SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER
All you need for this unexpectedly good weather: al fresco recipes; upcoming outdoor events; plus, hedgerow recipes for when autumn does finally arrive.
Hello you lovely lot.
What’s going on? One minute I’m cooking plum crumble and the next I’m reaching for the SPF50. Is it summer? Is it autumn? Only this strange British Weather can know.
Anyway, here we are in the UK graced with a few more days of sunshine and warmth before The Clocks Change in a couple of weeks, so let’s make the most of it. I’ve got a round up of some sunny outdoor events I’ve got coming up; plus recipes for an unexpectedly sunny weekend for you; and, some ideas for your autumnal hedgerow harvests, when the time eventually comes.
Some elements of Tales from the Veg Patch are now just for paid subscribers (like this video recipe) so do take a look at subscription options if you’re interested.
As ever, do let me know how you get on with the recipes and shout anytime with your questions or comments.
Right, to the news…
Events Coming Up
8th and 9th September - RHS Bridgewater Festival of Flavours: I’ll be hosting cookery demos and a stroll around the enormous veg garden in this festival celebrating homegrown food.
9th September 3:30pm - Ludlow Food Festival: where I’ll be chatting about growing your own and the power of nature to heal and restore a tangled mind.
Thursday 21st September 7pm - a very special supper club at Peterley Manor Farm featuring recipes from my cookbook, From the Veg Patch, made with produce from Peterley. We’ll serve up big sharing platters outside by the fire and I’ll talk about the food, how it’s made and grown.
This is going to be a really gorgeous evening - my biggest and most magical supper club yet, I reckon - and I’d be absolutely over the moon if you could come.
WIN TICKETS! If you’re quick, you can enter a ticket giveaway on Instagram.
Recipes for a Sunny Weekend
I wrote last week about the abundance of this time of year, but rarely does this bounty come with such warm weather (I’m sorry to go on about it, but it’s just so odd.) So, if you’re planning an al fresco supper this weekend, here’s a trio of recipes for vegetables still cropping now which you can make, serve up all together on sharing platters, and pretend you’re still on holiday. Just add a glass of rosé and good company…
Hedgerow Harvests
The British hedgerows are dipping, just dripping, with blackberries, cobnuts, plums at the moment. It’s a forager’s dream. I’ve got some blackberry glut recipes coming up soon, but in the meantime, here are a selection of hedgerow inspired puds and treats to keep you going:
Damson, blackberry and cobnut chocolate pots - from my archives.
Hedgerow cake - from my post the other week.
Blackberry whisky - from River Cottage. (*hic*)
Damson Cobbler - from Olive magazine (*passes the custard*)
And coming soon, a blackberry, apple and damson jam roll for you…
What are your favourite hedgerow recipes? Drop them in comments below and we’ll make a list:
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I've loved making hedgerow drinks since my Dad got me onto it as a teenager! I love sloe and damson gins (and damson jam), but what I love even more is sloe brandy (https://www.rachelphipps.com/2021/09/how-to-make-sloe-brandy.html) which I'm hopefully putting in the jar later today, and I'm testing sloe port this year as the sloe brandy is always so, so popular. Also experimenting with hawthorne gin this year too which is already infusing!
Wow. I super like the layout of this newsletter. Hi, new here. Thanks for the inspiration. And now I'm hungry 😅