Look on my cake, ye mighty, and despair
One of the great joys of living in Somerset is that we have the best food in the country on our doorstep. A splendid farmers market once a month, with a smaller one as well once a month. Here we get freshly-hewn meat, full of blood and life force. Pies of perfection, from the steak pies to the home-made mincemeat and cranberry pies. Here we get as much of our food as we can; and when we can't, there's the organic stalls in town every Wednesday and Thursday, two wet fish stalls, and farm shops around every corner.
Amongst our occasional haunts, being a few miles away, was Purely Organic in Longbridge Deverill (next to Hill, Brixton & Kingston Deverill - Deverill meaning water meadow, I believe). One of the major draws of this shop (cum trout farm cum watercress farm) was the spectacular Lemon Drizzle cake made by the proprietress. Why so good? Simply by using far too much lemon juice and far too much sugar to make the syrup which is drizzled on top of the cake. The result is that the top third of the cake is a crystalline lemon munge from heaven.
This is just THE best lemon cake of any sort that I have ever eaten.
We were having supper with friends on Wednesday, when another diner arrives, bringing such cake as a Christmas gift for L and me. However, along with the cake came the news that there was a problem with their tenure of the shop where it was made, and the result was that they were having to leave, and today was closing day. And this was the last cake, which he had kindly bought for us, knowing of our devotion to it.
RIP Purely Organic (hopefully to arise again) and RIP
So what you see above is the LAST of the Great Lemon Drizzle cakes. Look on it and weep. Outrageous as a pudding, with ice cream or the outrageous local double cream, but best on its own with a huge mug of hot tea. Brush teeth as soon as possible afterwards - you can feel them start to dissolve as you head for the bathroom.
Two pieces left.
13 comments:
Tiptoes in; no one about, eats two pieces of cake - lemon drizzle, delicious! Leaves hurriedly to save teeth.
Merry Christmas, Elby and L.
You are very welcome to finish the cake off HG. They are indeed, or were, sublime. Elby is dentally challenged as it is, so it is probably for the best.
Teeth-wise, me and Keef go a long way back. And now the cake is gone, all gone. After Christmas, work starts to replicate it.
Thanks for your post on my blog,
pretty moving stuff.
My gran died in stepping hill and my aunt worked there until she retired.
We used to live in Disley, I would run through Lyme park everyday and over the tops to whaley bridge and back .
Great part of the world.
I remember the wonderful world of Disley. Didn't the fellow who run the hardware store have some contretemps with those chaps over in Florida?
Have a good New Year old fruit.
With three boys prone to falling off things, walking into lampposts (me) and throwing darts at each other, we were regulars at the old infirmary. Nurses would laugh when mum came in with one or another of us in a pickle. And then when Mum started falling and breaking bones, they were close to naming a bed for her. But bless them, they let her have a tot of whisky at bedtime and would wheel her out for a smoke as well.
Then we got to know the new hospital as well; so many hours in there waiting on whether mum would recover from whatever. I would say for all the bad-mouthing the NHS gets, the staff were always fantastic.
I used to cycle up to Lyme Park; we lived in Bramhall and Woodford, indeed, Mum never lived more than two miles from where she was born. And yes, it is very beautiful, but Woodford and Bramhall - I hardly recognise the places any more, so wealthy has it become - anyone with less than 3 cars in their drive (4x4, BIG saloon, sports runaround for wife) is the minimum is looked at most askance. Bottle blondes abound, and me, well, I'm a soft southerner now!
Wow, what a small world. Me and t'other half moved to the frozen wastes of the north from Somerset (Bruton)9 years ago. We now live a few miles from Lyme Park. Somerset is a great place for food (apart from the meat thing as we are both veggies). That lemon drizzle cake sounds like it is worth experimenting with. Post the recipe if you manage to come up with a good substitute.
Ha ! There you are.
I didn't know you had a blog, Elby ?
Agree about the food. We saw a truck load of chickens going to market today and loads of spring lambs in the fields.
Oh so cute ... and tasty.
I don't know about the cake, Elby, but your comment on Guido a little while ago really took the buscuit. I've given you my full support btw.
(80% council tax campaign)
I know the feeling, I still havent recovered from the withdrawl of M&S banoffee pie over a decade ago, plus a wonderful fruitcake I used to buy from a health shop in Derbyshire when the lady who owned the shop retired.
Luckily , thanks to the net, I can now make my own excellent cakes and pies, so pull your finger out Mr Beserk and get the recipe.
god I love cake!....any cake.
Lemon Drizzle... sounds delicious! Do you heat it up before eating it?
Thanks for the periodic table information. Me and my girl will have a lookie this arvo when she gets home from school.
:)
You are lucky indeed in your part of the country. I so miss the farm shops and markets. Mind you the meat here in Scotland is the best but we all say that don't we.
Your cake sounds devine. I won't let the sweet-toothed one in this house read your post. :)
Post a Comment