Birthday feedback … part 3 – the food!

Rathfinny’s website has some fascinating history on how the estate began, and how they’re coping and developing …

 

I loved the logo they've created for their
Cradle Valley still wines - the boxing hares

… slow, but sure for the vines: seems to be the order of the day – one cannot hurry wine growing or making … be it sparkling or otherwise!

Cold damp January looking down the valley

The estate is only three miles from the sea, nestling in Cradle Valley ...



 … this part of the South Downs, is one of England’s exceptional natural landscapes … worked since Roman, Saxon and Medieval times …

Rathfinny's Sussex Sparkling

The setting ‘is perfect’ for producing wine … a south facing slope, mild climate, chalk soils and protected from the prevailing wind.

Our band of chalk runs under the English Channel surfacing in France as the Paris Basin – where Champagne is produced … however per protected status for the Champagne method, English Rathfinny’s is marketed as Sussex Sparkling …

Pinot Blanc, Pinot
Gris - a still wine 

We started trying the Cradle Valley wines … they’re the 'still' Sussex wines … and were interesting to learn about – as is the way … I’ve learnt more … but I’ll try and not go waxing lyrical about everything!

We'd started and I see I hadn't managed to include the fig oil
here's the hummus and sourdough ... except the green fig oil
is probably in the middle of the Sussex knob!

The tasting menu lunch was delicious and certainly unique – I went off-piste, so to speak, and had vegetarian both for my starter and the main dish … while my brother and SIL chose the same dishes … we had to taste one dessert!

No idea why it's gone blue! - but
is an example of  flavours - it's
a postcard I've had for ages

Let’s just quickly ‘discuss’ taste … an exploration of the senses: the first experience of something to savour … to be remembered.   Then perhaps we add in other ingredients … do they work together … how do we know that they would work? 

Pithiviers - Place du Martroi

There are tried and tested recipes, or there are chefs who experiment to bring us new flavours, new ideas and sensations for the mouth … things most of us would never do at home … and some will tempt, some won’t … ie here – I’m a venturesome customer, and …

The pithivier made with Belted Galloway and
Brighton Blue chees

… so without further ado – I learnt the origin of another French word … pithivier: a round domed pastry pie decorated with distinctive spiral markings – from the commune of Pithiviers in the Loiret department.

Belted Galloway - a healthy looking
beast

To go with our first glass of Sparkling we had sourdough bread, with hummus, Sussex knob butter and fig oil … it was delicious – the fig oil was just wonderful  …

Allium Sativum 1793

The family had Belted Galloway pithiviers, Brighton Blue cheese, on charred alliums in an onion broth with rosemary oil … happy times …

Cubes of slow-cooked celeriac, radicchio tardivo,
clementine, savoury almond granola, smoked rapeseed

Now my starter was somewhat different – being the vegetarian option: small (I’ve kept tiny for the main course!) portions of slow cooked celeriac, radicchio tardivo, clementine (I think I could have done without that), savoury almond granola, smoked rapeseed … I did savour each item … all were delicious …

Bream with cockle butter

For our main courses – the family had tasty grilled bream, seaweed, pomme rosti, sesame, cockle butter sauce … I gather was wonderful – looked it too … I was a little jealous!!

Quite difficult for you to distinguish
as it was for me eating ... but all
components were delicious

While I had tiny! nibbles of Crisp Jerusalem artichoke, filled with cheese fondue, quince, polenta and shaved chestnut mushrooms … definitely not enough to share with others!  But the flavours were quite extraordinary …

Then we (mostly me!) shared a Sloe gin vanilla frozen parfait, with forced rhubarb … again just very delicious …

Celereac ... difficult to use - but
does have a really interesting
flavour - I have cooked with it

The idea of a tasting menu – is to taste the wines, or food, or both as here at Rathfinny’s.    The chefs can be creative and inspirational utilising seasonal produce – giving their customers a range of tastes we might not normally come across.  Personally I think it’s a great idea … and I enjoyed the birthday treat!

We’d gone by taxi so could share a bottle of their renowned Rathfinny’s Sussex Sparkling …

Radicchio Tardivo

Well that’s it … you’re lucky – I could have written a book I think!  But I got sent off in many directions … I loved the foods I’d never bother to make myself …

Quince Fruit on branch

… I looked more into flavour and taste … taste being restricted to the five experiences on the tongue and in the mouth: sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness and ‘unami’ (or savouriness).

Silver bream on top, with
common bream below

Flavour, on the other hand, is detected mainly through our sense of smell, by the olfactory bulb (to be found in the brain), and, to a lesser extent orally.

Another postcard in blue again
 from years ago -
the flavours of Olive

Back to Rathfinny’s … the website is great and very informative … the whole estate is so professional … yet gave us a very warm welcome … it has ‘a unique spirit of place’ in the beautiful South Downs.

Lots of photos to explain things … but not enough … if you look at the website: there’s so much more … in other words I’m impressed with the place, their vision for the wine industry, the local area and the care of the environment …

Please enjoy and check out their site: Rathfinny's …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

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