Winter quinoa and duck egg salad

All of us have our go-to recipes – the ones we've made time and again and they never fail to disappoint. One of ours is a simple, yet super-healthy winter salad, and it’s really filling, not to mention absolutely delicious.

To serve two, you'll need:
1.5 - 2 cups of quinoa
A bunch of asparagus, grilled in salt and oil
2 duck eggs, poached (or hen’s eggs)
2 large handfuls of rocket
2 handfuls of small-ish potatoes

For the dressing:
Half a cup of olive oil
1 heaped teaspoon of wholegrain mustard
1 teaspoon of honey
A splash of cider vinegar (optional)

Method:
1. Boil the potatoes and add the quinoa to a separate pan of boiling water (you can buy it pre-cooked, too). 2. Roll the asparagus in oil and sea salt, then pop them under the grill for ten minutes or so.
3. When the potatoes, quinoa, and asparagus are nearly done, drop your eggs into another pan of boiling water with a splash of vinegar.
4. Drain the potatoes and quinoa and place them into a large bowl with the asparagus. Add the dressing and mix everything together before splitting the mixture into two bowls.
5. Top each dish with your freshly poached egg, rocket and a good sprinkling of sea salt and pepper. Divine!
 

Capturing the Moment - with thanks to Emily Gray

With my daughters birthday coming up I knew I wanted a record of the day, and with my own photographic talent severely lacking, our friend Emily Gray came to the rescue.  She captured the mood, the food and my children so beautifully.
And with a bit of inspiration from Donna Hay, I set about creating a feast, made by me and enjoyed by all.

And no party could be without mini cupcakes

Fairy Bread (an Australian delicacy)

Paper Pom Poms

The Birthday girl

Party Bags

Pink Rainbow Cake

The Party Bags

Me and my youngest.

Emily Gray is a London based photographer, specialising in newborn, baby, children and family portraiture. She covers the Greater London area.  I highly recommend her if you would like to capture an event, or for beautiful portraits of your children.  And if you mention ROOST when you book you will receive 10% off the cost of a shoot, plus a free 9x6" print.  Emily Gray Photography phone + 44 (0) 7508 014 632 or you can also follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

Introducing our children’s collection

Great news - seeing as Christmas is quite literally round the corner - we just launched our brand new, rather lovely children’s collection. With lots of things to choose from, including a wonderful patchwork floor cushion, we thought we’d share a few of our favourite pieces.

for play

Let these magnetic animals, complete with speech bubbles to write on, inspire your child’s limitless sense of make-believe.

Magnetic Art Board by Sian Zeng £135

for feeding

Nadia Sparham, an interior designer and ceramicist, hand-crafts fun creations for children and the home. We love her kid’s bone china plates and mugs, illustrated with the charming owl named ‘Wol’.

Nadia Sparham's Ceramics from £12

for comfort

Banimal, the curious part-monkey; part-croc; part-dog creature, will keep little ones company whether at rest or play.

See all of Nadia Sparham’s designs, here.

for the nursery

Hang up one (or more) limited edition prints from Woop Studios. We’re currently obsessed with the penguin family design!

just because

What’s not to love about an oversized, homespun-style cushion?  

Giant Patchwork Cushion £220, by Big Birds Boutique

A peek at our new-in collection

As autumn settles in, so too does our newest collection. A few highlights...

Exclusive chopping boards from Bojje, a designer and chef duo whom craft beautiful, yet functional kitchen accessories right here in the U.K.

Giant scissors cushion - both quirky, and comfy.

Hand-poured candles from Matruska. Choose from three heart-warming scents.

Earthenware expresso cups with smidging of gold and a cool, contrasting dove grey inner.

P.S. Our website has just had a bit of a makeover - you’ll find brand new and ultra-clear navigation alongside bigger images, and a broader range of items; including our newly fledged children’s collection - more on that next week. It truly is a season of change!

A place for coffee lovers

More and more quality coffee shops are springing up across London and one we were keen to try out was Liberty of Norton Folgate close to Liverpool Street. 

Blink and you’ll miss it though – this café is tucked into a tiny slice-of-a-space on the side of a Bishopgate office block, en route to Shoreditch High Street.

The space itself is pristine white with menus swinging from each exhibition-style table. We ordered a flat white and a serving of plum and vanilla cake, which was nothing short of heavenly – and the coffee was top notch too. Stop by and try it for yourself.