SEE YOU IN SPRING!

We have now closed for the winter months but, fear not, we'll be back in Spring (March/April, depending on when the weather gets warmer).  And don't think it's all leisurely lunches and lie-ins from now until then; we'll be working on new recipes and developing a calendar of fun events and workshops to be held at the cafe next year.   Keep an eye on this blog for updates!

Posterity is still very much open and able to help you through this season of entertaining with bigger tables, extra beds, rugs to cosy up the guestroom and additional (and very lovely) tableware.

Thank you all so much for a fantastic opening season.  And thanks to everyone who supported the Vintage Fair - what a day!  I have RSI in my shoulder from the amount of coffees we made!  It really was a phenomenal day for everyone involved; the Shin Of Beef and Squash, Chickpea and Pearl Barley stews went down particularly well, as did the delicious cakes supplied by Rachel, Sue, Hannah, Jen and Meg - thank you so much ladies!  The stalls looked absolutely gorgeous and I have since spoken to numerous happy shoppers, delighted with their one-off purchases (as I was with mine, despite not actually escaping from the cafe until gone 5pm by which time most stall-holders were packing up!).  David did a remarkable job plugging the event with radio and press coverage, not to mention thousands of flyers and where would we have been without the delectable car park crew - well done boys!

Thank you all again for your unwaivering support - see you in 2012!!  Have a wonderful Christmas and a very merry New Year xx

VINTAGE AND HANDMADE FAIR @ POSTERITY - THIS SATURDAY! By David Urquhart

You would be a clown not to attend the first Ledbury Vintage and handmade fair. Now only 3  days to go before stallholders from as far as Derbyshire, Pembrokeshire and Wiltshire join more local collectors and superbly creative and innovative designers to display their wares.
Over 25 stalls will fill the old brick barn at Posterity, located on the stunning Eastnor Castle Estate just one mile North of Ledbury town (recently voted one of Britains best shopping towns by The Today programme on Radio 4).

Vintage clothing, jewellery, toys, games and homewares will mix with beautifully created textiles, glassware, stained glass, knitware, quilts, cushions and much more.
A certain amount of decorations and cards will also be on display.
All will offer ideas to make Christmas and 2012 a better place. In addition cafe Salvation will be open all day, supplying a great choice of drinks and eats; from a warming coffee to carry round the fair with you, to a place to sit and reflect over a healthy brunch, a warming bowl of homemade stew, or cake and scones.
Entrance is free for visitors, but there will be collection boxes for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.
Parking is available in the yard, and overflow will be in the adjoining field. So if its wet bring sensible shoes. The fair opens to the public at 10 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m.

VOTE SALVATION!!

The most wonderful news, delivered in the form of an entirely unassuming email, has wreaked great delight upon all at Salvation HQ this week; we have been nominated by the 'Netmums' members of the Herefordshire site as one of their top 'Favourite Family Friendly Places to Eat in Herefordshire' - woohoo!!

The nomination has come as a complete surprise and to be honest, we're struggling to get our woolly hats on in disbelief.  We are one of five establishments to be short-listed - three on the list are big chain Pizza Houses, and another is a pub on the outskirts of Hereford.  To be rubbing shoulders with such well-established, big-game organisations at such an early stage of Salvation's life is great, so if any of you lovely blog readers do happen to have a spare mo to vote for us (final votes must be in by November the 26th, the day of our Vintage Fair), then please do so here.

And just in case that link doesn't work, here's the URL: http://www.netmums.com/places-to-go/vote-for-your-favourite-place-to-eat-out

Simply tick our box - Salvation @ Posterity, and keep everything crossed for us.

We're extremely proud to have been nominated; we all work jolly hard to make Salvation a lovely place for all, particularly those with young children, from our relentlessly supportive local mums and dads to our gorgeous Grannies and Grandads who often appear seeking refuge and respite in our kids corner.  We hope we can do you all proud and we're immensely grateful for those of you who have put us up for this competition in the first place - an enormous THANK YOU and a bit of a loving squeeze goes out to all of you.

Meanwhile, here's a peek at what we've been cooking up this week, and if you haven't already then please do swing by for a try......

THE WEEKLY SPECIALS: 10th – 12^th November 2011

HEADLINERS

Turkey and Sweetcorn meatballs

Turkey, sweetcorn and fresh herb patties, delicious with cranberry and sweet chilli sauce or lemon yoghurt.

Sweet Potato Cakes

We roast our sweet potatoes for maximum sweetness and add chilli, soy sauce and spring onions to create these gorgeous cakes.

Lemon and Garlic Chicken

A Salvation Staple – chicken breasts marinated in lemon and garlic; great with salad or in a sarnie/wrap.

SALADS/VEGGIE SIDES

Feisty-Ricey Salad

Basmati Rice, spring onions, peas and lots and lots of fresh herbs and spices; a salad with attitude!

Parsley Mushrooms

So simple but so tasty – and mushrooms are packed full of goodness!

Carrot Slaw

Just looking at this salad makes us smile: carrots, raisins, chilli and garlic, topped with our simple Salvation dressing – lemon and olive oil.

Pasta with Basil and Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Homemade pesto from home-grown basil.

Four Seed Potato Salad

New Potatoes in a turmeric, fennel, mustard, black onion and cumin seed dressing.

The Salvation Staple Salad

Green leaves, fresh herbs, tomatoes and cucumber.

A BIT ON THE SIDE

Lemon Yoghurt

Cranberry and Sweet Chilli Sauce

Chilli Yoghurt

One Headliner + One Salad + a bit on the side = £5.50 (unless otherwise stated).

One Headliner + Two Salads + a bit on the side = £6.50 (unless otherwise stated.  Add £2.50 per extra headliner).

Taster Plate (one of each ‘Headliner’ + a bit of every salad + a bit on the side) = £6.50

*We’re so sorry – we can not guarantee that any of our products are nut-free.

THE BREAD AND BUTTER MENU

BREAKFAST  BRUSCHETTAS:

Rustic bread, topped with:

Oak Roasted Salmon and creamy eggs £6.00

Creamy eggs and Smoked Bacon £5.00

Avocado, Tomatoes and Goats Cheese £5.00

Mushrooms and Parsley £4.00

Tomatoes £4.00

Salvation Special:

Bacon, eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes £6.00

GO LARGE!

Add another slice of toast to the Salv Special: £6.50

TOAST

with Jam or Marmite £1.00

Beans or Cheese £3.00

TOASTED TEACAKE

With Jam and butter £1.80

Please see counter for fresh scones and cakes.  Also available to order through ‘Little Penguin’.

WRAPS: £4.50

A herby wrap, housing our delicious fillings and served with a green side salad. Please let us know if you want them toasted.

Lemon and Garlic Chicken

Salmon

Ham

Cheese

Meatballs

Sweet Potato cakes

Mushrooms

KIDS MENU

WRAPS

£2.50

Please see above for fillings.

PASTA: £3.50

Choose from the following topping:

Pesto/Grated Cheese

Served with:

Lemon & Garlic Chicken/Salmon/Meatballs £4.50

*We’re so sorry – we cannot guarantee that any of our products are nut-free.

LEON

It has taken my every last square inch of will power (how does one measure will power?  Inches?  Ml? Grams? Hmmm....) not to eat this week's Headliner, Chicken, Pumpkin and Butter Bean Stew.  Hearty but not heavy, warming but not blow-your-head-off spicy, comforting without you even realising you're being comforted...it's exactly the right dish to be serving at this time of year.  And I have the wonderful people at Leon to thank for it.

If you haven't bought a Leon book yet, then do it now.  There are a few to choose from but I think my favourite is the first,  Leon: Ingredients and Recipes.  The folk at Leon believe in 'food that tastes good and does you good'.  Reading this book for the first time was like finding my culinary soul mate.  I found myself frantically nodding in agreement whilst silently reading the intro.  And the books are a joyous experience in themselves, with pull-out pantries to get your nose tucked in to and snippets and soundbites from the recipe originators or members of the team.  Trust me, you will not be disappointed with your purchase and you'll find yourself hankering after more (I'm currently wishing for Allegra's latest, perhaps for my birthday at the end of the month, darling husband?).




Here's the rest of this week's specials:

THE WEEKLY SPECIALS

HEADLINERS

Sweet Pepper and Tomato Soup

Served with a hunk of bread £4.50

Chicken, Pumpkin and Butter Bean Stew

Served with bread: £5.50

With Sides or Salads: £6.50

Diced chicken thighs, marinated in mustard, honey, chilli, garlic, fennel and oregano and cooked with Pumpkin and Butter Beans.

Fennel and Cherry Tomato Crumble

Ottolenghi’s delicious creamy fennel with thyme and cherry toms.

Falafel

Delicious balls of chickpeas, coriander, cumin and garlic.

Lemon and Garlic Chicken

A Salvation Staple – chicken breasts marinated in lemon and garlic; great with salad or in a sarnie/wrap.

SALADS/VEGGIE SIDES

Parsley Mushrooms

So simple but so tasty – and mushrooms are packed full of goodness!

Happy Carrot Salad

Just looking at this salad makes us smile: carrots, raisins, chilli and garlic, topped with our simple Salvation dressing – lemon and olive oil.

Pasta with Basil and Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Homemade pesto from home-grown basil.

Camargue red rice salad with quinoa, pistachio and orange

A great, low G.I salad with apricots and rocket.

The Salvation Staple Salad

Green leaves, fresh herbs, tomatoes and cucumber.

A BIT ON THE SIDE

Lemon Yoghurt

Sweet Chilli Sauce

Chilli Yoghurt

One Headliner + One Salad + a bit on the side = £5.50 (unless otherwise stated).

One Headliner + Two Salads + a bit on the side = £6.50 (unless otherwise stated.  Add £2.50 per extra headliner).

Taster Plate (one of each ‘Headliner’ + a bit of every salad + a bit on the side) = £6.50

*We’re so sorry – we can not guarantee that any of our products are nut-free.

NEW STOCK: BESS HARDING GREETINGS CARDS

Now you see them....soon you wont!  Bess's cards have been selling like hot cakes, and you can see why.  Bess is a brilliant illustrator; we have worked together on a variety of projects, namely children's books (the first of which will be published soon, watch this space!).  She is also rather marvellous at making things AND she builds pretty fantastic websites.  You can see more of her work here: www.bessharding.co.uk, and follow her blog here.

We have a few cards left in stock and more on order, and don't worry, you wont have to traipse through the corn field to view them - we did actually get 'round to displaying them in the cafe....

SALVATION'S ARMY: OFFICER JEFFREY

There are a number of very wonderful people involved in Salvation and from time to time, within the medium of this blog, I'd really like to give them a mention, as Salvation wouldn't be what it is without them.

First up, our great friend Paul.  Paul is a brilliant graphic designer and an excellent writer.  We share with Paul a love of India and it was the crazy but beautiful artwork on the Indian trucks that we wanted the Salvation logo to be based upon.  Paul has obviously come as close as we have on his Enfield to these mental motors, as he nailed the image from the word go.  He has helped us hugely with our venture (not to mention every party we've ever thrown and more recently, Baynham's Cider), he is always on the end of the phone when things get a bit technical and he has an innate understanding of image and identity.  We were very lucky to be neighbours in London and we are hoping he'll be more local to us soon...

You can view more of Paul's work here:  http://pauljeffreydesign.com/

POSTERITY VINTAGE CHRISTMAS FAIR: SATURDAY 26TH NOVEMBER

I know, I know, it's October, I should be talking about Pumpkins, but I'm ever so slightly over-excited about our first Vintage Fair, to be held in the brick barn at Posterity on Saturday 26th November!

Not only will it be the kick start to your Christmas shopping, with an eclectic mix of stalls offering vintage home-wares,  toys made from reclaimed materials, jewellery and brilliantly quirky one-off pieces, but Posterity will be willing and able to solve the usual Christmas dilemmas; having the family over but you need a bigger table?  Not enough chairs and it seems unfair to put Uncle Dave on the sun lounger for the 3rd year running?  Getting the guest room ready and need a chest of drawers for Great Aunt Elsie's chest and draws??!!  There's a fantastic range of furniture in stock at the mo, with new pieces arriving every day....

And, of course, Salvation will be serving the scrummiest delights, not to mention Baynhams Christmas Spiced Cider, to see you through the day...I've even heard talk of a Santa's Grotto....

More news will follow.  Meanwhile, can all interested stall-holders contact Helen, Sue or David at Posterity on: 01531 636380 or cafesalvation@gmail.com.

PIMP UP YOUR PIES!

At last, it's cold enough to get some winter warmers on the menu!  The woodburners arrival is imminent, so to keep us toastie in the run up to its installation, we've cooked up our tasty Punjabi Pie.

This dish reminds me of my childhood.  My Dad is a fantastic cook and I spent most evenings as a kid whiling away an evening in the kitchen,  chatting to my Pops whilst subconsciously absorbing everything he was doing.  Pops is a fan of spice and loves to experiment with food, adapting recipes to better suit his tastes, and this dish is a prime example of that.

Based on our British Classic, Cottage Pie, the secret to Punjabi Pie lies in the spice mix added to the onion and garlic during the first stages of cooking.  For 500g of beef, start by frying one red onion and 2-3 cloves of garlic (depending on size of cloves and how much you enjoy the flavour).  Add one stick of chopped celery and one diced carrot.  When the onion and veg are soft, add a healthy palm-full (sorry, I don't use measured devices, but if you cup your fingers to create a well in your palm, you'll have the right amount) of ground cumin, coriander and half a palm-full of turmeric.  Stir until aromatic, then add your beef to the onion and spice mix.  Season well, add some tomato puree and fresh red chilli (quantity dependent on how hot you like it), and once the beef is browned, add a tin of chopped tomatoes.  Half-fill your tin with water and add this to your mixture.  Taste and alter your seasoning to suit.  Wack in the oven for 30-40 minutes and crack on with your mash topping.

Pops would use a mixture of potatoes and swede; this week I've gone for pots and sweet potato (mainly because I like the colour and for me, food is all about colour).  Boil both veg - about 3 good sized potatoes and one sweet potato for 500g beef - in salted water until soft, drain and mash with plenty of salt and pepper and a generous knob of butter.  We like to throw in some grated cheddar (again, it gives the mash a glorious golden colour as well as tasting yummy).  Take the beef mixture out of the oven and pop in to your serving dish, spread the mash over the top (make it nice and thick, there's nothing worse than an anorexic pie topping), and sprinkle on a bit more grated cheddar.  Pop the dish back in the oven for about 25-30 mins (depending on your oven:  I use and Aga, so in a conventional oven I'd have it on 190 for 25-30 mins).  Once your topping is golden and smelling amazing, your pie is ready!

Why not Pimp Up your Pies?!  You can add a twist to most run-of-the-mill recipes, turning wet, weekday suppers in to dramatic delights, just with the addition of a few spices, fresh herbs, lemon or lime juice....it really can be that simple.  I'm looking forward to taking the Punjabi Pie in to another realm:  Sherpa's Pie will involve lamb, fresh ginger, chilli, toasted cumin and coriander seeds, maybe some lentils and spinach...I'm undecided on my mash topping - any suggestions?

We'll be enjoying our slice of Punjabi with some Glorious Green Beans (Granny Smith's runners always have been, and always will be, the sweetest runner beans I've ever tasted) and a delicious dollop of spicy red lentils.  Lunch, anyone?

THE WEEKLY SPECIALS

HEADLINERS

Sweet Pepper and Tomato Soup

Served with a hunk of bread £4.50

Popsy’s Punjabi Pie

A twist on the British Classic, Cottage Pie.  Popsy’s version includes minced beef with cumin, coriander and turmeric; a family favourite!

Sweet Potato Cakes

We roast our sweet potatoes for maximum sweetness and add chilli, soy sauce and spring onions to create these gorgeous cakes.

Lemon and Garlic Chicken

A Salvation Staple – chicken breasts marinated in lemon and garlic; great with salad or in a sarnie/wrap.

SALADS/VEGGIE SIDES

Glorious Green Beans

Granny Smith’s Runner Beans, mixed with Soya beans in lemon, chilli, rosemary and garlic.

Happy Carrot Salad

Just looking at this salad makes us smile: carrots, raisins, chilli and garlic, topped with our simple Salvation dressing – lemon and olive oil.

Pasta with Basil and Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Homemade pesto from home-grown basil.

Spicy Red Lentils

Red lentils with a delicious blend of aromatic spices.

The Salvation Staple Salad

Green leaves, fresh herbs, tomatoes and cucumber.

A BIT ON THE SIDE

Lemon Yoghurt

Sweet Chilli Sauce

Chilli Yoghurt

One Headliner + One Salad + a bit on the side = £5.50 (unless otherwise stated).

One Headliner + Two Salads + a bit on the side = £6.50 (unless otherwise stated.  Add £2.50 per extra headliner).

Taster Plate (one of each ‘Headliner’ + a bit of every salad + a bit on the side) = £6.50

*We’re so sorry – we can not guarantee that any of our products are nut-free.

THE BREAD AND BUTTER MENU

BREAKFAST  BRUSCHETTA’S: £5.00

Rustic bread, topped with:

Oak Roasted Salmon and Creamy Eggs

Creamy Eggs and Smoked Bacon

Avocado, Tomatoes and Goats Cheese

Mushrooms and Parsley £4.00

Tomatoes £4.00

Salvation Special:

Bacon, eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes £6.00

GO LARGE!

Add another slice of toast to the Salv Special: £6.50

TOAST

with Jam or Marmite £2.00

Beans or Cheese £3.00

TOASTED TEACAKE

With Jam and butter £1.80

Please see counter for fresh scones and cakes.  Also available to order through ‘Little Penguin’.

OPEN SANDWICHES OR WRAPS: £5.50

Two slices of locally baked beer bread or a herby wrap, housing our delicious fillings and served with a green side salad. Please let us know if you want them toasted.

Lemon and Garlic Chicken

Veggie Fritters

Grilled Salmon

Ham

Cheese

KIDS MENU

WRAPS

£3.50

Please see above for fillings.

PASTA: £3.50

Choose from the following topping:

Pesto/Grated Cheese

Served with:

Lemon & Garlic Chicken/Veggie Fritter/Salmon £4.50

Absence Makes...The List Grow Longer!

HUGE APOLOGIES for the distinct lack of Salvation blog action; I had the tiniest amount of time off mid-August to recover from some pretty major ear surgery, and I've been chasing my tail ever since!  Anyway, we return, and what better way to start than with this week's menu:

THE WEEKLY SPECIALS: 29/09/11

HEADLINERS

Hearty Mushroom and Pearl Barley Soup £4.50

Pork and Chorizo Meat Balls

These heavenly patties pack a punch with a healthy pinch of cayenne and smoked paprika.

Leek Fritters

Leeks and shallots with a blend of spices and a whiff of chilli; light and delicious.

Lemon and Garlic Chicken

A Salvation Staple – chicken breasts marinated in lemon and garlic; great with salad or in a sarnie/wrap.

Mum’s Nut Burgers

Mixed nuts, mushrooms, courgettes and tomatoes – can’t tell you the rest, it’s mum’s secret recipe!

SALADS/VEGGIE SIDES

Mango and Coconut 3 Rice Salad

A colourful mix of red camargue rice, Basmati and Jasmine rice play host to red peppers, spring onions, mango, coconut and fresh herbs – carnival on a plate!!

Celeriac and Lentils with Mint and Hazelnuts

Such an unusual combo but such great flavours; celeriac, puy lentils, hazelnuts, fresh mint and a delicious dressing – a bite of Autumn.

The Salvation Staple Salad

Green leaves, fresh herbs and cucumber with seeds, glorious seeds….

A BIT ON THE SIDE

Lemon and Coriander Yoghurt

Sweet Chilli Sauce

One Headliner + One Salad + a bit on the side = £5.50 (unless otherwise stated).

One Headliner + Two Salads + a bit on the side = £6.50 (unless otherwise stated).

Taster Plate (one of each ‘Headliner’ + a bit of every salad + a bit on the side) = £6.50

*We’re so sorry – we can not guarantee that any of our products are nut-free.

THE BREAD AND BUTTER MENU

BREAKFAST  BRUSCHETTA’S: £5.00

Rustic bread, topped with:

Salmon and Creamy Eggs

Creamy Eggs and Smoked Bacon

Avocado, Tomatoes and Goats Cheese

Mushrooms and Parsley £4.00

Tomatoes £4.00

Salvation Special:

Bacon, eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes £6.00

GO LARGE!

Add another slice of toast to the Salv Special: £6.50

TOAST

with Jam or Marmite £2.00

Beans or Cheese £3.00

TOASTED TEACAKE

With Jam and butter £1.80

Please see counter for fresh scones and cakes.

OPEN SANDWICHES OR WRAPS: £5.50

Two slices of locally baked beer bread or a herby wrap, housing our delicious fillings and served with a green side salad. Please let us know if you want them toasted.

                                     

Lemon and Garlic Chicken                                  Salmon Salad

Oven Baked Salmon                                            Ham Salad                                    

Veggie Fritters                                                     Ham and Cheese

Meatballs                                                            Cheese Salad                                   

FOR THE KIDS

½ pint portions (or more, depending on appetite!) of the above menu and weekly specials:

Small: £3.50

Medium: £4.50

Large: £5.50 - £6.50

KIDS SANDWICHES/WRAPS

£3.50

Please see above for fillings.

We had something of an 'about-turn' with the menu this week; here at Salvation HQ we're getting ridiculously excited about the impending arrival of our woodburner - guaranteed toastiness to see us through the winter months.  We've almost been willing for cold weather, and with that in mind, I was planning on launching the new Autumn menu....but then, HELLO SUNSHINE!!  It's practically tropical 'round here at the mo, so you're just going to have to wait a little longer for that Punjabi Pie.....