to avoid being swept away by floodwaters.
   
• Fancy a wild swim but don’t know the river well? Look for waterlillies, which are rooted to the bed; white ones like shallow, very slow and very clear water, so are more common in ponds but if you do see them on a river, you’re looking at pure, relatively undisturbed water no more than two metres deep. Yellow water lilies prefer deeper water (up to five metres) and will tolerate more flow. But neither can handle the turbulence boats create so they mean a river-traffic-free spot for a dip. 
   
• Deciding where to ford a stream or river can be a tricky business. Moss can help as it only grows well on stable rocks not being moved by the water whereas algae can spring up temporarily. The old saying holds true: “a rolling stone gathers no moss”. As well as showing you where to put your feet, moss is less slippery than algae. If you do fall into fast-moving water, point your legs downstream as soon as possible to avoid hitting your head on something.
   
• One of the loveliest things to see on a riverside walk is a kingfisher. Watch out for a branch or perch overlooking the river with white splashes on it. Kingfishers are territorial birds and once you’ve found its perch it’s just a matter of waiting before you see the bird itself. They are another sign that a river is in fine health.
   
• If you’re crossing a bridge with small children there will inevitably be a demand to play pooh sticks. Depending on whether you want to let them win or not, take note of the following: look down and you’ll see that water flows faster in the middle of the channel than at the sides where there is more friction. So the best tactic is to throw your stick as close to the middle as possible.

Tristan’s latest book is How To Read Water: Clues, signs and patterns from puddle to the sea (Sceptre) 

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Rules of the game: Croquet

Cunning and competitive but with no need to break a sweat, croquet is the slow summer game

“One of the most amusing things about croquet is how everyone plays to marginally different rules,” says Joe Jaques, the eighth generation of the family who popularised the game in the 1860s (see page 64 of July's The Simple Things). At the highest level, there’s Association Croquet; Golf Croquet is easier and widely played in many clubs, and then there’s Garden Croquet, a simplified form of Association Croquet. This does have official rules, although in practice, it’s likely to be as idiosyncratic as your family. “It’s not uncommon to see a couple who have grown up playing different rules,” continues Joe. “Depending on how competitive, argumentative or well-lubricated they are makes for an endlessly entertaining game.”

So here, for the sake of argument, are the simplified rules of garden croquet, according to the World Croquet Federation (read the full rules at croquet.org.uk):

THE AIM: Two sides compete to get their balls (either red and yellow or blue and black) to the peg by hitting them through the hoops with their mallets in the order shown, right.

THE KIT: four mallets, four balls, six hoops and a peg.

THE LAWN: A croquet lawn should ideally be 17.5m x 14m with the peg in the centre and hoops laid out as shown. If your garden is smaller, simply scale this down. THE SCORING: Each hoop ‘run’ or passed through scores one point, as does hitting the final peg; so the winner will be the first side to score 14 (one point per hoop and peg per ball).

 

HOW TO PLAY: The first side strikes one of their balls towards the first hoop. If the ball clears the first hoop, you may take another shot. If not, play passes to the other side. All four balls must be played in the first four turns. After that, each side can decide which of their balls to play. If your ball hits another ball, you earn two extra shots. This is really the fun of croquet – as Joe says, “it’s as much about disadvantaging your opponent as advancing your own game.” The first of your extra shots must be taken from where the knocked ball has ended up. Place your ball so it is touching the other ball and play your shot. The second is played from where your ball ends up. 

Turn to page 62 of July's The Simple Things for more croquet.

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Recipe: Wood-roasted potatoes with thyme and garlic

These potatoes are simmered with lots of garlic and thyme to infuse them with flavour, then roasted over hot charcoal and oak wood chips with more garlic and thyme. This wonderful dish is brilliant straight from the grill.

Serves 4

800g Charlotte, Pink Fir Apple or other waxy potatoes
1 garlic bulb, cut in half, plus 4 extra garlic cloves, peeled
6 sprigs thyme
olive oil, for cooking
50g (31⁄2 tbsp) unsalted butter
sea salt and black pepper
For an extra-smoky flavour, you’ll also need some beech or oak chips

1 Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water and add the halved garlic bulb and three of the thyme sprigs. Bring to the boil on the stove and cook until tender. Drain well and leave to cool, then cut the cooled potatoes into bite-sized chunks.

2 Light the barbecue and set for direct/indirect cooking (see “Food from Fire”, on page 43 of July's The Simple Things). Throw a handful of wood chips onto the coals, if you like.

3 Take a roasting tin or ovenproof frying pan large enough to hold the potatoes and place in the direct heat zone. Add a good lug of olive oil and, when the oil starts to smoke, add the potatoes and season well. Toss the potatoes in the oil to coat, then close the lid of the barbecue.

4 Cook for 4 minutes before tossing the potatoes again and adding another handful of wood chips, if using, to the coals. Cook for a further three minutes, then add the butter, extra garlic cloves and the leaves from the remaining three thyme sprigs. Toss the potatoes again, then transfer to the indirect heat zone and cook for 2 minutes, or until they are crisp and golden brown.

5 Serve the potatoes immediately, spooning over the pan sauces. 

Ben Tish is chef director at the Salt Yard Group, which runs four restaurants in London. Recipes are taken from his new book Grill Smoke BBQ (Quadrille) 

Turn to page 39 of July's The Simple Things for more barbecue recipes, including 

Beef bavette with smoky salad onions and salsa cruda
Barbecued mushrooms with rosemary and garlic
Wood-roasted potatoes
Charcoal-grilled chicory with pomegranate molasses
Crispy artichokes with lemon and sage
Smoky bitter-chocolate puddings with melting whipped cream

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There are no wrong turns, just unexpected paths

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Recipe: Nectarine honey cakes

The beautiful oral tones of honey can make baked goods sing. Slices of nectarine top these tender little cakes, but you could also use peach, apricot or plums 

During the summer months when stone fruits are cheap and plentiful, you can buy fruit in bulk, slice, lay out on a tray, freeze and then transfer it to zip-lock bags. You can then use the slices in
smoothies. Or, lightly stew and freeze in containers to later use in pies, tarts and crumbles – there’s nothing like pulling out a container of summer fruit to make a pud in the midst of winter. 

Nectarine honey cakes 

Makes 9 (Gluten-free)

75g butter, diced
60ml honey
80g ground almonds
45g ne brown rice our
2 tbsp arrowroot or gluten-free organic corn flour
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
60ml (1/4 cup) almond, rice or coconut milk
1 large free-range egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 medium nectarine, thinly sliced

1 Preheat oven to 160C/Fan 140C/310F. Grease a nine-hole friand tin generously with melted butter. Place butter and honey into a small saucepan and set over a low heat, stirring often until the butter has just melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
2 Place ground almonds in a medium bowl and sift over the brown rice flour, arrowroot or cornflour, and baking powder. Add lemon zest and whisk well to evenly distribute flours. Whisk milk, egg and vanilla extract in a separate bowl.
3 Add to dry ingredients along with melted butter and honey. Whisk to form a smooth batter. Pour some batter into each friand hole and top with a couple of slices of nectarine.
4 Bake for 15–20 minutes or until golden – a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean. Remove from oven and set aside for 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around the outside of each cake, then gently remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool further.

Cakes are best eaten on the day of baking; however, they will store, airtight, for 3 days.

Recipe from A Year in My Real Food Kitchen by Emma Galloway (HarperCollins)

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Gardening: How to attract butterflies

Plant a few pollen-rich flowers in your garden and watch it come alive with butterflies and bees

Turn to page 108 of July's The Simple Things for our feature on how to open a nectar bar in your garden, and follow the ideas below.

1. Leave a few fallen fruits on the ground. In late summer, butterflies, such as the Red Admiral and Painted Lady, will feed on fruit juices in fallen over-ripe pears, plums and apples.

2. Avoid pesticides. If you’re struggling with pests, you can make your own organic sprays (see Issue 48 for recipes) that won’t harm insects or the environment.

3. Don’t forget caterpillars. Stinging nettles, thistles, holly and ivy are good sources of food and act as hosts on which butterflies lay their eggs. 

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Give it a grow: Beetroot

WHY GROW THEM?

Don’t let the memory of eating that tasteless, shop-bought pickled beetroot put you off growing this wonderful vegetable. Try it roasted, blended (check out Ottolenghi’s incredible puréed beetroot with yoghurt & za’atar recipe) or raw to enjoy its delicious, earthy flavour, as well as benefit from all the vitamins packed within. It’s also one of those crops that can be harvested early as a baby vegetable, or left in the ground to grow to any size between a golf and a tennis ball.

WHEN TO SOW?

Sarah Raven recommends soaking seeds in warm water for half an hour before sowing in the veg patch or container. For a constant supply, sow every three to four weeks from March to July in a sunny spot and good soil. Sow thinly, so crops have a chance to form juicy bulbs, in rows about 30cm apart. You can sow more densely and pick the leaves as a tender, tasty salad crop.

WHEN TO HARVEST?

Crops are ready about 12 weeks after sowing, though pick earlier for a smaller, sweeter crop.

WHICH ONE?

‘Burpees Golden’ for its colour, ‘Chioggia’ to delight diners with its candy stripes, ‘Albinia Vereduna’, which is white so won’t stain hands and ‘Boltardy’, which, as it sounds, is bolt resistant. 

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Recipe: Pea cheesecake

This makes a delicious light lunch or summer starter, and uses everything but the pod itself from the pea plant. (If you want to save your pea flowers to turn into more peas, omit them or use other edible flowers.) Savoury cheesecakes are a great alternative to quiches and tarts and, as this recipe uses oatcakes for the base, it is wheat-free, too.  

Pea cheesecake

Serves 4–6 as a light lunch with salad, 8–10 as a starter
1 × 23cm spring-form tin, greased and base-lined

base tier

200g oatcakes
100g unsalted butter
parmesan crisps
20g Parmesan cheese, finely grated pea purée
100g butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
300g peas
filling
360g cream cheese
120ml double cream
4 eggs
zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste
100g peas

decoration

handful of pea shoots, edible flowers (eg pea flowers, violas)

1 For base tier, put the oatcakes in a food bag and bash with a rolling pin until they are reduced to crumbs. Melt the butter, then combine with the crumbs in a bowl, mixing to coat. Press into the base of the tin in an even tier (a potato masher is the best tool here). Chill in the fridge for at least half an hour.

2 For the Parmesan crisps, preheat oven to 180C. Put 10 large pinches of grated cheese on a baking sheet, leaving space for them to spread. Place baking sheet in oven and, watching all the time, let the cheese melt into flat, slightly browned crisps. Remove from the oven and cool the crisps on the baking sheet.

3 For the pea purée, melt butter in a frying pan. Add garlic to the butter as it melts, but do not let it brown. Pour over the peas and blend to a rough purée.

4 For filling, whisk cream cheese, double cream, eggs and lemon zest in a large bowl. Add the pea purée, season, and whisk again until everything is incorporated. Stir in the whole peas. Pour filling over the base tier and bake for 35–40 mins until the cheesecake does not wobble when the tin is shaken, and the top is golden.

5 Turn the cheesecake out onto a plate, scatter over the pea shoots and flowers. Nestle the Parmesan crisps among them. Serve warm, with a peppery side salad.

Recipe from Grow Your Own Cake by Holly Farrell (Frances Lincoln) Photography Jason Ingram

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Explore: July cover reveal

Open the curtains and seize the day. There’s no better time than summer for exploring. What will you do? Perhaps pick your own cherries, swim in a stream or stay in a caravan. This could be the year you learn to sail or even just make a new cocktail. Lie still for a while among the buttercups, watch the bees and smoke from the barbecue. Holidays are memory makers; you’ll remember when you learned about jellyfish, ate cactus and stayed in a beach house. To explore is to go on a journey. Take one this summer with The Simple Things. 

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Competition: Win a year's supply of award-winning meat boxes

TRADITIONAL METHODS, NATIVE BREEDS AND A WHOLE LOT OF LOVE ARE THE KEY INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEST BARBECUES AND MOST COMFORTING CASSEROLES

From the green hills and red soils of Devon, Pipers Farm produces slow-grown, 100% grass-fed, sustainable meat. And the farm is offering readers the chance to win a meat box every month for a year, including native Red Ruby beef, Saddleback pork, properly free-range chicken, Suffolk lamb and gluten-free sausages and burgers.

Pipers Farm believes in producing food in harmony with nature, encouraging a diverse ecosystem to inhabit the farm alongside the livestock. So fields remain small, with 400-year-old hedgerows marking their boundaries. And Pipers has championed other small family farms who are raising native breeds in a traditional way.

With a commitment not only to high animal welfare but also to creating a truly delicious product, Pipers Farm has received high praise from foodies such as Jamie Oliver (being featured on Chicken Out and Jamie Saves Our Bacon) and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and was named as one of Rick Stein’s ‘food heroes’.

Winning dinners

The farm is also one of the most decorated food producers in the country, having scooped a multitude of awards, including numerous Great Taste gold awards for its range of delicious meat.
Choose from boxes including The Big Breakfast, Student Survival , BBQ, Wellness or Offally Good – they even do a Doggy Bag box for your pet.

How to enter

Enter below by 15 August. You can see Iceberg Press’ full terms and conditions on page 129 of July's The Simple Things and at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules. The prize comprises a meat box delivered to your door once a month for 12 months, packed with seasonal cuts, to arrive on a day arranged with the winner. Each box is Pipers’ ‘box of the month’ and is worth £30. 

ENTER NOW

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Recipe: Vietnamese vegetable summer rolls

These pretty, light rolls are delicious with a piquant sauce

Makes 14

80g vermicelli rice noodles
14 edible rice papers
14 butterhead or other soft lettuce leaves
100g beansprouts
14 thin carrot batons, peeled
14 thin cucumber batons
2 handfuls fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
14 fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, sliced

For the dipping sauce:
4 tbsp hoisin sauce
4 tbsp peanut butter
lime juice to taste

1 Prepare the dipping sauce by mixing together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

2 Cook the vermicelli according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and set aside.

3 Soften the rice papers. Fill a large bowl with warm water. Carefully and slowly dip the rice papers in one by one. Leave each one for about 20 seconds until totally soft. Lay the rice papers out on a dry cloth as you finish.

4 On top of each rice paper, arrange a lettuce leaf (trimmed to size if needed) a small handful of vermicelli and a small handful of beansprouts. Add carrot, cucumber, herbs and chilli, always keeping about 5cm of wrapper uncovered on each side of the filling.

5 Fold the uncovered side inwards, then tightly roll the rice paper into a sausage shape around the filling. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

6 Serve the rolls chilled with the dipping sauce on the side. 

Recipe from Modern Dim Sum by Loretta Liu. Photography: Louise Hagger (Ryland Peters & Small)

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Festivals 2016: The Simple Things

We’re taking time to switch off at some of the finest festivals this summer. Come along to enjoy good food, being outdoors, interesting music and a chance to learn a thing or two.

The Simple Things will be at the following festivals, you can find out more and book tickets at the links below

Caught by the River

6-7 August, Fulham Palace, London

Two remarkable days of music, arts and nature. Gathering bands and brewers, authors and artists, thinkers and drinkers on the banks of the River Thames

Valley Fest

2-4 September, Chew Magna, Somerset

Smile 'til your cheeks ache. Family fun in beautiful countryside. Dancing, music, movies and top-notch sustainable food.

The Good Life Experience

16-18 September, Hawarden Estate, Flintshire

A weekend of fun and discovery. Music, books, food and the great outdoors for all the family

Readers of The Simple Things will get 10 per cent off festival tickets until the end of July – quote TGLESIMPLE to claim your discount. For more information and tickets visit thegoodlifeexperience.co.uk

Competition: Win a luxury bell tent worth £650

Come rain or shine, you’ll be the envy of any campsite you head to this summer with The Glam Camping Company’s stylish ‘Sugar & Spice’ tent, a luxury four-metre bell tent, exclusively designed in the UK. Devised with an Indian summer theme, it is beautifully appointed with wooden poles and pegs, porthole windows in the doors, contrast trims and handmade, golden, bell-tipped bunting.

If showers threaten, you’ll stay toasty in this tent, which features a fully zipped-in PVC groundsheet and a heavy duty outer in 100 per cent cotton canvas, which is fully waterproofed, PU-coated, mould and rot resistant and comes with its own canvas bag.

The ‘Sugar & Spice’ bell tent is ideal for glamping trips away, as well as kids’ sleepovers, wedding celebrations and garden parties.

In addition to its beautiful bell tents, The Glam Camping Company also has a fantastic range of handpicked essentials. Whether you’re heading to the beach, the countryside or venturing no further than your back garden, it offers everything you need for outdoor fun, from vintage-style windbreaks, stunning picnic and barbecue essentials, pretty sleeping bags and throws and a gorgeous selection of lights and lanterns to add a touch of sparkle to your gathering.  

How to enter

Enter now

Enter by 15 August 2016. You can see Iceberg Press’ full terms and conditions on page 129 and at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules

The prize consists of a Sugar & Spice 4m bell tent, including poles and pegs, bag and full instructions. The tent will be delivered to the lucky winner by 3 September.

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Listen: Journeys playlist

Something for your holiday? Listen to our songs about journeys. 

Listen now

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Recipe: Smoked bitter chocolate

In July's The Simple Things, we throw a grown-up barbecue; where veggies and even desserts go on the grill. Ben Tish is chef director at the Salt Yard Group, which runs four restaurants in London. Recipes are taken from his new book Grill Smoke BBQ. 

Try the recipe for Smoky bitter-chocolate puddings with melting whipped cream on page 39 - you can just use plain chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) or try this recipe for smoked bitter chocolate.   

'Smoked chocolate is a revelation, whether you eat it raw or melted and cooked into a pudding. At Ember Yard, we tried several methods and types of chocolate but found that those with a cocoa content of 70% or more works best. I’ve used pistols (buttons) as they are all the same size, so they absorb the smoke evenly. It’s imperative that you leave the chocolate for 24 hours after smoking to allow the flavours to settle and balance.' Ben Tish

Smoked bitter chocolate

Makes about 250g (9oz)

250g (9oz) bitter chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) buttons, or a block cut into small, even-sized chunks
You’ll also need a cold-smoking device and some oak wood dust

Set up the cold-smoking device in the barbecue with the wood dust and get it going.

Place the chocolate in a single layer on a baking sheet. Transfer to the barbecue, then close the lid and vent and cold-smoke the chocolate for 45 minutes. Transfer the chocolate to a container, seal and leave for24 hours before using.

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