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August 2008
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Welcome to the August diary. Summer blazes on with balmy humid evenings and sunny mornings at last! We do everything we can to hang on to summer now it is finally here with lazy summer salads to be enjoyed on all the terraces - so make the most of alfresco dining before the year slips into Autumn...
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FROM OUR KITCHENS
There's still a lot of garlic about for crushing into mayonnaise and serving with crudités at all of our restaurants this month. Long, curly runner beans serve as a great accompaniment to lots of dishes, with courgettes ripening at Rofford Farm as fast as we can pick them.
Summer Salads on the terrace at Quod are proving a real winner, Goats Cheese & Beetroot and Spinach, Egg & Smoked Bacon join the list this month.
Throughout August we are serving our Set Lunch Menu every evening between 6 and 7pm, great value at £9.95 for two courses at Quod or £12.95 for two courses at Gee's and The Old Parsonage.
Don't forget, Wednesday night is lobster night at Gee's. Join us every Wednesday throughout August for the finest fish and chips in Oxford.
Half Jersey Lobster and Chips £19.50, Whole Jersey Lobster and Chips £38.00
Want an alternative to feeding the children in chain restaurants this summer? At Quod we've come up with our famous Zuni style small burger, chips and an ice cream cone for £6. Available all day, every day throughout the summer. We offer free parking, a large heated outdoor terrace and if they manage to finish colouring in their children's Quod menu, a free lollipop!
We look forward to cooking for you this month when there really is an abundance of home-grown ripened produce to be enjoyed in all of our restaurants.
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JAZZ
Enjoy some great jazz this month, fingers crossed the good weather will continue to permit jazz on the terrace at The Old Parsonage every Friday between 8pm - 10pm, at Quod every Sunday 5pm - 7pm and also on Sundays at Gee's between 8pm - 10pm.
Please visit our website to see who is performing at our restaurants this month:
Jazz at Gee's
Jazz at the Parsonage
Jazz at Quod
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RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Courgettes with Lemon Butter
Courgettes are at their most sweet and tender right now and make an excellent accompaniment to any fish or meat dish.
Ingredients (Serves 6)
40g butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 medium courgettes
zest and juice of 1 lemon
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Method
Place the butter and oil in a large frying pan and gently heat.
Cut the courgettes at an angle into slices about 2.5 cm thick.
Increase the heat under the oil and melted butter and add a layer of the sliced courgettes, frying them on each side until golden.
Remove and keep warm and repeat until all the courgettes are cooked.
Return the courgettes to the pan, add the lemon zest and juice and the seasoning, toss and serve at once.
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WINE OF THE MONTH
Recommendation from Tom Gilbey, of Jascots Wine Merchants:
Domaine Montrose Rosé 2007, Pays d'Oc, France
Domaine Montrose's new Gold Medal winning rosé has a lovely, bright, pale pink colour and flashes of aniseed and raspberry on the nose. On the palate, it has perfect balance with just the right amount of acidity to keep the weight of the wine light and the depth of strawberry and raspberry fruit flavours clean and crisp. This blend of Grenache, Cabernet and Cinsault is traditional for modern French rosé, combining the benefits of each variety.
It is delicious when drunk well chilled on its own, or with light meals, salads and fish dishes, especially salmon and light white meats.
We love it and so do the press! At this price point it is a stand out, flag-bearing winner of a wine.
"The best rosé I tasted all year"
Jonathan Ray, Saturday Telegraph
Domaine Montrose's Rosé is available at Gee's and The Old Parsonage by the glass for £4.75 or £19.55 for a bottle.
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THIS MONTH'S COMPETITION
This month's competition is inspired by Gee's Restaurant. Formerly a florist and greengrocers, Gee's was tastefully converted to become a fine dining restaurant whilst retaining its original features.
During the month of August, Mrs Gee, who ran the florists, would have been selling delphiniums, dahlias, sunflowers and hydrangeas in abundance.
Our competition question is: What is the Latin name for the commonly grown modern delphinium?
The fabulous prize for the winner of the competition is a complimentary Lobster and Chips for two at Gee's, plus a bottle of Montrose Rosé, to be enjoyed any Wednesday during the month of August.
Send your answer to louise@mogford.co.uk.
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HIGH PRIORITY UPDATE
Jeremy Mogford, owner of Quod and The Old Bank Hotel, continues to lead a campaign of colleges and businesses that wish to improve the quality of life for people using Oxford's High Street. The campaign, called High Priority, calls for a big reduction in buses, in particular London and airport bound buses, and some vital street improvements to preserve the beauty of the High Street, Oxford's "architectural jewel".
Thank you for your comments last month, all of which will be addressed at our next meeting at the beginning of September. If you would like to attend please contact Campaign Coordinator Graham Jones, email: gsjones@talk21.com.
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AUGUST NIGHTS IN A HOTEL IN STYLE
Year round open fires. Russian red walls. An eclectic art collection. Hand-made beds. Live Jazz on the terrace. Lobster from Jersey. Cocktails until late. The Old Parsonage Hotel in Oxford is the perfect place to enjoy a summer break. We are delighted to offer you a special rate of £135 including a full English breakfast, at the Old Parsonage Hotel throughout August. This price is based on two adults sharing a room.
Call 01865 310210 or email reservations@oldparsonage-hotel.co.uk.
In a bank. On the High. Collection of contemporary art. Place to Park. Dinner and Jazz on the terrace. Shopping. Cocktails. The Old Bank Hotel on the High is the perfect place to while away the days throughout August when we can offer you a special rate of £135 including a full English breakfast.
This price is based on two adults sharing a room. Call 01865 799599 or email reservations@oldbank-hotel.co.uk .
Please mention "August Offer" when making your reservation.
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AUGUST EXHIBITION
Throughout August at the Sarah Wiseman Gallery in South Parade, Oxford, there is a group exhibition featuring fun silkscreen prints by Charlotte Hardy and new Etchings from Karolina Larusdottir.
Also, not to be missed from September 11th, is a solo exhibition by Sue Bartlett, a bright and energetic exhibition of Sue's wax paintings of flowers.
Visit the gallery this month, pick up a card and pop down to Gee's for dinner and a complimentary glass of wine.
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THE MAGIC HOUR
A sound and light experience in Oxford's beautiful Botanic Garden.
Dusk is a very special time of day, a time of transition, a time when some go to sleep and others wake up, when the light changes from one moment to the next and the air is full of mysterious sounds, a time aptly named by photographers The Magic Hour.
For three nights, the beautiful University of Oxford's Botanic Garden opens its gates after hours and invites you in to immerse yourself in a September sunset. Artists Rob Kesseler, Rag and Bone, Max Eastley, David Rothenberg, IOU and Robert Jarvis have been commissioned by OCM and the Botanic Garden to create new works in response to the garden and to dusk. Together they conjure up an evocative sonic and visual world that examines and celebrates nature.
The artists have been exploring the garden and its plant and animal life since March and witnessing the changes over the summer. They have also been working with community and school groups and picnickers on Saturdays through the summer to create other works of art that will inhabit the garden.
The Magic Hour is generously supported by Arts Council England, the PRS Foundation and VSL. BMW Group Plant Oxford is giving its support to the project through Oxford Inspires. The Magic Hour is also supported by Quod and The Old Bank Hotel.
The Magic Hour takes place 4 - 6th September 7 - 10pm at The Botanic Gardens. Tickets range £5 - £6.50. To book please telephone 01865 305 305 or see www.ocmevents.org.
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COMING UP NEXT MONTH
September, the golden month and signs of early Autumn in the air, Art Exhibitions, thoughts of Christmas and New Year, Lunch of the Month, Competitions, Jersey Beef and Pork on the blackboard at Quod and much, much more ...
Thank you for subscribing. We look forward to welcoming you this month.
Kind regards,
Marie Jackson
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Gee's Restaurant & Bar
61 Banbury Road
Oxford
OX2 6PE
01865 553 540
email | web
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Quod Brasserie
92-94 High Street
Oxford OX1 4BN
01865 202505
email |
web
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The Old Bank Hotel
92-94 High Street
Oxford OX1 4BN
01865 799599
email |
web
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Old Parsonage Hotel
1 Banbury Road
Oxford OX2 6NN
01865 310210
email |
web
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