With the glorious summer weather continuing, Father of the Tribe and I decide to throw a Midsummer’s dinner using local Hampshire fare.  The day is quite perfect and after a morning watching the Tribe

play tennis and an afternoon rushing around cutting grass, hanging bunting, finding candles, setting tables and taking drinks and glasses to the top of the field, we are pretty much ready.

The field is getting closer to a wildflower meadow now with swathes of yellow bird’s foot trefoil, ox-eye daisies, meadow buttercups, cocksfoot, false oat-grass, quaking grass, timothy grass, wild oats, meadow grass

and both white and pink campion, to name a few!  There are still signs of ragwort and large thistles coming through, so we will have the field topped next week and that will ensure that they don’t get to the

flowering stage.  Father of the Tribe cut a path through the field from the house to the top where we get the last of the sun before it dips below the horizon – perfect for pre-dinner drinks!  The Tribe greet our

friends at the house and walk them up the field along the path – it is very sweet.  Even the cats join in!

As dusk starts to fall we make our way back for dinner under the stars.  We start with smoked trout pate from the Chilbolton based River Test Smokery, followed by water buffalo rump steak.  We finally visited and tasted the buffalo meat from Manor Farm in Broughton last week and it didn’t disappoint.  It is

delicious.  Dagan James, the owner, is obviously passionate about the meat he rears and sells.  The farm is in an idyllic spot, particularly on a blue skied warm day and the buffalo graze on the grass and clover pastures of the chalk downs.  The great thing about buffalo meat is that although it is similar to beef, it is leaner, a great source of omega 3 and it is low in fat and cholesterol.  A win win all round and I have a feeling that buffalo will be on the menu again very soon  – the Tribe loved their buffalo burgers.

Next on the menu are fresh Hampshire strawberries with individual summer puddings and the meal is rounded off with 3 Hampshire cheeses – Lyburn Gold, Tunworth and Rosary soft goat’s cheese.  Lyburn is a creamy hard cheese and won a prize again at this year’s British Cheese Awards.  Tunworth is another award winning cheese, described by Raymond Blanc as ‘the best camembert in the world’ – high praise indeed!  Rosary goat’s cheese is made on a farm on the Hampshire/Wiltshire border and was awarded Supreme Champion this year at the British Cheese Awards.  All, very, very yummy cheeses.

It is a wonderful evening with friends – having the Tribe and cats join in earlier on is an added bonus.  I am so glad that we have finally had our ‘Hampshire fare’ dinner.

Smoked trout pate  – www.rivertestsmokery.co.uk

Water buffalo meat -www.broughtonwaterbuffalo.co.uk

Lyburn Gold – www.lyburncheese.co.uk

Tunworth Cheese – www.hampshirecheeses.co.uk

Rosary soft goat’s cheese – www.rosarygoatscheese.co.uk