Cauliflower

Friday, 29th June. I admit that Cauliflower is not a very exciting topic, and may be abhorrent to some. But this is the difference: this is my cauliflower. I grew it in my new veg patch from a pre-purchased seedling from B and Q. The books said that lots of things could go wrong including club root and bolting of the flower, but I am seeing a crop of retail-worthy caulis, although a bit on the small side. We cooked one on Friday night, and I would give it a 10: a prince among cauliflowers.
Friday lunchtime. Was taken out for a business development lunch by a vendor. Went to Cotes Brasserie in Bluewater.http://www.cote-restaurants.co.uk/
I had been there before for a very satisfying set lunch and it had the advantage of the nearby Carluccio's of not being as noisy or busy. It is not the busiest at lunch. The food is ostensibly French.

I had battered Calamari as a starter. I should stop doing this, as they virtually always disappoint because of being a bit too much on the greasy side. I must have had a superlative experience at some time with fried calamari. Whilst these were adequate, I guess I forgot that they tend to be a bit greasy, and should try something else next time. Nothing wrong with them and a 10 on the CHOF scale.

For main I had the fish parmentier. The menu made this sound more exciting, and again, whilst perfectly satisfactory, more resembled fish pie. I was expecting something with a stronger flavour, and it was a bit bland. However, another 10 on the CHOF scale. My dining partner had meat, and I think when I go back there, because it is a reasonable choice for lunch, I will focus on the meat. The steaks looked good.