English Journal Installment 14

Kayakers take advantage of nice weather to navigate River Stour near Flatford Mill, an area where artist John Constable found many of the subjects used in his paintings.

A tree leans over the River Stour in Suffolk.

Excerpts from an English Journal, Part 14

March 24: Only one full day left here after today and it’s supposed to rain! I have no complaints though. As I’ve said before, the weather here has been gorgeous with only one day of heavy rain since I’ve been here. (I knew Richard shouldn’t have washed the car yesterday!) It won’t affect us much though as we’d planned to stay in most of it so I can pack my things and wind down a little before flying out at noon on Thursday.

Afternoon: The weather turned out nicely after all so we took a short trip to Constable Country after lunch. This is an area of Suffolk, just across the Essex border, that was home to British romantic artist John Constable. Constable, who came late to painting, was never financially successful during his lifetime and although he sold more paintings in France than England, his paintings are now among the most popular and valuable in British art. The village of East Bergholt has thousands of visitors annually who want to see where he lived and the objects and scenery he painted

Constable’s contribution to the economy even in death has inspired EDF Energy Networks to spend £450,000 to move four miles of power lines to underground tunnels in order to clear the landscape of Dedham Vale and re-create the "wire free" landscape captured in his art. The project is more than half complete and EDF is currently working with Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Project on the power lines between Stratford St. Mary and Boxted Mill.

We parked at East Bergholt and took a public footpath to Dedham, about two and a half miles away. The path winds beside narrow country roads and through meadows. Part of the meadows we crossed had herds of cattle who were quite friendly and walked up to us for a scratch on the head. I’m sure there have been others before me, but as of now I’m the only person I know who traveled 5,000 miles just to step on a dried cow patty. And yes, they smell just like the ones in America and the residue is equally difficult to remove from the treads in athletic shoes!

At Dedham, we visited the Essex Rose Tearoom before heading back to East Bergholt. They carry a large variety of chocolates and pastries as well as local jams and sauces available for purchase. I hadn’t realized until today that Tiptree Wilkins & Son is headquartered in Essex. I’ve enjoyed their jams for several years but never really paid attention to their place of origin until today. I also learned they started producing conserves in 1885 and still specialize in fruit grown on their estate. They do make some of the best jam I’ve ever eaten. I haven’t tried every flavor as yet but am working towards that goal.

The Rose also had a lunch and tea menu that turned out to be delicious. Richard had a chunky homemade soup with loads of vegetable and topped with croutons. The roll served with it was not as good as the one accompanying my Roasted Vegetable Lasagna so I gave it to him. (The salad and lasagna were more than enough for me.)

Both of us had a very tiny champagne truffle to top the meal and Richard had a pot of rich hot chocolate with loads of cream but I managed to resist that. It was tempting but I was too stuffed to do more than taste it.

The wind was relentless most of the afternoon but the sun made it bearable. I think the walk back wasn’t quite as chilly but maybe it was all that food that warmed us up. It didn’t hurt either that I was wearing a shirt, sweater and coat. Despite the weather, it was easy to see why Constable chose this area to paint. The vista is breathtaking and should be inspirational to anyone whether s/he is an artist or just a connoisseur of nature and its beauty.

Evening: The ride home was pleasant and we started getting dinner ready as soon as we got back. (Glad I did most of the prep work last night!). In addition to the meatlof and broccoli casserole, Richard prepared roasted parsnips. That tiny oven was way overloaded but we managed to get all of it ready just a little past the time we had promised.

Joanne joined Kevan and us and everyone seemed to enjoy the meal. Jo stayed and visited a while but Kevan had to leave as soon as he ate because of a problem at work that needed his attention. I’m glad I had a chance to say goodbye to both of them even though it was a little bittersweet. I gave Jo a new dictionary as a parting gift and promised to send some Skippy Chunky Peanut Butter to Kev. (That’s his favorite and apparently not available here.) A dictionary as a gift may sound a little odd but when Jo was admiring the one I bought for myself, she remarked that the one she had was really old and she needed a new one. In any event, she seemed absolutely delighted so it turned out to be a good choice. All-in-all, it was a lovely end to a lovely day.

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Easy Champagne Truffles

1 c. heavy cream

 lb. high quality bittersweet chocolate, divided

2 T. butter, softened

1 oz. Champagne

1 lb. cocoa powder

Divide chocolate in half and chop coarsely. Place half of the chocolate in a mixing bowl and set aside. Bring cream to a boil and pour it over the chocolate. Let mixture stand 1—2 minutes and stir until smooth. Beat in softened butter and allow this to cool. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until light in color. Beat in cognac and use a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tube to pipe out small truffles on parchment or waxed paper. Refrigerate to set.

Sift the cocoa into a deep pan and set aside. Melt remaining half of the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot water. Dip the truffles in melted chocolate and then deposit them in sifted cocoa, shaking the pan to cover them. After the covering sets, shake the truffles in a strainer to remove the excess cocoa. Keep cool until ready to serve. Yields about two dozen candies.

Broccoli Casserole

20 oz. frozen, chopped broccoli

8 oz. Velveeta

1 stick (1/2 c.) butter cut into slices

6 oz. can sliced mushrooms or 1/2 c. fresh, opt.

2 c. buttery cracker crumbs

Cook and drain broccoli. You may use shredded Velveeta or cut it into thin slices, add it and butter slices to hot broccoli. Mix until cheese and butter is melted; then stir in mushrooms. Pour into greased casserole and top with cracker crumbs. Bake @ 325º for 30 minutes or until casserole is bubbly.

This simple but delicious casserole can be made ahead but wait until ready to bake before sprinkling with cracker crumbs. You may also use an equivalent amount of cooked fresh broccoli if desired. For extra flavor, mix a little softened butter with cracker crumbs before topping casserole with them.

Easy Meat Loaf

2 lb. ground beef

2 eggs, well beaten

1 t. salt

1/2 t. coarse black pepper

1/2 c. catsup

1/2 c. diced onion

1 t. granulated garlic, opt.

1/4 c. wheat bran

Extra catsup for topping

Put ground beef in large bowl and add other ingredients in order given. After mixing thoroughly, shape into a loaf and put in baking pan that has been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray or on a rack that has been sprayed. Pour extra catsup over top and spread with a fork. Bake @ 325º for approximately 1 hour or until done.

This recipe has been a favorite of my family for years. If you use less expensive ground beef and cook on a rack to drain, the finished product will be much moister and flavorful.