Come up smelling of roses

We went for a long walk around Harleston in the Waveney Valley on the weekend and
chanced upon an open day at a rose nursery.
Acre upon acre of roses scented the air with their subtle perfume. 

36 hours in London with mum

2 days in London isn't long but with careful planning I managed to squeeze in lots of treats I hoped mum would enjoy.

Wild plums

The hedgerows are offering up a bumper crop of wild plums this year. I'd barely noticed them in previous Summers but this July/August they are everywhere, hanging from the trees like Christmas baubles and gathering on the ground like wedding confetti. Colours range from yellow trough orange to red and deep plum and they all taste slightly differently. Unlike damsons they are fortunate to scape the ravages of mould and grubs so scrimping and instant scoffing is an absolute pleasure. When mum was over on holiday we went plum gathering after dinner. Our roadside dessert was enhanced by the etiquette of seed spitting which she soon got the hang of.

Wild plum coulis

Stew the fruit with cloves and cinnamon then sieve. Reheat this juice with enough sugar or syrup to taste and allow to thicken to the right consistency.

Wild plum sorbet

Same as for the coulis but it doesn't need to be sieved as thoroughly. I also threw in some blackberries and various other mixed spices. This one was quite sweet so only a little extra sugar was needed. Put in freezer-proof container. Depending on quantity, it will take around 5 hours to set. Fork it every couple of hours to break up the ice crystals.

Serve it in cocktails, with plain yoghurt or on its own. The spiced give it a mulled flavour so it's like Christmas in August.

Istanbul 2014

I love this city and my recent visit was all the
more special for introducing mum to its charms.