General Chat

Today we drove to Evesham Country Park, mainly to go to the garden centre there for a change and partake of one of their seniors lunches. Before going to the garden centre we had a stroll round the edge of the country park (lovely views of distant hills from there and inquisitive cows in the next field). But the main reason for our meandering was to explore the very old orchards (or what is left of them) along the edge. We managed to pick a small bag of mixed apples, they don't grow very large now because the trees are old but they are nice apples. But the main perk of the walk was picking just under five pounds of victoria plums. These too are old trees, not looked after at all so the plums are small, but they were ripe (so ripe a lot had fallen off the trees) and sweet. Just right for stewing or eating raw. Not sprayed at all so totally organic, and free. It always amazes me (we try and go every year), how this free fruit is not picked by locals. Sadly the blackberries were early this year so we missed them.

And lunch was nice too, served on smaller plates the senior citizen meal today was £7.95 for main and sweet. The main was sausage and mash with caramelised onions and vegetables. I had cauliflower cheese and french beans, other half had beans and carrots. Plenty of mash and two large sausages. Sweet was for me sticky toffee pudding and for T Apple crumble both with custard. Glasses of water are free so we had that as we'd had coffee earlier near Cheltenham.

And the sun shone most of the day with a few clouds around occasionally. :-) :-)

We have trained you well!

Just don't expect any sympathy when you are up to your ears in jam!

It won't be jam but may well be plum chutney (to go with the green tomato chutney that is hovering waiting to be made :-D Just have to hunt around and see if I have enough jars now.

Oh, we did leave a fair amount on the trees should you manage to get there!!

My son lives in Evesham and he picked lots of plums and apples from the country park area, I am glad he left some for you

Pleased to hear someone else is picking.

Up to my elbows in plums, just about to make the chutney!!

I have apple chutney to pot and I really must get round to these 'ere crab apples today as well.

For some reason this year I found making those 5 pounds or so exhausting. Shows I am getting older I suppose. Stoning the plums and chopping onions (too lazy to rifle in the back of the cupboard to get the food processor out just for a pound of onions. Standing all that time. It took 2 hours from start to finish but theya re done now and some stewed for the freezer with a few for our meal tonight. And a handful left raw for OH who loves them.

Got the green tomato to look forward to now but the processor will be used for that.

Wish I had some green tomatoes.

I need some more mincemeat and I don't have any.

Is there anybody who doesn't live a silly distance from me who has some green tomatoes thy don't want. I don't mind making a day out of it to get them so South Wales would not be out of the question.

I always buy scrumpy cider from a farm in Evesham if I am in the area.

We have a whole bunch that refuse to turn red :-|. But I guess we're a bit too far away :-(

Ann, next time buy frozen chopped onions from the supermarket, some do red onions too

Sit down to stone the plums, and make life easier for yourself.

Lizx