Picnic with a Queen

I packed a wicker hamper full of delicious treats and loaded up the grandchildren with picnic blankets and cushions.   We were bound for Owl Wood, which is where Queen Mab and her ladies-in-waiting live.

Dragons, unicorns, bears, fairies and trolls all live in the woodland, along with our six free-ranging hens, including our Queen Mab, pheasants, squirrels, mice, rats, moles, and on one occasion there was a deer.  It is a magical place.

Queen Mab is definitely one of the cheekier hens and is not averse to jumping up and snatching food from the unwary hand.

The fairy Queen Mab may also live here, in the magic tree which has a real fairy door... Imagination is a wonderful thing and my grandchildren use that little woodland to the full, so do the hens.

The hens were filled with curiosity and a desire to share our picnic.   For some strange reason Queen Mab the Hen lagged way behind this time, which is quite out of character.



We had kept our food simple - manchets, cheese,  radishes, olives and apples.    Easy to eat and easy to share with the hens, they are especially fond of cheese.

The main event was the pudding.  

No ordinary pudding, for I had recreated a really old recipe which had long intrigued me.    

Queen Mab's Pudding!

It was a very simple egg custard, studded with strawberries and decorated with pieces of angelica.  I scattered a few fresh raspberries on top and a small drift of icing sugar.

I have no idea who came up with the recipe but it is another one which I found in one of my really old kitchen journals.   I'll post the recipe, when I have time, over on my other blog.

Meanwhile, Poppy and Miles, I am heading off to Cowslip Cottage to do some more painting.  This time I'll try to remember to take my camera.xx