Monday, May 21, 2018

Rochester, England, The Wedding, Asparagus, Victoria Day,

On Friday Susan Flett Swiderski  at I Think Therefore I Yam posted a blog about trees which was fascinating and reminded me of the 150 yr old Catalpa Tree outside Rochester Cathedral in Kent, England where I used to live. This is an Indian Bean Tree which is rare in England and is said to be one of the oldest. In fact the site where I found this picture has lots of photos of places in Rochester such as the castle and the cathedral itself along with other historical places. It is a very old town and simply full of history. The Bull Inn is where King Henry VIII met Anne of Cleaves and said he would divorce her, she was too ugly! Charles Dickens lived outside the town (his house is now a school and I went there) and a lot of the houses in Rochester were featured in his books. In fact, Satis House where Miss Havisham lived, in Great Expectations, was actually Restoration House in Rochester. I remember attending a Dickens night there, many years ago, when Dame Sybil Thorndike read excerpts from Dickens' books and we celebrated with salmon and champagne. A beautiful house and a delightful evening.

I have, of course, seen pictures of THE wedding. I was very disappointed in Harry's uniform, the Blues and Royals, it was so very plain and dull looking, helped when he put on his cap. Considering the estimated price, Meghan's dress was beautiful but I wouldn't have thought worth quite that kind of money. As a friend commented, one could surely have found it 'off the rack'. Not the train of course. One wonders who actually pays for things like that? Poor Matt, who wasn't vaguely interested, could not see his favourite morning show because it was all wedding. Sunday morning he, like most men, paid attention to the gorgeous Jaguar in which they drove off.

Monday afternoon I am planning to visit Barrie's Asparagus Farm as I was unimpressed with the asparagus I bought close to home. I am also collecting some bags for friends plus some rhubarb for one friend. I have just posted my grocery order today (Sunday) and am now wondering if I should have ordered some Phyllo. I can add to my order up to an hour before my chosen time slot.

By the way, this is Victoria Day weekend, Monday is the actual holiday, Queen Victoria's birthday was on May 24th - unfortunately this is the second night we have had fireworks. No doubt the official fireworks are Sunday night but I am sure there will still be fireworks tomorrow as well.

Asparagus and Salmon Spring Rolls

These spring rolls are filled with smoked salmon, tender-crisp asparagus and plenty of fresh herbs. Spring rolls look impressive when you put them out for a party, but they are actually easy to make. To
simplify the process, lay out all the ingredients you need to make the rolls near your work surface before you begin.

24 thick 12 rolls asparagus, or 36 thin, about 2 pounds
2 3- to 4-ounce smoked wild salmon
12 8-inch rice-paper wrappers
1 ripe avocado, cut into 24 slices
1 cup carrot, shredded
1/2 cup basil, chopped fresh
1/2 cup mint, chopped fresh
1/3 cup soy sauce, reduced-sodium
2 Tbs orange juice
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs mirin
1/4 tsp red pepper, crushed, or more to taste

1. To prepare spring rolls: Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large skillet. Trim asparagus spears to no longer than 6 inches; add to the boiling water. Partially cover and cook the asparagus until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain; refresh under cold water. Cut each spear in half lengthwise. Cut salmon slices into 12 strips no longer than 6 inches each.

2. Soak one wrapper at a time in a shallow dish of very hot water until softened, about 30 seconds. Lift out, let excess water drip off and lay on a clean, dry cutting board.

3. Center a strip of smoked salmon in the bottom third of the wrapper, leaving a 1-inch border on either side. Arrange 4 thick (or 6 thin) asparagus spear halves (overlapping as necessary) over the salmon. Top the asparagus with 2 avocado slices, 1 tablespoon shredded carrot and about 2 teaspoons each basil and mint. Fold the wrapper over the filling and roll into a tight cylinder, folding in the sides as you go. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. Cut each finished roll in half.

4. To prepare dipping sauce: Whisk soy sauce, orange juice, lemon juice, mirin and crushed red pepper in a small serving bowl. Serve the rolls with the sauce.

Yield: 12 rolls

Source: EatingWell.com

Have a great day
 

18 comments:

  1. I wondered about Harry's uniform choice, too. a bit drab. Maybe he didn't want to distract from the bride and, now I come to think of it, most of the others I can think of would have clashed with his hair.

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    1. I had never thought of that Helen, I guess a bright red uniform would have clashed.

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  2. How wonderful that you went to school in Charles Dickens House. Rochester sounds like a really interesting town - Kent is a very beautiful part of England, but we've only been along the coast and to Canterbury.
    I think Diana would be very proud of her two sons - they've turned out very well and are generating he same amount of enthusiasm as she did. One wonders though, if Meghan had to go through the same immigration hassle as some of my friends who are marrying non Europeans!

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    1. It is Fil although last time we went back they had spoiled it somewhat with twee shops with Dickensian names plus the high street is closed to traffic. Canterbury is a great town too.

      I am sure she would, and I doubt Meghan had any immigration hassles at all.

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  3. What a fascinating story of where you grew up. I watched the wedding and said 'meh'. I think all the cost was in the handwork in the train. They said on the radio that she is worth $7 million so she could afford to pay for her own dress, I think. A friend's daughter wore a very plain Vera Wang dress for her marriage and I was astounded at the cost. Sometimes you pay for the label, I guess.
    I am dreading the coming weekend here with Memorial Day. I'm ready to have a panic attack.

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    1. I wondered what kind of money she had herself Denise. Yes, I guess the name costs money too.

      What is it making you panic? Are you entertaining your family?

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    2. Never thought of that Denise. They were going wild last night here with two "organised" displays and then idiots letting off bangers after 11.

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  4. The wedding really took over.
    Cool that your school was Dickens' home.

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    1. It sure did Alex. Matt was somewhat teed off about it.

      It was an interesting house and there was a tunnel from the front yard under the road into the pub gardens across that road. We used to go there for picnics, didn't get a drink in those days though LOL

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  5. That tree is absolutely fantastic! It's equally as fantastic that you attended school in Dickens' old home. Talk about being immersed in history! Then again, I guess the same could be said about Europe, in general. The U.S. is still a child by comparison.

    Alas, I didn't watch any of the wedding coverage. I do, however, remember watching Queen Elizabeth's coronation with my grandmother... :)

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    1. It is fantastic Susan. Of course, we do rather tend to take it for granted living there. Don't appreciate it so much until we emigrate.

      I remember watching the coronation but don't know who I was with, parents probably.

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  6. Hi Jo - I suspect Harry's choice of uniform was in support of his comrades ... there was quite a lot of tie-in with supporting his Army friends, who'd been serving with him. I thought her dress was lovely - and the evening one too ... a combination of British ceremonial, with American and Canadian influence brought it ... I gather in quite a lot of ways.

    The tree in Rochester is pretty special ...and you being schooled in an 'ancient building' must have such lovely memories ... they've been celebrating ancient trees in an exhibition in London just now I think ... but the mulberries up there are very old too ...

    Can't remember all the bits and bobs ... and there's other conversations going on around me - cheers Hilary

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    1. Well Hilary, both he and William were wearing the same uniforms except William has the braids and stars which decorate it up a bit. Yes, her dresses were lovely, very simple.

      I love that tree and am so glad it is still standing, albeit with assistance. We had a house with a mulberry tree in the back garden. Our house overlooked the Medway.

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  7. to say you went to a school where Dickens once lived is pretty damn cool. I would love to see some pics of this and the place you used to call home-the town sounds like a real gem. Henry the VIII should not talk because he became quite the Fat ugly monarch. I got a hoot watching the Queen and everyone when the preacher went talking...and talking...and talking. She did not look amused, Prince Phillip looked like he was looking at a fly, the ugly step sisters were snickering and Princess Anne's daughter was gobsmacked-I laughed out loud. Elton John's mouth looks like it really drooped on one side which makes me wonder if he had a stroke. Poor Camilla..I am in her corner but her hat did look like insulation.

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    1. Not sure if there are any pix Birgit, I certainly don't have any. You are right about Henry. I heard the preacher didn't really fit the occasion. Didn't see it though.

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  8. The spring roll recipe looks great although I'd leave out the salmon. haha Did you live near Sandwich when you were in Kent?

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    1. Of course I love the salmon JoJo. There is a map I just Googled which shows Sandwich was about 2 1/2 hrs. drive from Rochester. Never went there.

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