Plum Picknik & Arthouse Talk

We are organising a foraging Cherry-Plum/Mirabelle Picknik in association with the Transition Network. We plan this for Avenue Park in Stoneham. Anyone who joins us can take in a simultaneous visit to the lovely First World War shrine in the park.

Yummy, Cherry Plums

This event is suitable for families or adults. The lovely plums here are plentiful, they taste great straight off the tree. The fruit is edible straight of the tree and would be great for jam, chutney, pies, wine etc.

Bring a suitable container if you want to take some fruit home with you.

This event will go ahead regardless of the weather ;-) Showers look likely so dress appropriately, bring a brolly or just come to see where the trees are and then come back during the sunny weekend.

Event Venue:   We will meet in the Cricket pitch car park, opposite the Cricketers pub, Chestnut Avenue, Eastleigh.

Date: Friday 20^th July (the last day of school for many children)

Time: 6.00 pm (this Friday evening)

Cost:  Free!

An Oak Leaf, with a Droplet of Water on it

I am also delighted to say that I have been invited to give a talk on our, Fun & Family Friendly Foraging activities around Southampton at the lovely Arthouse Café on Southampton High Street.

In my guise as the Urbane Forager, I will give a short talk on practical foraging.  I will cover legalities, tree identification, health and safety, the objects of his project, the public free fruit map, my rather public Blackberry Ban spat, the campaign for a Community Orchard in Mansbridge, my free fruit for all manifesto and my hidden agenda, to bring back scrumping.

Hopefully, I will bring a selection of different plums or other fruit along for people to sample.  Please spread the news and bring lots of questions to help me along.

Event Venue:   Arthouse Café, High Street, Southampton. See the link on the left-hand side bar.

Date:  Thursday 26^th July

Time:  7.30 pm

Cost:   Free!

Tasty Testing

Delicious Poached Pears

The benefits of storing and preserving fruit can be still enjoyed when the fruit is not in season. We cracked open a jar of Poached Pears, as a tribute to the two recently lost trees. I’m pleased to report that they tasted fantastic, especially when warmed up and combined with a healthy dollop of ice-cream.  The Perry made from those pears tastes great too.



Even Better Heated-Up With Ice Cream



I’m not terribly good at leaving things to mature – especially if it’s something I am partial too.

Blackberry Wine, Pear &Walnut Chutney, Mansbridge Apples

When I was decanting the blackberry wine on a cold night recently, I thought – “I’d better just taste a small sample, just for research …”



Home Made Chutney



Considering it was nowhere near finished, it tasted surprisingly agreeable and looked even better. I syphoned off a whole glassful, just to be sure.

Perky Cherry Plum Country Wine

Then I thought, “Hmmmmm, what would go well with a lovely red tipple such as this?” Cheese, chutney and apple, of course!” I answered.

My Fully Stocked (Home-Made) Wine Rack

I cracked open a jar of the Chunky Pear and Walnut that we made during the summer, slathered a few Ryvita, sliced up a Mansbridge apple and a desolate cucumber end that I found lurking in the fridge, turned up the radiator and set about the important business of testing the produce.

That jar did not last long and we have since fully approved Delia’s Dowerhouse (I know what one is now) and the Green Tomato varieties which, on reflection may compliment a well-developed cheese, perhaps with an immature Elderberry Port,  a perky Plum Wine or better still a strapping glass of Vin de Noix…