What a blissful day yesterday! The garden team of Simon Johnson and Jeff Jones, and Beloved and I, traipsing round the garden of the new house talking about what sort of gardens to put in. In my old house in Westport, way back in a different life altogether, Simon and Piers gave me cutting gardens with iceberg roses and honeysuckle tumbling over pergolas, an orchard with peach, pear, apple, apricots and plums, a vegetable patch, a cherry walk, dividing the entire garden into ‘rooms’ with clipped holly hedges and low dry-stacked walls. It was beautiful, and easy to do on nearly three acres.

This time round we’re on just under one acre, but I’m determined to do the same thing, on a smaller scale. Simon did look at me somewhat dubiously yesterday and asked who was going to look after the garden, and I will say back when I had those gardens I also seemed to have a lot more time, but he didn’t know about the ace up my sleeve - Roger - who I found at a garden centre one day, who looked like a romantic poet from a bygone era and who seemed to know what he was talking about plantwise, so I offered him job as gardener. He still looks after my old gardens, and he promised me last week he’ll come back and help with these, and I can’t wait.

Simon and family stayed for dinner, plus us, Beloved’s mum, Susan, and our friend Martha Stewart. The food ended up being pretty good, although the chicken could have been hotter (I always mess up heating times) but the piece de resistance was dessert. We started with a chilled cucumber and avocado soup, which was me using up a cucumber, greek yoghurt and dill salad I’d made a few days before and had TONS left over. I pureed it, together with a couple of avocados to thicken it, and added some milk. Served it with a spoonful of sour cream and snipped chives from the garden.

Next came the chicken with ginger and almonds which was incredibly tasty, but perhaps a little dry - I’m not very good with stir-fry things, and lastly the honey semifreddo and lemon and ginger tartlets. I sort of made up the tartlets. I adapted a recipe from the English cook Delia Smith, who I adore, and who tends to be completely idiot-proof, but it’s hard for recipes to remain idiot proof when their makers forget to add crucial ingredients.

I swapped her pastry cases for a crust of crushed ginger snaps and butter, but I’d just put the tartlets in the oven, and turned around thinking, why is there an egg rolling around the counter top?

Ah yes. That would be the egg that was supposed to have been added to the lemon curd and creme fraiche filling. The egg that would have made it rise, instead of sinking pathetically as soon as they were out the oven.

So. more measures were needed. I then used my Mum’s fool-proof lemon chiffon pie recipe, which is also impossible to get wrong. It involves mixing together one can of condensed milk, one small carton of heavy cream, and the juice of five lemons (I added the zest of a lemon too for a sharper, more lemony flavour). Are you sure you don’t have to whisk it? I kept asking my Mum. No! She insisted. It thickens due to some chemical reaction. Truly, it’s amazing! She said. You’ll see.

I mixed it together, slopped it into the ginger cases (on top of the sunken lemon curd), put it in the fridge and waited for the magic to happen, that extraordinary chemical reaction to take place.

And waited…and waited. I kept prodding the lemon cream which was as sloppy two hours later as it was when I poured it in.

Drastic measures were then required. I poured the cream out, got out the electric whisk, and whisked it until it was thick and heavy and perfect. I then spooned it into the tartlets and scattered some candied ginger on the top, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best, and lo and behold, they were pretty damn good, if I do say so myself. Put it like this, even Martha didn’t spot the series of culinary disasters that had befallen the poor lemon tartlets.

I also made a honey semifreddo which was Nigella Lawson’s recipe. A semifreddo is a semi-frozen dessert, like ice-cream, but usually with the consistency of a frozen mousse, and much easier to make than ice-cream as there’s no churning and no custard-making involved. I didn’t bother adapting it at all, couldn’t see what I could possibly do to make it any better, and it was AMAZING. As per Nigella’s instructions, I drizzled it copiously with runny honey, threw on toasted pine nuts, and it was Impressive, delicious, rich as sin, and the perfect end to any dinner party.

There was one other dish I threw together for the eldest who keeps telling me she’s vegetarian, although I know she can’t resist a decent steak. It was gnocchi, on a bed of frozen spinach, with a horribly processed cheese sauce, topped with parmesan and panko breadcrumbs. The kind of thing that all children who subsist almost entirely on a diet of chicken nuggets and pizza, would adore. The kind of thing I would never, I mean never, serve at a dinner party.

Actually, that’s not strictly true, but if I were to serve it for a dinner party I would have used fresh spinach flavoured with nutmeg, would have scattered dolcelatte in amongst the gnocchi, and would have made a bechamel sauce from scratch. Not thrown together store-cupboard heaven.

Let me be clear here. This was for the children. NOT FOR MARTHA STEWART.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I wanted to shout, as I saw everyone, Martha included, spooning the pasta onto their plate. No-one commented. Unsurprisingly. Oh God. I have decided to wipe this dish from my memory.

The dish that shall not be discussed

I ate far too much, crawled into bed feeling rather like a small zeppelin, but here are instructions should you wish to do the same:

Ginger Chicken with Almonds Recipe (stolen lock stock and barrel from simplyrecipes.com - my new favourite website)

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 - 2 lbs. total)
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger plus ¼ cup julienned fresh ginger
4 teaspoons grapeseed oil or other high flash point oil such as canola oil
2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoond kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 large scallions (or 6 small), trimmed
1/2 cup mango chutney, large pieces chopped
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

METHOD
1 Slice chicken crosswise into ½-inch-thick pieces. Toss with ground coriander, grated ginger, 2 teaspoons oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Marinate at room temperature 15 minutes.
2 Thinly slice white parts of scallions. Julienne green parts; set aside.
3 Stir together chutney, broth, and garlic in a small bowl.
4 Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat. Add scallion whites and julienned ginger; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add chicken and stir-fry until thoroughly cooked, 4 to 6 minutes. Add scallion greens and chutney mixture; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Transfer to shallow bowls with hot cooked rice (or without rice, for low-carb version). Sprinkle with toasted almond slices and serve.
Serves 4-6.

Lemon tartlets

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Blend box of ginger snaps with stick of butter until crushed and fine. Press into small greased tart tins with removable bases.

Delia’s filling:
1 jar lemon curd (you could make your own, but really, who has the time?)
zest and juice of one large lemon
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons half-fat creme fraiche.

Mix filling together. DON’T FORGET THE EGG. Pour into cases. Bake for 20/25 minutes

Jane’s alternative filling, which can be used either as topping, or on its own. If used on its own, no baking required, just put in fridge.
1 can condensed milk
1 small carton heavy cream
juice of 5 lemons
zest of 1 lemon

Blend condensed milk and cream together. Hope it thickens. When it doesn’t, WHIP UNTIL THICK. Spoon into cases and decorate with either lemon zest or candied ginger.

Nigella Lawson’s honey semifreddo with toasted pine nuts:

1 egg
4 egg yolks
1 1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup best-quality honey, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (Trader Joe’s sells them already toasted which makes life a little easier)

Line a standard loaf pan with plastic wrap.

Beat the egg and egg yolks with honey over a saucepan of gently simmering water, until the mixture is pale and thick.

Whip the cream until thick, then gently fold in the egg and honey mixture. Pour into loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 2 to 3 hours.

When ready to serve, turn the semifreddo onto a plate, drizzle with copious honey and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts before slicing. It will start to melt immediately, but, as Nigella says, ‘that is part of its heavenly textured charm.’

Ann Leary & Jane Green

During my recent interviews, one of the recurring questions was had I been to see the new Sex and the City movie, the assumption being that I would have seen it and loved it, and everyone seemed flabbergasted when I confessed that not only had I not seen it, I probably wouldn’t.

Couple of reasons for this. The first is my current movie-going rate seems to be about one movie every two years, and sadly the movies tend to fall quite squarely in the family category. The last two movies I saw in a theatre were Ratatouille and Wall-E. Secondly, I’m not really a Sex and the City girl.

I know, I know, I’m one of the founders of chick lit.

And I know, I know, Sex and the City should be my mantra, but the truth is I’m really not a very…how shall I say this…girly girl.

If I’m honest, groups of women terrify me - going into school for class functions has me tense with nerves - and, bar a couple of episodes in my life, I’ve never been the sort of woman who hangs out with other groups of women. I avoid Girl’s Nights Out like the plague (unless of course they are girl’s nights out I’ve organised, consisting solely of my friends and women around whom I feel entirely comfortable), and although I genuinely enjoy people, and meeting new people, it tends to be on a one-on-one basis, not in a group. I’d rather have real conversations with two or three friends, over dinner in a quiet restaurant, than hit a bar with a pack of ten.

I have a handful, less probably, of friends who I consider inner circle and who I adore, and it is rare for me to gather new people, although recently I have found myself meeting or spending time with women who are truly wonderful, and with whom I have an instant connection, which feels like a true gift. Just yesterday Ann Leary, author of Outtakes from a Marriage and now radio presenter on NPR, came to interview me. I’ve met Ann a few times, been to her house for a party last Summer, and I warmed to her immediately when we met, and sitting at the kitchen table yesterday afternoon, I realised I could have quite happily sat there gabbing with her for HOURS.

She is everything I adore in the women who are my friends - warm, clever, interested, interesting and funny. Her personality bubbles over and despite being married to the very famous Denis, she’s the most down-to-earth person you’ll ever meet in your life. She’s also a wonderful author, and I’ve been recommending her book all over the place this summer, and no, it isn’t nepotism, but because I genuinely loved it.

So lovely to reach this age and continue finding people you bond with instantly, even when you think you have all the friends you need…

On another note, I’ve got the menu for dinner tonight. Will post recipes later when I have time, and now Martha Stewart’s coming for dinner too (sounds like a movie), so - gasp - the pressure’s on. (The last time she came for dinner she opened my fridge and recoiled in horror. I couldn’t blame her. My fridge looked like all my neighbours had decided to spring-clean their fridges on the same day and had asked me if they could shove their stuff in mine temporarily. There was so much junk pushed in you couldn’t find anything. Plus there were pools of days-old jelly, and various other drips and drops. Put it like this. I’ll never have one of those fridges with a glass door).

So far I’ve made a chilled cucumber and avocado soup, chicken with ginger and almonds and cardamom-spiced basmati rice, lemon tartlets and a honey semifreddo (like ice-cream only easier) for dessert. Unfortunately there’s been one disaster already - I forgot to add the egg to the lemon tart filling so it’s all sunken and pathetic. I’m thinking I may have to scrape it out and start again…

I did most of the cooking last night - my whole theory around entertaining is nothing has to be perfect (clearly!), and you should always do food that can be prepared well in advance so when your guests are there you can sit and enjoy them rather than slaving over a hot stove.

Wish me luck with those lemon tartlets and will give you the recipes if they’re a success…

I love my readers, and I love what this insatiable one has done:

http://insatiablereader.blogspot.com/2008/07/mosaic-beach-house.html

Isn’t that gorgeous? Makes me want to run straight back to Nantucket today. Am busy trying to get together plans for the new house, and Simon Johnson, my garden designer extraordinaire, is over this week and coming to see the site so he can start planning the garden. I can’t believe I’m going to have a garden again, although you’d never believe I’m a gardener given the state of my vegetable plot this year.

I’ve just been too busy and it’s horribly overgrown. Plus that fat bloody gopher turns out to be an edamame addict, and there’s practically nothing left, and what is still there is about to be strangled by the weeds. On the plus side the tomatoes look reasonably happy, there are quite a few melons although don’t actually remember what I planted, and there’s tons of corn. It’s extraordinary to me how my garden grows even without my tender loving care.

I’d get the kids to help with the weeding, but they’re off to Florida with their dad, and we’re on our own for a week, which is always a mixed blessing. I miss them enormously when they’re not with me, but I adore being here alone and having a chance to do all the things I can’t do when I’m busy being Mum. Gardening being one of them.

Me with the lovely Marianne Mancusi (the real me…)

Did some filming yesterday and met another chick lit author, Marianne Mancusi who left me with a copy of one of her books - News Blues - which I meant to read on the train into the city but then got caught up with Bringing Home the Birkin by Michael Tonello.

For those not in the know, the Birkin is the piece de resistance of Hermes handbags. They cost a fortune and are almost impossible to get hold of, and for a while were the ultimate status symbol. Am enjoying this book, the story of how Mr Tonello moved to Barcelona and figured out how to get Birkins, and that the waiting list everyone talks about is a fallacy, it is just a question of having a formula, which he figures out, spending years selling Birkins for enormous profit on ebay.

I know all about Birkins. For a while, in my previous incarnation as frosted blonde Republican trophy wife, (could not be further from the real me, in every respect - photo at top proves it), I had Birkins. Four of them. (And three of them were the result of the stores phoning me because they had one in they thought I’d like, although I’ve heard they’re not allowed to do that anymore) Now I have one left, and I’m about to sell that too. Thankfully I no longer want to wear something that shouts, ‘look at me! Look how much money I have! I’m good enough!’ and frankly unless a company is paying me to advertise their labels (Apple computers, I’m happy to talk to you if you’re interested…), I’m not going to be a walking advertisement for them. Plus, once everyone starts carrying the fakes, you know it’s time to move on, and while I see women all over town carrying them over their arm, once you see the feet (always the giveaway), it’s clear many of them are copies. Good copies, but copies nevertheless.

So no more birkins for me, but it’s fun reading about them, and just for the record, my favourite bag this summer is a straw tote from JCrew.

Last thing, not sure what to make for dinner for Simon and family on Friday night. Thinking of Nigella’s lamb with pomegranate. Know Simon can’t do fish. Off downstairs now to flick through recipes and will keep you posted…

On a lighter note, those of you who have followed this blog for a few years will know what a keen cook I am. I never thought of putting recipes up regularly, but my neighbour confessed this morning she’d written down the recent chicken and spinach, so I’m offering up a couple I used this weekend that were delicious.

We were, as always, barbequeing, and I didn’t want to serve up the usual steak, burgers and hot dogs. I also wanted something lighter - Summer tends to be a very dangerous time for me with food - all that sitting around at barbeques waiting and killing time by filling up with corn chips and guacamole, shrimp, and bruschetta, is not good for me or my stomach. Put it like this…last week I was in a white bikini.

This week, after several episodes with corn chips, I am in a navy bathing suit. And a muu muu.

Explains itself really, doesn’t it.

Point being, we were trying to be healthy, so we decided to do fish. Yawn, yawn, except I tried out a couple of marinades which were so good I’m sharing them. enjoy

Salmon marinaded with dijon bourbon glaze.

For glaze:
3 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons dijon mustard
3 tablespoons bourbon
bunch chopped fresh dill
black pepper.

Tuna marinaded with cilantro lime soy. (Think this is from the Food Network originally)

2 big handfuls fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, sliced (I used dried chili due to salmonella scare)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, chopped
juice of two limes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Pinch sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
couple of tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Avocado

Mix together. (First reserve some sauce to pour over tuna before serving) Sear tuna, serve with spoonful of sauce over top and thin slices of avocado.

With both fish, marinade in fridge for 3 hours minimum.

This past week has been both difficult and exhausting. A long and complex story, and one that doesn’t belong here, but it has caused me to think very carefully about the people we let into our home, and how reliant we are on other people for help.

I have written frequently about the concept of family of choice. It’s one I feel strongly about, that we move away from the places where we grew up, from the families that would be there to help if we asked, and move to towns and cities where we know no-one, relying upon the mothers we meet, the friends we make to form our support system, to become our families of choice.

Without Grandmothers, sisters, aunts, who do we put as emergency contacts for school, and camp, and classes? Our friends, of course. Who else?

But even with fabulous friends, those of us who work, and some of us who don’t, still require more support. I have four children, and although I work only in the mornings so I can be around in the afternoons for them, I can’t possibly shepherd four children to their individual playdates and activities. And even if it were possible I suspect I’d lose my sanity.

And so we bring in people to help. I have had a live-in babysitter, and I adore her, but the events of the past week have made me realise that it isn’t enough to adore the person who looks after your children. Equally important, is their judgement, their friends, the people they choose to have around them.

Sadly my babysitter’s judgement wasn’t what it could have been, and although she is no longer working for us, I ask all the mothers out there to trust their instincts. It’s not enough that the people looking after our children are good people. They have to choose good people too, and if you feel they’re not, act on those feelings, don’t wait for something concrete to happen before you are forced to make a decision.

So many of us have au-pairs, young girls who are going out at night and meeting men, and they don’t have the maturity or wisdom we have, don’t know necessarily how to walk away when they realise they have made a bad choice. The things we take for granted - not giving out a home address, meeting in a public place, not going to a stranger’s house - are not things these young girls necessarily take for granted, and we can never assume they are making the same decisions we would make if we were in their shoes.

I feel grateful this week is over, and I am starting again with a babysitter I have known for some time, an older woman who is not hitting the clubs and bars at night, but I can’t deny I’m rattled. As women I think we are blessed with extraordinary intuition. The trick is learning to trust it, and more importantly, to act on it. If you have a young babysitter, or an au-pair, talk to her. Make sure she benefits from your wisdom.

I thought I had. I realise I didn’t say enough.