Firstly I would like to say a big thank you to all our guests who visited us over the Christmas period, Our events were a huge success and we thoroughly enjoyed hosting you all at ‘our home.’ I would like to take this opportunity to also thank my team for their hard work during this time and also for ensuring the hotel was filled with festive fun & laughter creating a wonderful Christmas atmosphere.
With indulgent eating nearly over, we are now looking forward to the New Year and getting our eating ‘back on track.’ In the coming weeks my team of chefs and I will be offering ‘super-food’ smoothies for breakfast using ingredients that are not commonly used to help recover from the winter blues, such as nettles.
Nettles will be popping up everywhere so to avoid getting stung whilst walking or letting them take over your garden, pick them to use as part of a recipe. Not commonly known as a ‘super-food’ this great ingredient can be used to make a tea or soup. (See recipe in foraging) It is also high in iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, silica, chlorophyll and vitamin C and D. This is what makes it a ‘Super’ food and some people claim that it can be beneficial for various winter illnesses including those who suffer with respiratory problems.
We are taking wellness by the horns in January and will also be offering a Wellness Weekend on the 28th/29th January. This will be offered to both hotel guests and our local community. It will include a guided walk in the beautiful Malvern Hills, a healthy brunch created by my talented team, herbal teas & smoothies and an afternoon of learning and practicing mindfulness.
To find out more about this rejuvenating weekend or to book a place contact laura@colwall.com.
We will be releasing our Valentines menu this month so why not take a look and treat that special person in your life!
We hope you enjoy following our journey.
Richard Dixon
Head Chef
Nettles…
In summer they can be the bane of every walker’s life when they begin to take over the footpaths, but at this time of year Nettles are great for bulking out your foraging harvests. New growth usually begins to appear in early February, and is a great superfood – rich in vitamins A, C, and D and stuffed with iron. Use gloves to avoid the stingers, and pick only the tips (the top four to six leaves) for the best taste. Avoid foraging near roads or other places where they might have been sprayed with pesticides. You can use the leaves as you would spinach, or like I do in a warming nettle soup.
Simple Nettle Soup with Crème Fraiche
- A carrier bag full of stinging nettle tops
- 100g butter
- 2 large onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock,
- 2 large potato, peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- Sea salt / black pepper
- 4 tbsp crème fraîche
- A few drops of extra-virgin olive oil
- A few drops of Tabasco
Wearing rubber gloves, sort through the nettles, discarding anything you don’t like the look of and any thick stalks. Wash the nettles and drain in a colander.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook gently for 5-7 minutes until softened.
Add the stock, nettles, potato and carrot. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until the potato is soft, about 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Using a stick blender, purée the soup and then season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into warmed bowls and float a teaspoonful of creme fraiche on top. As this melts, swirl in a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil and Tabasco.