Brasenose Sober, Christ Church Gaudy

Thursday 26 June

Barbara went to dinner at Brasenose (which is served in the dessert room outside term time) with four of the older members, mainly in the medical and scientific fields.  So while we were all feeling our way around each others' brains, we feasted on a good Asian-fusion oven-roasted fillet of sea bass, served on thin-sliced Thai-style vegetables with a lemongrass and ginger cream sauce.

Once we had each other's measure, we laughed through the nicely rare char-grilled local beef fillet with Dauphinoise potatoes, string beans, broccoli, and roast carrots, its jus nicely spiced with a hint of mustard.

Pudding was passion fruit and ginger mousse (really just cream), with strawberry Champagne coulis and a twisted orange tuile; and then we went to coffee, though Barbara had to depart just as they started offering the Malt.

Holt, however, put on his best black tie for a much more gregarious occasion: the big ChCh summer Gaudy.  It started with champagne (Louis Dornier NV) on the staircase.  The starter was a spiffing baked asparagus wrapped in Buffalo mozzarella and crisped Parma ham, with white asparagus ribbons and basil salad; luckily the maple syrup dressing (for the House Canadians?) wasn't overly sweet.  The wine was a premier cru Saint-Aubin Les Murgers des Dents de Chien  2009 (apparently named for the stones heaped between the vine rows).

Next came a fillet steak with herb and pepper gratin; braised ox cheek adorning horseradish potato mash, girolles, spinach, broad beans and baby purple carrots; and a Domaine de Chevalier Pessac-Leógnan 2003.

Summer pudding followed, with clotted cream brulée, strawberry sorbet, and elderflower champagne jelly; and at last dessert, with coffee and pretty petit fours.

Finally, Holt went down to the Buttery for a Malt or two, serenaded by the chorus on the great staircase.  So ChCh wins in a rather inebriated (but healthy) walk.

Last Party at Yarnton Manor

Wednesday 25 June

Today we participated in all the varied activities of Oxford's Encaenia, from the presentation of honorary degrees at the Sheldonian, to a last lunch at Brasenose, and finally the Encaenia garden party at St. Catherine's - not the most prepossessing of the colleges, but a pleasant enough setting for Pimm's cup and strawberries with our friends.
In the evening, we went to the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies' final party at Yarnton Manor, as they're moving into Oxford for next year.  It was bittersweet to wander the magnificent gardens, soon to become the property of some kleptokrat, but just plain sweet to dine with Priscilla, Fergus, Susanna, and so many of the other friends we made while we were here.

  

Food at the OCHJS is usually eccentric, as it has to cater to kashrut as well as other food preferences.  On the buffet was "moussaka" (really tomatoey gloop topped with cheese) made of Quorn (™; according to the website, "Quorn’s main ingredient is Mycoprotein, a nutritious member of the fungi family that is grown by fermentation similar to the process used in the production of bread, yoghurt and beer," and also contains eggwhite and milk); falafel (also from a mix); regular and red pepper hummus (packaged); dolmades (ditto); Greek mushroom and various leaf salads, etc.

There was also an assortment of delicious cakes made with fresh strawberries and cream; so some things were not from a mix or a package.

And Priscilla tells us that there was wild dancing and fun after we old folks took our leave; which is just as it should be.

Clean Out the Fridge Frittata

Tuesday 24 June

This will be our last week in Oxford (sob), and a frittata is handy for using up the last of the zucchini, romano peppers, and eggs, plus most of the cheese.  

No need to post a picture, it looked just like all our other frittatas.

Meat Loaf and Endives

Monday 23 June

Our 1.5 lb. meat loaf was the perfect size for two meals, and we had the second one today.  We hotted-up the slices with a remarkably savory, if seat-of-the-pants, sauce of ketchup, pickle juice, Worcestershire sauce, and a half cup of mysterious braising liquid from the fridge, probably a relic of Thursday's pork sausages.

On the side went endives braised in butter and wine, topped with mixed breadcrumbs, grana padano, and stilton, and then broiled, in a fashion we've come to love.

The Black Boy, Headington

Sunday 22 June

Diane and Dag kindly took us and their visitor Jonathan out to the open garden day at Old Headington.  We lunched beforehand at The Black Boy, the more gastro- of the village pubs.  Its symbol is now a horse's head, so the name won't be taken as the racial profile it once was. 

We started with a bottle of white, and two plates: succulent scallops on mashed avocado, topped with prosciutto and basil sprouts, and a savory risotto of crawfish, broad/fava beans, and dill.

For mains, the pan-fried sea bass with garlic and thyme mash was quite good, but the much-touted Chicken Kiev was dry (probably because it was served cut in half, so the butter could run out), and the oversized chips were soggy.

Still, we had fun walking around the amazing hidden gardens of Headington, buying scones and cake from the WI at the church hall, and ringing the bells in the tower of St. Andrew's Church.