An Easter Weekend in the English Countryside With Alice Naylor-Leyland
Alice Naylor-Leyland
Updated
An Easter Weekend in the English Countryside
So often, the promise of a glorious four-day Easter break is sadly let down by damp mornings, cool temperatures, and endless spring rain. But this was not the case over this Easter weekend, which spoiled us Brits with wonderfully sunny skies, scorching temperatures, and lazy life down by the river.
Determined to push the boat out for a lovely bunch of friends, I gathered every fluffy lamb and glittered egg I had collected over the years. Flowers filled guests’ rooms and bunnies with bows adorned our New Orleans-style veranda.
I tried to mix the tables up a bit: yellow and green were the theme for Friday evening, while on Saturday I added a little Wonderland to Easter by mingling purple rabbits with flamingos and mushrooms. For Sunday’s Easter lunch, my daughter and I made Easter trees and added ranunculus and parrot tulips to the table. The joy of eating outside is so rare for us over here that it makes food taste even better, parties last longer, and that glass of rose ever more delectable.
We tried to keep the menus light with seared tuna, whole turbot, and poached pears, to name a few of the dishes. For Easter lunch, we used my favorite recipe of shredded lamb and pomegranate, mint, and feta. Another stand-out dishes of the weekend was a Persian chicken dish with sweet potato and spiced yoghurt.
We took the little ones on several special trips; visiting Jacobs lambs, touring the local hunt kennels, and taking a boat ride to find some eggs. Plus the paddling pool got a lot of love, and of course our annual Easter egg hunt went down very well with the Smalls. They unearthed chocolate eggs behind tulips and darted between cherry blossoms to be sure not to miss any of the candy!
As I sit and type this, the sun sets sleepily above an English skyline. All is quiet and still with the promise of summer to come. Our guests have gone, but the spring memories remain.