Thursday 21 August 2014

Kitchen Garden Notes – Elvaston Castle Country Park

Tucked away in the corner of Elvaston Castle Country Park is the Old English Walled Garden. It's easy to miss and could easily be mistaken for a staff area. It used to be the kitchen garden for Elvaston Castle but as its name now suggests it has now been turned into a traditional English garden.

The Country Park itself is huge and one of the first country parks ever created back in 1970. It is now in the ownership of Derbyshire County Council after being sold by the 11th Earl of Harrington in 1968. The Castle has not been in use since the mid 1940s when it housed a teacher training college after the original premises were bombed. It is now in such a state of disrepair that is has been closed to the public since 1990 and with the repair bill currently estimated at over £6 million its future, along with the Country Park, is uncertain.

We found Elvaston after a flick through the National Gardens Scheme's 'Yellow Book'. While the Castle is slowly crumbling the Old English Walled Garden is looking glorious. There is the traditional herbaceous border complete with Physalis franchetii in their full August glory with their bright orange Chinese Lanterns. Around the manicured lawn are unusual plants and trees including a late flowering Magnolia.

There are still a few hints that this was once a kitchen garden. As you walk in there is a large sage plant and hanging down the wall is a grapevine. 


On the other side of the garden is an espalier pear tree laden with ripening fruit.

We stopped for tea and cake in the new Sensory Garden. As the name suggests it has different areas for each of the senses. Allium flower heads are in the touch section, brightly coloured dahlias in the sight area. For hearing there are grasses and bamboo gently rustling in the breeze. With a nod to the garden's past herbs have been planted for taste and scent.

I was tempted by some of the plants and in particular the herbs that were on sale. Instead we came home with potatoes and some enormous red onions grown in the next door Heritage Allotment and Orchard (sadly not open to the public). I didn't want to simply chop up the red onion and throw it into a tomato sauce or a casserole; I wanted to do it justice. So it became the star ingredient in a cheese and onion quiche served with the potatoes which had been washed and boiled with their skins on. I based it on my recipe for asparagus and bacon quiche. I sliced one of the onions and simply fried it in olive oil and then drained off the excess oil on kitchen paper. When the pastry base was ready I put one layer of onions on the bottom, poured the egg mixture over to cover, added a second layer of onions and then the rest of the egg mixture. A covering of grated cheese and it was ready for the oven.





25 comments:

  1. Looks like a really beautiful place, I do love a traditional English garden. Your cheese and onion quiche photo has made me very hungry indeed!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Espaliered trees are so lovely - we tried but our plum trees didn't make it :(

    ReplyDelete
  3. My tummy is doing the loudest of rumbles. That looks divine.

    ReplyDelete
  4. what a beautiful garden! i would totally take that as a kitchen garden ;) and that quiche looks delicious!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oooh this place looks like a lovely place to visit and your quiche looks so good! x #HDYGG

    ReplyDelete
  6. the quiche looks yummy and sounds like a great day out. x

    ReplyDelete
  7. That looks so pretty and the quiche looks and sounds amazing! x

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh I love walled gardens they are such enchanting places. Oh and I love a good quiche too!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your quiche looks lovely. Even nicer I imagine having such fresh ingredients for it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I too enjoy an English Kitchen Garden, something about the red brick walls and warmth perhaps. It looks a lovely spot.

    ReplyDelete
  11. seems like a lovely experience. I'd like to visit the sensory garden in particular.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Looks like a fab place and give me that quiche lol .x

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love cheese and onion quiche, and yours looks delicious! What fabulous sounding gardens.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I haven't heard of elvaston castle country park before but your pictures show what a beautiful place it is and that quiche has made my tummy rumble! lol x

    ReplyDelete
  15. What a fruitful visit. Your quiche looks divine. Mouthwatering!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Yum! My kind of food. Looks a pretty garden, shame that the estate needs so much money spending on it.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love visiting places like this and how fab you were able to buy some produce from the garden

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a great find of a garden and that quiche looks fab

    ReplyDelete
  19. That quiche looks so good I almost forgot what I was going to comment! I do love how each week I don't just get to see your lovely photos but always discover a new garden gem and learning something new! How I would love a walled garden!
    Thank you for sharing x

    ReplyDelete
  20. We used to go to Elvaston Castle when I was younger. I haven't been for years and had actually forgotten all about it!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I normally bypass the gardens but they look so relaxing and beautiful here

    ReplyDelete
  22. Beautiful garden and wonderful pictures! I like the idea of having a garden for the senses!

    ReplyDelete
  23. What a beautiful garden - so pretty and English. Would love to visit!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I love walled gardens - especially herb or kitchen ones. Your quiche looks (and I bet tastes) divine!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I love walled gardens and would love to have one - especially when the wind howls through my veg patch in the middle of winter ... although I did read recently that they can in fact trap the cold if you are not careful and make spring sowing harder rather than easier ... just as well maybe that a walled garden is simply a dream!

    ReplyDelete

I appreciate your comments. If you have any tips, tricks or tweaks please pass them on!