The honey mead fizzed and bubbled, little pieces of oak bobbing to the surface as it brewed in the darkened closet. We had made the mead ourselves, mixing purified water with glistening ribbons of honey and yeast, watching excitedly as it fermented, waiting impatiently for the weeks to pass quickly so we could taste then bottle it.

It was our first attempt at home brewing in the CEG (Culinary Experimentation Group), and when bottling day arrived everyone was in high spirits. We took turns sanitizing, pouring and corking, and were pleased as punch to see the glistening bottles lined up on the counter.

We decided our dinner party needed flowers so when we spotted these beauties we snatched them right up!

Simple but nourishing was our mantra for the meal, and we found plenty to fit the bill. I diced red potatoes and garlic while Toby chopped fresh dill, then we combined the lot with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted them until crisp and browned.

Kat made scrumptious sauteed kale with caramelized onions and niblets of garlic.

Darren prepped onions and asparagus wrapped with thick sliced bacon for the grill, and Cameron smoked salmon and chicken to perfection.