Roadtrip: English countryside edition
Liz Nehdi
Beautiful craggy trees against the blue sky
Our first stop: The Nut Tree Inn
If you know me, you know how much I love London. And yet sometimes it's a good thing to get away for a bit. Especially when you've been working like crazy.
This past weekend my husband and I decided that it was time to get out of town for a bit, so we rented a car and headed out to the Cotswolds for a bit of fresh air and a magnificent lunch.
Foreign currencies taped to the ceiling of The Nut Tree Inn
The weather man had called for rain, but thankfully he was mostly wrong. We were treated to blue sky, puffy white clouds and a dash of hail on the drive out of town.
I wait patiently for my glass of wine at The Nut Tree Inn
As row houses gave way to open fields, we were treated to beautiful scenes of the countryside just starting to awaken for spring. Lots of lush green grass, the occasional flowering cherry blossom tree and lots of amazing craggy trees against a brilliant blue sky.
Our first stop was the charming Nut Tree Inn for a bit of lunch. And by bit, I mean an epic tasting menu spread. If you have a reason to swing by Murcott, make sure you stop in to The Nut Tree Inn for a meal. It was a real treat. The food is deserving of their Michelin star and the staff is wonderfully accommodating. Plus they've got the cutest ducks in the pond out front!
We ate in the front dining room, which was so cozy thanks to the wood burning stoves. They've also got an expansive outdoor seating area. I look forward to coming back when it's warm enough to eat outside.
And now for the important part: the menu! I'm getting hungry just thinking back to this...
The first course - leek and potato soup with chive oil. So delicious
- Leek + potato soup with chive oil
- Pave of salmon with horseradish cream and caviar
- Parfait of chicken livers with apple chutney + toasted brioche
- Seabass fillet with young vegetables + bouillabaisse sauce
- Grilled beef fillet with sauteed mushrooms + asparagus
- Milk chocolate egg with salted caramel + praline cream
- Creme brulee (for him) + sticky toffee pudding (for her)
I intended to take photos of each course, but became too engrossed in the food and the company after the first two courses, so those will have to do!
The second course - smoked salmon with horseradish cream and caviar. Divine.
Seriously super yum! And am now on back on regime in advance of our trip to California.
A field of mother sheep with their adorable lambs
After lunch we took a little drive and made a quick stop to watch some adorable little lambs frolicking with their mothers and friends. So freaking cute.
We soaked up more amazing bucolic vistas and I became obsessed with the fabulous craggy trees all around. Does anyone know what kind they are?
I made Karim pull off at a nursery so that I could pick out some new plants to add to our little patio garden in London. We'll see how they do!
More amazing craggy branches on this tree
Sun dappled light through young trees that are just starting to sprout their leaves
Karim swipes my scarf and strikes a pose in adorable Burford
After a bit more driving we came upon Burford, which is an adorable country town. We popped in half a dozen antique shops and came away with a beaten up old wooden stool that I'll use for my new plants. We found a fantastic vintage shop called Vintage to Vogue. We drooled over vintage Hermes ties (for him) and vintage Pucci dresses (for me), but restrained ourselves. Sigh. Before heading back on the road, we popped into the charming Mermaid Inn for a pint and warmed up by the fire.
Not the most attractive name, but Burford is an adorable town full of pubs, tea shops and antique stores
The fruits of our trip: a beaten up old stool and some new plants for our (tiny) garden
All in all, a pretty perfect day in my opinion.
What did you get up to this past weekend?
xo Liz
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