Ladies who lunch

It all started when S wanted a guinea pig when she tested a new recipe. It became a tradition with S, J and myself. We would prepare a meal, but one of the dishes had to be something we had never tried before. Our tables are well set, sometimes with place cards, sometimes with printed menus. Except for my exact following of a Master Chef recipe, all have been wonderful. But experiments tend to be just that -- experiments.

Above is my cream of tomato soup with fresh basil.

I will always adore the British place mats.

S that day served a tomato tart with an Eton Mess for dessert. It's crumbled meringue, strawberries and cream and comes from the tradition of a dessert served at an Eton-Harrow game. No game was played, but every bite disappeared.

Monday was J's turn. and her baked Camembert (in the black, round dish) started was followed by a chicken and spring onion dish followed by her version of Eton mess. I love the trick of the napkin between two glass dishes.

My turn is next. Time to start scouring recipes for my May offering.