This beautiful venison with red wine served with buttery and herby gnocchi was our elegant Sunday dinner to celebrate our new dining table. Husband has for a long time now been complaining that our kitchen table is too small. The size of the table was really not the root of the problem I think. Table was the right size, the problem was the people around it. When I bought the table many years ago I was still thinking it would be just me and my normal sized friends eating around the table not husband and his freakishly tall kids.

Also I was a crap cook and rarely had much to put on the table apart from a bottle of wine and an ashtray.

But now things have changed. Table needs to accommodate more food and bigger people (I am the same size as ever I might add), so to IKEA we went, and after a nightmarish two hours among 2 million other Londoners who all came with all own and neighbors' kids we were heading home with the bigger new table and 6 chairs in the back of the car.

And a selection of candles and glogg.

Then the joy of putting them together which I probably hate less than some, but I still hate it quite a lot. But I'm pretty good at it. Or maybe husband just says it so he can hang around the kettle making us tea and serving Swedish ginger biscuits. He did help and we got them done without too much agony.

The old table and chairs found a good home. Husband took them to a nice old lady who needed one. She was very happy and gave us a jar of dried rose petals from her garden in Iran. Husband immediately adopted her as our special extra mum and invited her over for dinner.

Recipe: Red wine marinated Scottish venison stew (serves 2)

350g diced venison

Marinade:
1/2 large yellow onion
2 garlic gloves
1 cup red wine
2 tbsp olive oil
juniper berries or game spice mix (optional)
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
1 tbsp fresh chopped thyme

For the stew
oil
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp plain flour
1/2 cup game (or beef) stock
salt
pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
150 g sliced chestnut mushrooms

Fresh herbs to decorate.

Mix all the marinade ingredients with and cover the venison well in the marinade. Leave in the fridge for minimum 4 hour, ideally overnight.

Pour the meat and marinade in a sieve preserving the marinade - you will use it for the sauce. Pick the venison pieces discarding the onions and herbs. Pat dry.

Heat oven to 180C.

Heat oil in a deep sauce pan. Fry the venison pieces in batches until browned on all sides. Set aside. Add a bit of oil in the pan. Add the chopped half on the onion and fry for about 5 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Add the tomato paste and flour. Fry for another minute of two. Add the marinade , beef or game stock, chopped herbs and sliced mushrooms. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cover the dish and place in over for 1hour - 1 1/2 hours until the meat is tender. If there is too much liquid cook on stove for a few minutes uncovered to reduce, or if it's too thick add a splash of water.

When ready sprinkle on some fresh herbs and serve with the carb of your choice.