What’s On My Table – With Alexandra Dudley
There is something incredibly rewarding about making your own granola. I have the same sense of satisfaction whenever I remember to make my bed in the morning – a feeling that the day ahead will be a good one. I tend to experiment quite a bit with granola, mixing up the nuts and seeds, sometimes using honey, sometimes maple. I made this recipe a few weeks ago and enjoyed it so much I have not veered off the original formula since. The combination of cardamom and citrus is a beautiful one that works particularly well with slightly tangy live yogurt and stewed or baked fruit. At the moment, I’m enjoying this granola with rhubarb, but am looking forward to eating it with roasted apricots, peaches and plums later in the year.
I love an oat flat white in the morning. I bought the Sage Barista Touch coffee machine during lockdown and never looked back. I’ve also started using Glebe Farm oat milk in my morning coffees. It’s a family business based in the UK that uses British oats to create the creamiest oat milk. My latte art is far from perfect, but it tastes delicious.
Cardamom & Citrus Granola
Preheat your oven to 180°C fan setting and line two baking trays with baking parchment.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together your dry ingredients apart from the pistachios.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine using a wooden spoon.
Transfer the mix onto the prepared trays and bake for 20-30 minutes. Give it a little toss after 15 minutes and check again after 20.
Allow the granola to cool completely (as it does it will crisp up). Then stir through the pistachios.
Store in an airtight container for up to six weeks. Enjoy it with yogurt and fresh or stewed fruit – or just as it is with a splash of cold milk.
4 Things Alexandra’s Loving This Month…
I have an embarrassingly large box of table linen at home. I think I have enough napkins to host 100 guests, but there is something about it I cannot resist. I am getting married soon and have had a lot of fun working on my wedding list. Naturally, table linens feature. Here are a few pieces that have caught my eye...
Scallop Trim Napkin, £65 | Matilda Goad & Co.
I love the playful element of these. I have a set in lilac with a mustard trim and love the idea of using them together for a mismatched look.
Visit MatildaGoad.com
Mint & White Check Napkin, £10 | Daylesford
Perfect for spring, these napkins have a beautiful subtle colour to them. I love green but it can be notoriously tricky to match on a table. The minty green of these go with practically anything. I used them for an Easter lunch with blue rimmed plates, pink and dusty blue glasses and they looked fabulous. I love how generous in size they are, too. They look wonderful ironed and folded but I love to tie them into a large knot and lay them over the plates or tablemats.
Visit Daylesford.com
Dragonfly & Waterlily Tablecloth, £260 | Bell Hutley X Bertioli by Thyme
I have two sets of linens from Bertioli by Thyme. They are some of the most precious things in my linen box and are stunning. I was ecstatic when I saw Bell Hutley was doing a bespoke collection for them. She is an artist whose work I admire hugely. I love the whole range, but especially this Dragonfly & Waterlily tablecloth.
Visit Bertioli.co.uk
Tiller Stone Napkin Set, £25 | Daylesford
You can never have enough neutral napkins. I’ve collected a range of sets of twos and fours over the years and love to mix the beiges, creams and stony greys whenever catering for a crowd.
Visit Daylesford.com
For more from Alexandra, follow her @AlexandraDudley or visit AlexandraDudley.com
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