The Minack open-air theatre and its inspirational female builder, Rowena Cade

This month, The Simple Things recommends a visit to the Minack open-air theatre, Cornwall. As well as a programmed of acclaimed performances, the clifftop creation has an intriguing history, too. 

If you’re holidaying in Cornwall this month, take a trip to the Minack open-air theatre at Porthcurno. Performances for August include Oh What A Lovely War, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Monty Python and more. Or, just gasp and admire this astonishing creation, built on the cliffs at Porthcurno by Rowena Cade (1893-1983). What started as a one-off performance in the rocky gully at the end of her garden eventually spiralled into a lifelong labour of love, and left us with one of the most breathtakingly beautiful theatres in England.

In 1932, Rowena Cade and two builders carved out a stage and some basic seats in the cliffside for a production of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'. Lit only by battery powered car headlights and the moon over the sea, the magic of Minack touched its first audience. Performances continued each summer until the outbreak of WW2.

Once the war was over, the theatre was in ruins, but Rowena and her builder spent 4 years restoring it before opening again in 1949. As the years went by, returning audiences grew and so did the theatre, with the addition of seats, steps, walls, arches, pillars and dressing rooms. Since she could not afford granite, the ever resourceful Rowena would carry bags of sand up from Porthcurno beach to mix into cement, drawing celtic patterns into every flat surface before it hardened. Even well into her 80s, Rowena 'The Master Builder' was still doing much of the manual labour herself, all year round, come rain or shine.

Today, the Minack Theatre seats over 700 people and plays host to a mixture of amateur and professional theatre companies, with the main season running from May to September. The tireless work and vision of one woman (and a handful of faithful assistants) has left a legacy which attracts thousands of tourists every year to settle down with a picnic and some blankets, and watch a play set against the backdrop of some of the most stunning Cornish coastline.

www.minack.com

Turn to page 18 of August's The Simple Things for more summer ideas. Not got the August issue yet? Buy or download your copy now.

Recipe: Chilled prawns with garlic mayonnaise

The finest of finger foods, especially dipped in aioli, this recipe for chilled prawns with garlic mayonnaise makes the perfect summer lunch.

Recipe: Chilled prawns with garlic mayonnaise

Makes 20

20 large whole prawns

1 fresh egg yolk at room temperature

1 tsp Dijon mustard

100ml vegetable oil

1 tsp vinegar

1 large garlic clove, peeled and mashed

1 Rinse prawns and place half of them into a steamer over a pan of boiling water. Steam, covered, for 3–4 mins or until prawns turn pink and opaque and curl.

2 Prepare a large bowl filled with icy water. Remove prawns from heat and pour them into the icy water to stop cooking. Steam the second batch of prawns in the same way.

3 To make the garlic mayo: in a bowl mix together egg yolk and mustard. Measure oil into a jug. With an electric hand mixer, whisk egg yolk and, very slowly, pour a trickle of oil into the egg as you whisk. Whisk until all the oil is used and the mayonnaise firm.

4 Mix in vinegar and season with salt. Add garlic and stir. Serve with the iced prawns and a bowl for discarded prawn shells and heads.

For more summery seafood recipes, turn to page 24 of August's The Simple Things.

Not got August's The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.

WIN £50 worth of Dragonfly tea (archived)

WIN £50 worth of Dragonfly tea We love a cuppa here at The Simple Things and so are pleased to tell you about a competition to win £50 worth of organic Dragonfly tea. Five winners will receive a mahogany tea chest filled with all 15 speciality teas (96 sachets in total). For your chance to win, click here 

August issue cover reveal!

Psst! Have a look at the cover of the August issue of The Simple Things.

Out on 30 July 2014, The Simple Things August issue is available from all good newsagents and supermarkets, or you can buy online or download an issue now.

Slowing down for the summer

Photographer and stylist, Emily Quinton, and her tips on slowing down this summer. "If I could have one wish for this Summer it would be for life to slow down a little. This week I am working in Portland, Oregon and if there is one thing that stands out as soon as you arrive here, it’s that it’s ok to go a little slower. That’s not to say that people here don’t work hard, they certainly do but there is a beautiful, calmer vibe that goes with it, which I am breathing in and soaking up in the hope that I can slow down a little for the Summer when I return home.

"When I’m away from home I always plan how to do something differently when I go back home. I’ve always been like this and can remember redesigning my bedroom in my holiday notebooks as a child. As an adult I’ve made plans to be more organized, to take up a new hobby, to exercise more, and the list goes on. But this time, it’s definitely about slowing down for the Summer - while working out how to write my book and look after four children during the school holidays - so this isn’t a ‘take a long break’ kind of slowing down but a more of a realistic goal of slowing down a little bit each day. It’s about allowing myself time to go slowly each day, whether that is for five minutes or for a couple of hours.

"Making time to sit down with a favourite magazine, to potter in the garden in the early evening, to go for a walk when I don’t have anywhere to rush to, to share a meal with friends, to play a game with my children, to make things, to bake a cake, to watch a film, to write a letter, and sometimes to just simply potter, are all things I plan to do this Summer. And, most importantly, I want to do these things at a slow pace, embracing being in the moment and not while simultaneously trying to tweet, Instagram and answer five emails. I want to create moments of slowness every day. To make time to be in the moment and to slow down time. To breathe, to stop and look around, to stretch, to feel free, alive and calm.

"The Summer feels like the perfect time to build moments of slowness into my every day in the hope I can carry it on into the Autumn and beyond. I hope this inspires you to slow down a little too."

Emily Quinton is a photographer, maker, blogger and mother of four. Find out about all her activities on her blog, Makelight. For The Simple Things this month, she shot the jug of hybrid tea roses on page 83 of the July issue.

Not got July’s The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.

Recipe: Garlic potato salad with lemon creme fraiche

Reinvent the picnic for the modern world with made-to-be-mobile dishes, such as this potato salad recipe. A garlicky mustard kick rescue potatoes from potential blandness.

Recipe: Garlic potato salad with lemon crème fraiche

Serves 6

1.5kg mixed potatoes, cubed

3 tbsp olive oil

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

175ml crème fraîche

1 tbsp maille mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

to serve:


4 tbsp fresh chives, finely snipped

Fresh dill

Red onion pickle (for recipe, see page 29 of July’s The Simple Things for the perfect potato salad recipe accompaniment)

1. Preheat oven to 190c/fan 170c/ 350f. Toss the potato cubes in olive oil, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 45 mins–1 hour or until golden and crisped. Set aside to cool.

2. In a large bowl, place the lemon juice and zest, crème fraîche, mustard and garlic. Whisk together, then toss with potatoes, making sure to coat everything well. Top with fresh chives, dill and onion pickle.

Turn to page 26 of July’s The Simple Things for more al fresco picnic recipes.

Not got July’s The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.

Competition: Win £150 worth of Earthborn Claypaint (closed 29 August 2014)

Earthborn is giving away £150 worth of lovely Claypaint to one lucky reader of The Simple Things. This fabulous prize includes two 750ml tins of Earthborn’s new Claypaint - designed especially for furniture and smaller painting projects - and a tin of Furniture Wax, plus some other Earthborn goodies.

Claypaint - a clay-based emulsion that has a distinctive, ultra matt finish that softens and enhances the light in your room - is available in 60 luxurious shades.

Not only beautiful and a pleasure to use, Earthborn paints are also designed to be healthier to live with. There are many wolves in sheep’s clothing making eco claims, but there’s no need for dressing up here – Earthborn Claypaint contains no oils or acrylics and are VOC free, which means no nasty emissions and high breathability. Add to that they are licensed to carry the EU Ecolabel, you are reassured the paints are better for you, your home and the environment.

Even if you don’t win, you can still finds lots of information, browse colours and buy Sample Pots at www.earthbornpaints.co.uk.

And for even more inspiration and to keep in touch, say hello via twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

Enter the competition to win Earthborn Claypaint:

Visit www.futurecompetitions.com/earthborn before 29 August 2014.

Terms and conditions apply. See www.futuretcs.com For more information visit www.earthbornpaints.co.uk

Take your life outside

Go barefoot, try rockpooling, and catch an al fresco film - no better season to take your life outside.

"What? This is England!" we hear you cry. That's right and, as we like to say at The Simple Things, rain will never stop play...

This month, join us in celebrating all that's wonderful about summer and the great outdoors. Whether you're in the garden, park or on the beach, remove your shoes and embrace the pleasures of going barefoot.

When you walk without shoes you awaken and massage the many nerve endings in your feet. Godolphin House in Cornwall has a dedicated barefoot trail where you can reintroduce your toes to exciting different textures you probably haven't felt underfoot since you were a child.

While your shoes are off, why not go rockpooling? The Wildlife Trusts have a list of the UK's best spots from the Isle of Mull to the Isle of Wight.

When it's time to eat, try to enjoy as much fresh-air food as possible. As well as barbecueing, try cooking a one-pot wonder like a fish stew or some breakfast pancakes over a campfire. If you're going out in the evening, do something you can only do in summer, such as catch an al fresco film or theatre production. The Picnic Cinema is screening classic and cult films in locations across the country from castles to forests where you have the chance to camp overnight after the film.

Leeds Castle is hosting the largest open-air classical concert this month and theatre company, The Pantaloons, will be putting their unique twist on The Tempest. If you'd rather escape the crowds, try wild camping on beautiful Dartmoor or Brecon Beacons. The National Trust have details of where wild camping is permitted. Just you, your tent, your choice of company and the great outdoors. Heaven.

Not got July’s The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.

Competition: Win a Feather Down Farm Days holiday! (closed 15 September 2014)

Feather Down Farm Days and Brittany Ferries bring you this month’s fab prize – an outdoorsy holiday in France.

There’s more than a hint of nostalgia about this month’s brilliant competition. The family glamping experts at Feather Down Farm Days are offering to whisk you and your family and friends to their luxury campsite on an idylllic farm in Brittany. And slow-travel fans Brittany Ferries will pop you across the Channel in style.

Great Breton

La Ferme de Penquelen Huella is an organic dairy farm situated between Lorient and Quimper, just 30km from the coast. It’s utterly rural there, surrounded by 600 acres of forest, criss-crossed with walking trails. On the farm itself there are cattle, pigs, sheep and chickens, and Feather Down’s luxury tents of course. Each is equipped with a separate double bedroom, a canopy bed and bunk beds. The style is wonderfully old fashioned – no WiFi or TV – just a wood-burning stove, oil lamps and candles, plus the great outdoors on your doorstep. www.featherdown.co.uk

Channel hopping

Why not make the journey part of the holiday? Brittany Ferries will float you across the Channel to your luxury camping stay. Their smart and modern cruise-ferries take you in as little as three hours – or overnight – to western France from Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth, saving you a longer drive on the continent. www.brittanyferries.com

What you could win

•  A three-night weekend or four-night midweek stay in a luxury tent at La Ferme de Penquelen Huella for up to six (maximum five adults).
•  Return ferry crossings for one car and up to six people either daytime or overnight with a cabin (sleeps four, plus two reclining seats).
•  Go in September or October this year, or 10th April–30th June 2015.

How to enter

Visit www.futurecompetitions.com/brittany to enter and for full terms and conditions. Closing date: 15th September 2014.

Remembering the moment: Download and send a Lazygram

This month, in our campaign to savour holiday memories, we consider the postcard – the perfect snapshot.

Can't quite drag yourself away from that beach lounger? Send a Lazygram instead.

Download the PDF now.

Jekka McVicar's useful but less obvious herbs

Read our feature on Jekka McVicar (page 90 of August's The Simple Things)? Add her suggestions for useful but less obvious herbs to your shopping list.

1. Borage (Borago officinalis)

This frost-hardy annual has attractive, star-shaped, blue flowers in summer which can be used in drinks and salads. Its young leaves pep up salads and mature leaves can be cooked to make a delicious summer soup (chill first). Height: 60cm.

2. Celery leaf (Apium graveolens)

A hardy biennial with tiny, green-white flowers in the summer of the second year. The leaves have a strong celery flavour and young ones are good in salads or as a flavouring in soups and sauces. It is also used medicinally to ease osteo-arthritis. Height: 30cm-1m.

3. Myrtle (Myrtus communis)

The small white flowers of this frost-hardy, evergreen shrub have golden stamens in summer followed by blue/black berries in autumn. Its dark-green, shiny, oval, aromatic leaves are good with roast, pork and game dishes and delicious sprinkled on roast vegetables. Height: up to 3m.

4. Red Orach (Atriplex hortensis var. rubra)

Use the young dark red leaves of this hardy annual in salads or cook its mature leaves like spinach. One word of warning: it's an enthusiastic self seeder! Height: 1m.

5. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

A hardy perennial with large flat umbels of small yellow flowers in summer followed by aromatic edible seeds and soft green feathery foliage. Complements fish, pork and salads. Height: up to 2.1m.

6. Winter Savory (Satureja montana)

The small white flowers of this hardy perennial are tinged with pink in summer. The dark green, linear, pungent leaves are good for salt-free diets. Height: 30cm.

Image: Jason Ingram

For more on Jekka McVicar, buy or download your copy of August's The Simple Things.

Recipe: Sweetcorn with flower and herb butter

Corn on the cob and butter are the most natural of double acts. Flowers and herbs picked from your plot take this melting accompaniment to the next level in this sweetcorn recipe.

The sugars in sweetcorn start turning to starch the moment the cob is picked, meaning even minutes can make a difference to its taste. Get the barbecue up to heat before you pick, for the juiciest, sweetest corn you’ve ever sunk your teeth into.

Recipe: Sweetcorn with flower and herb butter

Serves 6

6 sweetcorn cobs

For the butter:

150g butter, at room temperature

Small bunch parsley, finely chopped

Petals of a few edible flowers: marigold, cornflower, chive

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1. Put the butter in a large bowl, add all the other ingredients. Season and mix well, pushing the petals into the butter with the back of a wooden spoon. Bring it all together into a rough round using the spoon.

2. To make the butter into a sliceable log, chill the pat until it is workable
but not too firm. Use a piece of wax paper to roll into a log shape. Wrap and refrigerate or freeze until needed.

3. Once the barbecue coals have turned grey, pick the cobs and place them, husks and all, onto the grill. Allow the outer leaves to blacken slightly, then turn. Once the whole thing is blackened, pull back the husk, slice of the butter and place it on the kernels. Let it melt slightly, then eat.

Turn to page 40 of July’s The Simple Things for more ideas for enjoying July’s allotment bounty.

Not got July’s The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.

Take a twilight walk

As the sun lingers longer on the horizon, dusk in high summer is an opportunity to take a twilight walk and revel in the nocturnal nature on all our doorsteps. 

The liminal magic of twilight, whether in the ‘tulgey wood’ of Lear’s poetry, Hardy’s ‘gloam’ or TS Eliot’s ‘violet hour’, affords it an ethereal place in our collective subconscious, but for a number of species, it is a time of industry, wakefulness and movement. A huge variety of creatures are starting their day as the human one winds down. For us, the pleasure of free-range family time adds to the thrill of those in-between hours, ensuring our eyes and ears are alert and attuned to our surroundings in a new way.

Try these twilight activities:

For guaranteed sightings of birds of prey, hares, or even seals and puffins, take an expert-led tour.

The National Trust and the RSPB offer a number of guided evening walks, whether bird, bat, or moth based, and many reserves have rarer residents too. Check out www.rspb.org.uk/events and www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

Spend an evening badger watching in a dedicated hide.

Badger cubs should be fully weaned by early July, but can be seen gathering food and bedding around hides. By summer’s end, they begin feeding themselves up for winter when they spend much of their time in a state of torpor, sleeping for days at a time. Find a local group at www.badger.org.uk.

Pack a twilight picnic, and a torch or camping lantern (to attract the moths) and watch as they flit around as the sunlight fades.

Or put up a white sheet in your garden, hang a torch or glowstick in front of it, and enjoy your own nature show.

Head to a pond or lake.

As the sun goes down, life on the water hots up. Newts and a variety of aquatic invertebrates are attracted to light, so as it gets dark, move a beam of light across the water to see what you find. On warm evenings you might spy frogs or toads swimming, while insects such as great diving beetles, water boatmen and pond-skaters can still be seen.

For more twilight tips, turn to page 76 of July’s The Simple Things.

Not got July’s The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.

Food from afar: Granita recipe

Granita refers to the coarse, grainy texture of this sweet, frozen treat. Delve into the history of the flavoured ice and try your hand with a summery granita recipe.

Sicily may not have invented flavoured ices – that hour goes to China, Arabia or ancient Rome, depending on which food history you read – but the island has made granita its own, combining it with chopped nuts, mandarins, mulberries, even dark chocolate. At breakfast it’s spooned onto brioscia (Sicilian brioche), while later in the day it gets dressed up with a dollop of cream or biscotti for dipping.

Read more on page 38 of July's The Simple Things.

Fancy a go? Head over to Rachel Eats for a melon granita recipe from the Brit-born, Rome-dwelling blog writer.

Not got July’s The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.

Sponsored post: July's cut flower patch planting diary

Louise Curley, author of The Cut Flower Patch, shares this month’s planting diary.

'Mid-summer is the peak for any cut flower patch. July is all about maintaining your patch to get the most from your plants, to enjoy the fruits of your labour and to pick, pick, pick.

'Weeding, watering and deadheading might sound dull but there’s something really quite meditative about an hour or so pottering in amongst your flowers making everything look tidy and well-cared for. You’ll have the visual delight of the colourful tapestry of all of your flowers, the heady scent from sweet peas and the pleasure of seeing so many insects enjoying and sharing the plot too. So don’t see your time maintaining your plot as a chore but revel in the opportunity to be outdoors with bees buzzing and butterflies flying silently past.

'It’s easy for weeds to take over so keeping on top of them with a little regular hoeing is the best way for you and your flowers to not be overwhelmed. Get to weeds before they have a chance to flower and you’ll also prevent another generation of weeds springing up. Cut flower plants are much more tolerant of a dry spell than many vegetables but to keep your plants in tip-top shape, a watering once a week will be of benefit. A good soaking is much better than just a quick sprinkle every day or so. This is really just a waste of time as the water is not sufficient to penetrate the soil and much of it evaporates never actually making it to the plant.

'You won’t need to do too much deadheading if you’re picking flowers on a regular basis. But, if you go away for a holiday or there are flowers you didn’t get round to picking you’ll need to snip them off once they’ve gone over so that the plant doesn’t go to seed. Keep doing this over the summer and your plants will keep on blooming well into autumn.'

Louise Curley is the author of The Cut Flower Patch, published by Frances Lincoln. 

 

Wordless Wednesday

Trail of Aphrodite along the Akamas Peninsula in Cyprus. Photograph: Linda Lashford for Inntravel, the Slow holiday people

Competition: Win tickets to The Big Feastival! (closed 31 July 2014)

Win a family camping ticket to The Big Feastival with Wyld Wood Organic Cider. This summer the Wyld Wood Organic Cider Teepee returns to The Big Feastival in Oxfordshire (29th–31st August). Thanks to Wyld Wood Organic Cider we have a weekend family camping ticket for two adults and two children (12 and under) to give away!

If you fancy a weekend at Alex James’ farm near Kingham, enjoying food and flavours from around the country as well as fantastic live music, then this prize is a great way to round off your summer!

The Big Feastival is the brainchild of Jamie Oliver and Alex James and will see chef demonstrations, markets, fun fairs and farmyard animals to keep the whole family happy all weekend.

The Wyld Wood Teepee, a cross between a traditional cider bar and Café Del Mar, is perfectly situated to soak up the atmosphere while enjoying a premium organic cider and letting the sounds of Fatboy Slim, Jamie Cullum and Del La Soul wash over you.

Made from Herefordshire’s finest organic apples and matured in old oak vats at Westons Cider Mill in Much Marcle, Wyld Wood has a full-bodied taste with a ripe fresh aroma making it the perfect drink to wash down the delicious foods and flavours on offer at The Big Feastival. To find out more follow us on @westonswyldwood or ‘like’ our Facebook page.

How to enter

Enter by 31 July 2014, filling in your details to be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize.

Terms and conditions

http://www.westons-cider.co.uk/corporate/contact-us/online-competition-terms-and-conditions/

The Simple Things has a new home!

New independent publishing company Iceberg Press has purchased The Simple Things magazine from Future plc.

Iceberg Press was co-founded in 2014 by three friends and colleagues – Lisa Sykes, Guy Foreman and David Parker – who have more than 60 years publishing expertise between them on magazine brands both big and small, including Country Living, Good Housekeeping, House Beautiful, Prima and Coast. And Lisa is the editor of The Simple Things, so knows the magazine inside out.

Everyone working on The Simple Things is thrilled to have an exciting new home, and delighted to be able to offer subscriptions once again (these had been on hold for a couple of months until the purchase was complete).

The Simple Things will remain focused on ‘taking time to live well’, an ethos that has been at the core of the magazine since the first issue in September 2012. We will continue to write for readers who want to slow down occasionally, simplify their life and remember what matters most, covering eating, growing, making, living, escaping and wellbeing for the cookbook generation. So, expect ideas on how to feed friends and family well, learn something new, explore the outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done.

As Editor and co-founder of Iceberg Press, Lisa Sykes, says, we like to think of The Simple Things as a handbook for happiness.

Recipe: Brazilian cake - Broa de Fuba

Tonight's the night! Let's celebrate the FIFA World Cup Final in a very British way. Tea and cake, anyone? Brazilian cake, of course! In a nod to the ubiquitous workshop of all things Brazilian, we’ve found a polenta sponge that’s a winner in our book.

Moreish, moist and not too sweet, this Brazilian take on polenta cake is a highly loveable sponge.

BROA DE FUBA (CORN BREAD) 250g butter, softened 230g caster sugar 4 large eggs, separated 150g polenta 190ml milk 150g self-raising flour Icing sugar, to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. Lightly grease a round 20cm springform cake tin and line with baking parchment. 2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add half the polenta, then half the milk, beating after each addition to combine; repeat. Sift in the flour and mix to combine. 3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stir one large spoonful of the egg whites into the batter to loosen it. Using a metal spoon, gently fold in the remaining egg whites. 4. Spoon the batter into the lined tin, smoothing the top. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the bread comes out clean. Leave the bread in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with icing sugar.

Recipe taken from This is Brazil by Fernanda de Paula and Shelley Hepworth (Hardie Grant, £16.99)

Want more Brazil? This month, Andy Martin shows us round his home town, the hip Brazilian city, Sao Paulo. Turn to page 60 of July’s The Simple Things for food, football and (very) late nights from the Brazilian metropolis.

Not got July’s The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.

Simple style: The Tea Dress

Read our potted history of the tea dress in July’s issue of The Simple Things? Have a little look at our top dress and shoe combos.

The tea dress is the dress of the summer - the British summer, not the continental one, that is. It's about egg sandwiches, vintage china, white gloves and rose gardens. A dress to be accessorised with a cardi when it gets chilly, or a pair of wellies when tramping through festival mud, not for posing on la Croisette or lounging beside an infinity pool.

In July's issue of The Simple Things, we pick our top three tea dresses, and here are some footwear ideas to go with them.

Tea dress style - three outfits, from left to right:

1. Peacock print tea dress, £74.99, Fever

Salt Water sandals, £49, Toast

2. Pansy print tea dress, £29, Topshop

Blue Posh Wellies, £49.95, Joules

3. Classic crepe 1940s dress, £95, 20th Century Foxy

Summer brogues, £65, Clarks

Turn to page 24 of The Simple Things July issue for more tea dress style. Buy or download your copy now.