LOCAL FLAVOUR

Wildflower visits Water Lane, a historic walled garden on the Kent/Sussex borders and one of the most alluring foodie destinations to hit the gourmet grow-your-own scene

words by Carolyn Dunster

Set on the High Weald, near the village of Hawkhurst on the boundary of Kent and East Sussex, Water Lane

Walled Garden is a very special destination guaranteed to attract visitors from near and far. It is the new venture of Ian James and Nick Selby, previously the proprietors of

Melrose and Morgan, a wellloved North London deli and grocers. At Water Lane they have found the opportunity to combine their mutual passions for seasonal, locally sourced food with growing beautiful, unusual varieties of flowers for cutting, herbs and vegetables, all cultivated in a series of newly laid-out nodig beds with huge scope to experiment.

Formerly part of the

Tongswood Estate and dating back to the 1800s, the site was the original kitchen garden. Constructed behind a high red wall that provides a protective microclimate and sense of intimacy, it includes no less than 13 Grade II Listed

Victorian glasshouses that were once used for growing exotic fruits and plants at di erent temperatures. A peach cage, melon house and cucumber house plus numerous cold frames are at di erent stages of repair but will be restored to their former glory over time. They all contribute to the overall magic of the place – or ‘genius loci’ – and create a sense of historical productivity that Ian and Nick are determined to continue. The Carnation house has already been set up as the indoor restaurant, the Vinery is the shop (where you can buy their own jams and preserves or newly propagated plants to take home), and the Pelargonium house serves as the venue for regular creative workshops and provides a unique environment for learning a new skill. As Ian points out, their underlying aim is to share their discovery with a wider audience and to educate anyone who wants to learn more about all aspects of what they are doing. The dining experience at Water Lane Walled Garden

"THE DINING EXPERIENCE AT WATER LANE REFLECTS ITS SENSE OF PLACE IN THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE"

reflects its sense of place in the English countryside, with a short and ever-changing menu guided by the seasons and what is available to harvest from the garden. The emphasis is on vegetables directly picked or supplemented from their neighbours. No ingredient travels far – everything, including the wine, is locally sourced – with any meat or fish coming from nearby organic farms and the coast at Hastings or Rye, just 15 miles away. The team has always aimed to champion artisan producers and small suppliers. As Nick explains, Water Lane allows them to do this on a wider scale making some exciting discoveries. Whether it is for breakfast or lunch, the food will be simple and elegant, prepared with imagination and care by head chef Jed Wrobel, a keen forager who will bring his own twist to a recipe and has been kind enough to share some of his ideas with Wildflower.

Visitors enter and leave through the ‘green gate’ which has already become an iconic feature of the garden. Painted in a distinctive colour, selected by Ian, called ‘Here Begins the Logic’ and supplied by a local paint company called Colour Makes People Happy, it perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Water Lane.

For more information, visit waterlane.net.

Please note that booking for the restaurant is essential.

1kg cucumber (Crystal Lemon, Goblin or any green variety) 100g brown shrimp 1 lemon, juice and zest 20g chervil, finely chopped 100g crème fraiche 5g salt

Crystal Lemon cucumber, brown shrimp an d c h ervil

Method

1. Cut the cucumber into thick wedges and coat in the salt. Leave to drain in a colander, over a sink or bowl. 2. Stir the crème fraiche to loosen it and then stir in the chopped chervil. In a separate bowl, dress the shrimp with the lemon juice and zest. 2. Pat the cucumber dry with a tea towel and arrange on a serving plate, skin side down. Scatter over the brown shrimp and drizzle over the chervil crème fraiche. 3. Garnish with a few reserved chervil leaves.

Serves 8

For the shortcrust pastry

300g plain flour, sifted 150g cold unsalted butter, diced ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp baking powder 75ml ice-cold water

For the filling

6 large eggs 300ml double cream 100ml whole milk 400g courgettes, finely sliced 100g spring onions, thinly sliced 15g red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced 100g parmesan 100g goats’ cheese 10g sea salt

You will need a 23cm round quiche tin that is 5cm deep.

Method

1. To make the pastry, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a food processor and whizz briefly. Add in the butter and gently pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, taking care not to overmix. Slowly add the water, you may not need all of it, until the pastry just starts to come together. Empty out the pastry dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently form into a circle shape, about 5cm thick. Wrap the dough and put in the fridge for at least two hours to rest, but preferably overnight. 2. The next day, roll out the dough to 3mm thick and carefully line the tin, patching up any cracks. A good tip is to use a little piece of excess dough to gently push the rolled dough into the corners of the tin. Trim the excess pastry overhanging the tin sides and dot the base with a fork. Keep unused pastry for any patch-ups required after blind baking. It’s essential the pastry is chilled again in the fridge for at least an hour. 3. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line the pastry dough with a circle of baking parchment and fill with baking beans or rice. Slide into the oven on a baking sheet and blind bake for 20 minutes. After this time, carefully remove the paper and beans (hot!) and return to the oven for 10 minutes, or until the pastry is a nutty golden colour.

Courgette and chilli tart

For the filling:

1. Wash and trim the courgettes and finely slice into 2mm rounds; a mandolin or slicing blade on a food processor is the best tool for this. Mix the courgette with the sliced spring onion and chilli in a colander over a bowl and stir in 5g of salt, which will draw out the moisture. Leave the vegetables to drain for 30 minutes and then squeeze them in a tea towel to remove as much liquid as possible. This salting process will intensify the flavour. 2. Preheat oven to 170°C. 3. Whisk all the remaining ingredients together (apart from the goats’ cheese) and stir in the vegetables. Carefully pour the courgette cream mixture into the blindbaked pastry case, being careful not to overfill and ensuring that the vegetables are evenly distributed. Dot the goats’ cheese over the top. Slide into the oven and bake for 1 hour until set and golden on top. Allow to rest for at least half an hour before tucking in.

S ummer caponata and crispy polenta

Serves 4

For the crispy polenta

125g fine polenta 600ml water 10g salt 50ml rapeseed oil

For the caponata

2 aubergines, stalk removed 2 red peppers, deseeded 2 courgettes, trimmed 5g salt 50ml rapeseed oil 125g passata

For the agrodolce

1 red onion, thinly sliced 15ml olive oil 50ml white wine vinegar 25g golden raisins 1 tsp golden caster sugar salt

To finish

50g almonds, roasted and crushed 20g parsley, finely chopped 10g mint, finely chopped

Method

For the polenta

1. Bring the water to boil in a large pot and slowly pour in the polenta, whisking as you go. Turn the heat to a simmer and pour in the oil and salt. Stirring constantly, cook the polenta for 20 minutes. Pour into a lined baking tray, at least 2cm deep, and leave to cool. When cold, put into the fridge to firm up for 30 minutes. 2. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Remove the polenta from the dish and cut into wedges. Roast in the oven until golden and crisp with slightly charred edges.

For the agrodolce

Warm the oil in a deep-sided pan and gently sweat the sliced onion for at least ten minutes until soft and lightly caramelised. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, stir to combine and simmer for another 5 minutes. Cool and rest in fridge for a few hours.

For the caponata

1. Wash and trim the vegetables and slice into 4cm strips lengthways and place skin down onto separate baking trays. Sprinkle the salt into the flesh of the vegetables and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes. 2. Preheat the oven to 240°C. 3. Divide the oil equally between the three roasting trays and roast the vegetables until charred and tender. When cool enough to handle, cut into bite-sized pieces, and gently stir in the passata and agrodolce onions. Caponata is best served at room temperature and even better after a rest in the fridge overnight for the intriguing sweet and sour flavours to mature and mingle. When ready to serve, bring back to room temperature and sprinkle over the almonds and chopped herbs and serve with a couple of slices of crispy polenta.

For the peaches

4 peaches, ripe but still firm 650ml water 400g golden granulated sugar 150ml white wine 1 stick cinnamon 1 vanilla bean, cut lengthways 50ml brandy (optional)

For the bay custard

250ml double cream 250ml whole milk 3 fresh bay leaves 80g caster sugar 125g egg yolks (approximately 5 eggs) 2 tsp cornflour

Poached Peaches and Bay C u s t ard

Method

1. To poach the peaches, combine the water, wine, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla in a large saucepan and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Gently lower in the peaches, cover with a round piece of parchment or baking paper and poach for about 15 minutes, until just tender. Remove from the heat and lift out the peaches with a slotted spoon to cool. Return the liquid to the heat, add the brandy (optional), and cook to reduce by half, until syrupy. 2. To make the bay custard, gently heat the milk and cream with the bay leaves. Take o the heat just when it comes under a boil and allow the bay to infuse for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs and cornflour and pour the hot milk over the eggs passing through a sieve to remove the bay. Return the mixture to a clean pan and cook very gently, stirring continuously, until lightly thickened and the cornflour is cooked out. Empty into a cold clean jug, set over ice, to stop the cooking process. Cover with cling film to prevent a skin forming. 3. When you are ready to serve, pour a puddle of custard onto a plate and place the cooked peach in the middle and spoon over some cooking liquor. Best served at room temperature.