Fine Tune: Farao - Skin

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Fine Tune: Shonen Knife - Like a Cat

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Zesty Potato Salad with Crème Fraîche

Another barbecue season, another potato salad recipe. Looking back at this old blog post, and also this one, it seems like I am creating a tradition...
This time, the salad is the lucky result of a fridge raid and a quick online search around the things I found on my foray. It is based on this Jamie Oliver recipe. It can call itself zesty because of the fresh mint and lemon that cut through the rich creme fraîche and make your potatoes taste of summer.

ZESTY POTATO SALAD WITH CREME FRAICHE
(serves 4 as a side)

NEED:

600g new potatoes, with skin scrubbed clean
2 mint sprigs, leaves only
1 spring onion
zest of one lemon
salt
black pepper
2 generous tablespoons of crème fraîche

DO:

In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with water, bring to the boil and cook for about 15 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside to cool. Chop the mint leaves and spring onion finely. 

When the potatoes have cooled down, cut them into bite-sized pieces and put them in a bowl. Throw in the mint and onion, the lemon zest, and a few good pinches of salt and pepper to taste. Finally, add the crème fraîche and gently stir everything together to cover the potatoes.

This salad can be eaten at room temperature or kept in the fridge until you're ready for it.

© Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).

Fine Tune: Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know

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© Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).

Fine Tune: Cut Copy - Free Your Mind

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Claybury Park

Marco and I went for a long stroll in Claybury Park on Saturday. This is a big public green space on the outskirts of London, in Redbridge. The park used to be the grounds of a psychiatric hospital in the 19th century, and part of its landscape was created in the 1800s. While he hospital buildings have now been converted into luxury apartments, there are remnants of the old infrastructure. We passed an overgrown tennis court, and it is believed that the ghosts of former patients linger.
We entered the park via an open grassland, walking towards a jungle of mature oaks and blooming hawthorn. The online brochure had promised bluebells in springtime. The season started early this year, so we were too late to see them in their full glory. The ancient oaks, sun-speckled paths and many other wildflowers made up for that. From Hospital Hill, we had a magnificent view of London. Looking back towards the woodland, the old estate home and the hospital tower nestled among the lush new green of the old trees. The perfect illusion of being in the countryside. Then the reminder that we were in the city: an apartment tower looming above the treetops. Mothers in picnic chairs having a fag while watching their kids scale the monkey bars on a playground. The ubiquitous hum of urban traffic. 
On our way back to the car, we happened upon some surreal additions to the forest. There were stairs leading up a tree trunk and a pretty porcelain bowl sunken into another. I have since found this, and am keen to go back and discover the other installations.
I enjoyed exploring that day. Places like Claybury Park always help me make temporary peace with living in a huge, soul-drenching metropolis. Finding a little wilderness like this gives me the chance to recharge and feel like a child of nature for a few hours. Have you recently discovered something new where you live? If yes, I'd love to read about it in a comment!

© Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).

Fine Tune: Lucius - Tempest

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