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