Granny visits, a lemon drizzle cake and signs of life

Also: I might have found the perfect summer drink

If you’re new here, hello and welcome! I’m Mark - and I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing in the kitchen. I’m documenting my journey to become a better cook and food photographer. To learn a little bit more about me (and my dog Hiro, who’ll you see a lot of!), the below post is the best place to start:

A reset and re-introduction

Hiro is well and truly tuckered out after meeting Granny for the first time

Hello, friends. A slightly shorter post today, as this week mum visited - and needless to say, I’ve not spent much time in the kitchen!

What you’ll find in today’s post:

• ‘Granny’ visits!

• An update on the kitchen windowsill

• Recipe: A deliciously moist lemon drizzle cake recipe you have to try

• Attempting

  Mark Diacono
  ’s Rhubarb and lovage gimlet

“To see a world in a grain of sand, and heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour.” - William Blake

Granny Visits

This was actually the first time mum has seen our new home since we moved in almost two years ago now. It was also the first time mum, now dubbed ‘Granny’ (much to her delight, of course), met Hiro! Luckily, we were blessed with some great weather here in Devon. A glimmer of summer to come, hopefully.

We had a much-needed catch up, copious amounts of food and drink have been consumed (it would be rude not to, wouldn’t it), and there has been plenty of laughter. We share the same humour, so sometimes a quick glance over the table can set us off in fits of laughter. Over nothing, but also everything - all at once.

However, in true Bank Holiday weekend fashion, the rain has arrived…

Now on her way back ‘up north’, she is blissfully unaware that I’ve secretly packed a good dozen or so of those oaty peanut butter bars that I made this week in her snack bag. As I sit typing this, I’m chuckling to myself - imagining her reaction.

The tomatoes (top) and cucamelons (bottom) have enjoyed their hot water bed

The Kitchen Windowsill

Although I’ve neglected the kitchen for the most part this week, I am very happy to report that there have been signs of life on the windowsill!

I started my growing journey just under two week’s ago now with cherry tomatoes, cucamelons and basil - and as you can see from the photos, they’re starting to grow nicely.

And the basil seeds have been loving the sun windowsill

After some reading, I think I may have started a little late being the end of April - but hopefully they’ll do just fine. A top tip which I’ve found super helpful is to pop a hot water bottle beneath the seed trays a few times per day - as this keeps the compost warm and moist. Great if you don’t have a warm spot in the house, which we don’t.

Lemon drizzle cake

Before my lovely mum arrived, I did manage to rustle up this delicious Lemon Drizzle cake - a firm favourite and sure to bag me some extra brownie points! I did manage to remember this time to leave the butter on the counter to soften up. Delighted with how it turned out, even if it was probably left in the oven a tad too long; super moist and no soggy bottom.

Recipe: Lemon Drizzle Cake

👨‍🍳 Prep time: Up to 1 hour to make sure the butter is softened enough

🧈 Ingredients

• Butter, softened: 113g

• Granulated sugar: 150g

• Vanilla extract: 1 tsp

• Lemon juice: 2 tsp (1 tsp for batter, 1 tsp for glaze)

• Lemon zest: 2 tbsp

• Plain Greek yogurt: 60ml

• Milk of choice: 60ml

• Eggs: 2 - room temperature

• Plain flour: 190 grams

• Baking powder: 1 tsp

• Baking soda: ½ tsp

• Icing sugar (for glaze): 125g

🥣 Instructions

1. Preheat your fan oven to 160°C.

2. Optional: In a bowl, add the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingertips to rub the ingredients together. This will draw out all of those delicious oils out so that they are absorbed into the sugar - making the cake taste even more lemony.

3. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract and 1 tsp lemon juice until light and fluffy.

4. Mix in the Greek yogurt and milk until well combined.

5. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next.

6. Sift and add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda to the wet mixture. Fold gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

7. Pour the batter into a lined or greased loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. For the drizzle, mix 125 grams of powdered sugar with 1 tsp of lemon juice at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. (I prefer a thicker drizzle)

9. Once the loaf is cooled, drizzle the drizzle (fo shizzle… I couldn’t help myself) over the top.

Enjoy a delicious slice (or two) with a nice cup of Earl Grey tea!

Rhubarb and Lovage Gimlet

At the end of our garden is a boring looking gate. A boring looking gate which leads to our very secret garden. Climb down a few dozen steps and you’ll be greeted with a not-very-well-kept-for, but overly charming little… jetty, we’ll call it - nestled in the trees at the edge of the river. This is my favourite place to go, whatever the season - however during summer, it’s particularly special. You can listen to the water splashing by and watch wildlife go about their every day life for hours. Go down on a lucky day and you might even spot an otter! I’m yet to see a kingfisher with its daily catch, though.

So with the perfect setting summer setting, you of course need the perfect summer’s drink. And I daresay

Mark Diacono

’s Rhubarb and Lovage Gimlet is the one! Such a simple recipe but it’s packed with flavour. I count myself very lucky that I was able to make this with lovage from Mark’s very own garden!

I had the best time making this recipe (Granny loved it too!) as it requires you to actually make it, rather than just throw a few pre-made liquids together. I don’t have a juicer, but I do have a Nutribullet! After buying some cheesecloth, I set to work making my own rhubarb juice, in what I’ll dub ‘the old fashioned way’. Ignoring the face that I blended the rhubarb with a Nutribullet.

If you’d like to give this recipe a go, and I strongly suggest you do, make sure to head over to Mark’s substack. I’ll link the recipe post below:

Elaeagnus, Hawaii, lovage and Robert Duvall

Thank you for reading, friend.

I’ve purchased some exciting new cookbooks, which should arrive this week - I look forward to sharing them with you in the next post, having hopefully tried a few recipes from them. I’m also thinking I might do a mini podcast of sorts, too - as next Sunday I’ll have been writing on Substack for a whole month! I’ve got a few ideas, but if you have any suggestions or perhaps any questions you’d like me to answer about this journey so far, pop me a comment!

Until next time,
-Mark

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