Monday 14 September 2009

Pick your own

We spent a blissful couple of hours last Friday at our local farm doing just that. We were like a pair of over-excited children. We felt dreadfully naughty driving around and pulling up wherever we fancied in order to pick the prettiest dahlias, the plumpest cauliflower and juiciest raspberries. Oh, and a crunchy cabbage.

Beautiful squash were picked and Mr M roasted them to make wonderful Autumnal soup with a pinch of cumin (and some other secret ingredients).
The raspberries were so sweet. The bushes smelt heavenly in the lunchtime sun and one or two may have been sampled before making it into the punnet. Plucking them from their branches was incredibly therapeutic with just the bees for company. They have now been cooked down (the raspberries, not the bees!) and put through the blender to make scrummy coulis which has been popped in the freezer.

And the huge cauliflower and fresh sweetcorn have all been blanched and crammed into the freezer.

It has to be said that PYO is a really cost-effective way to buy fruit and veg as long as you have enough room in the freezer or are planning to make a large vat of soup. I mean four squash for less than £3.50 - that's unheard of in our neck of the woods!

6 comments:

  1. Sounds like you had a really lovely day and are now enjoying all the yummy fruits of your labours!

    We're off to an Apple Day in Kent in a couple of weekends time. My parents were 'given' an apple tree as a present last Christmas. We saw the blossom in late spring and now we have to go and pick the apples. Can't wait! Mmmm...apple crumble! x

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  2. Oh I love Garsons! I can't believe we haven't been this year. But it's very hard to justify any more produce in the house while the allotment's on the go! K x

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  3. This sounds fantastic - but living in the city and without a car...somewhat hard to come by...sigh...one day, one day she says wishfully... xxx

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  4. Ooh i love pick your own!! The one we have nearby doesn't do veg and flowers though. Did you get any dahlias? x

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  5. Thank you for that link - it is not a million miles from me and I would love to go if I can find the time over the next couple of weekends.

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  6. All looks very good and such beautiful pictures!

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