Dawlish Warren: New Farm Shop and Blackberry Picking

 The blackberries were easy to pick this year...(and will be turned into many many crumbles!) there were so many, they were of good ripeness, colour and size and they weren't covered in cobwebs!  It is probably too late now - sorry.  Although they may still exist in other parts of the country or world, but the Devon ones were early.

 We stopped when we noticed a Farm Shop near Dawlish Warren.  We bought some pies for lunch and some Devon cheese (Sharpham) because we fancied it.

The guy in the shop is very friendly and his primary focus is  Mushrooms - they were the best I have ever seen....but I cannot eat them unfortunately.  Please try them - they looked incredible.

They are based near Dawlish Warren, East Devon, about half a mile from the sea.  They also lent me two books which was a really kind gesture.

Southdown Farm, The Elephant Restaurant's Farm, Brixham, Devon

After touring Brixham Fish Market, we headed to Southdown Farm in Brixham where we were greeted very warmly by the owners.  They supply The Elephant with most of their raw ingredients.  Simon Hulstone from the Elephant proudly showed us around and even gave us some ideas for what he will use the ingredients for.

The gardens and poly-tunnels were in full bloom and we all had a nibble or two.  This is a multi-coloured beetroot from Dobies of Devon.  The candy stripes remain when raw but disappear upon cooking

 All of us avidly listening

 Borage - there was masses of this.  Perfect to add to a Pimms or Gin and tonic.

Southdown Farm also keep livestock and it was the day of the sheep shearing when we were there.  The well trained sheepdog was amazing at keeping them under control and it was all fascinating.

 Simon Hulstone treated us to a slap-up lunch in the beautiful and very hot courtyard of the farm

Delicious and nutritious!

I was a guest of The Elephant Restaurant and Dobies of Devon but I was free to write what I wished

Making Strawberry Jam is Easy with the River Cottage Preserves Book by Pam Corbin

We picked a couple of kilos of strawberries at Netherton on the banks of the River Teign in Devon.  Their soft fruit season has been early this year and due to financial pressures, they're closing their Pick Your Own at the end of the season, which could be within a fortnight -so hurry to get your strawberries, tayberries, raspberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants.

It took four of us about half an hour to pick this lot - I think it was roughly 2kg strawbs and 1kg raspberries and it came to just under £20.

I used my regular River Cottage Preserves book by Pam Corbin (£8.99 from Amazon).  A simple to follow recipe, with a few tried and tested tips e.g. plenty of lemon juice added to the strawberry jam and use of jam sugar (with added pectin to help it set).

I was tired, it was sunny and I wasn't really in the mood for a long-winded jam making session but Pam insisted that fresh fruit are essential.  So I started at 9pm when it got a bit cooler in my sun-baked kitchen.  By 10:30pm I had finished a whole batch of strawberry jam - about 10 jars and a more modest 3 jars of raspberry jam.

Stage 1: just in the pan

Stage 2: bringing to the boil

Stage 3: almost on the boil, starting to break up

Stage 4: Scary hot sugar rolling boil that unexpectedly rises up the pan at an alarming rate - help!

This batch should see us through the year to go with our breakfast scones and toast. I thoroughly recommend 'Pam the Jam's' no-nonsense approach to preserving.  She got me hooked into it (even when over-tired, hot and bothered and not really in the mood.)

Wimbledon and South Devon Strawberries

The start of Wimbledon, combined with the fantastic sunny June weather we are currently enjoying, has turned my thoughts to strawberries rather than tennis.  Neither gifted with a racquet nor having the funds or connections to wangle tickets to Centre Court matches, the best way for me to enjoy the quintessential English summer day is to find a Pick Your Own strawberry farm.  During the last week I have picked and sampled the produce at two such farms.

Shute Fruit in Bishopsteigton opened their farm gates for the season on Friday18 June.  They are currently offering Pick Your Own (PYO) strawberries and ready-cut new season broad beans.  I was the second customer through the door (yes, very keen indeed) and was eager to be let loose on the strawberry field.

The farm is run by Lori Reich and David Lamboll and is situated in a magnificent location, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the banks of the Teign Estuary.  They work very hard to produce magnificent crops.  Lori is well known on the farmers' market and food festival circuit for her award-winning jams, chutneys and for her cookery demonstrations.  Last summer I saw her rustle up an impressive cream tea from the raw ingredients in under thirty minutes, on stage at the Abbfest Beer and Food Festival.

She is a mine of information about other local food producers and passionate about her favourite home-style recipes.  The Shute Fruit website provides useful information on how to make microwave strawberry jam.  This is ideal if, like me, you find that once you've started picking strawberries, it's very difficult to stop and you end up with punnet-loads more than you can eat fresh.

The Pegasus variety of strawberries that I picked with my friend were heavenly - Lori encourages you to 'try before you buy', although prefers people to just sample one or two of each variety.  I was impressed by the sweetness and perfume of the strawberries - incredibly sweet and juicy, only a real sweet-tooth would need to put any sugar on these beauties.  There were masses of plump, large fruit to be collected, shining out like hidden jewels amongst the golden straw and green foliage.  We collected six large punnets in under an hour.

You can check  the website to see what crops are available on the day you want to visit - this is updated daily.  There are some benches for you to enjoy the sunshine, the passing trains, the wildlife and your fruit feast (after paying at the caravan with makeshift shop counter), perhaps with a punnet of ice cream or clotted cream?

On the opposite side of the River Teign, Netherton  PYO will be a prolific soft fruit producer for the next two months or so.  I visited last weekend with a 19 month old strawberry fan. She couldn't believe her luck!  She gorged herself on the sweet red Elsanta strawberries.  Her father was kind and honest enough to pay an extra contribution for the extra unweighed fruit that his daughter had consumed before making it back to the scales!

The Elsanta strawberries are a useful early variety (often found in supermarkets) but they don't have the depth of flavour of the more traditional perfumed varieties such as Pegasus and Pandora.

A trip to Netherton can be a great family afternoon out - most kids, parents and grandparents love the thrill of seeking out the largest, weirdest or sweetest fruit - there can certainly be a competitive element.  It's also great to remind children where their food comes from and how lucky we are in Devon to have such bounty on our doorsteps.  Netherton also provides a tea shack and picnic benches offering homemade cakes, clotted cream, ice creams, teas and coffees and (rather cleverly) jam sugar to take home for your preserves.

The sign at Netherton warns people not to 'oversample' their strawberries and to be honest and pay for what they pick - fruit farms have been struggling to survive in recent years.  We certainly wouldn't want to see them shut down.

The season is so short, I'm going to make the most of them over the next few months and try to visit them on a weekly basis.  So, whether it's tennis or football, let's remember to take a break from all the sport on television and get out in the sunshine, pick fresh berries and enjoy the fruits of the local farmers' labours - it's almost as healthy as playing tennis.

Another PYO that I haven't yet visited in the South Devon area is Boyces Nursery and Fruit Farm at Shillingford St George, nr Exeter - comments welcome.

Tuckers Local Produce Market, Great Farmer's Market in Ashburton

I can't believe it's taken me so long to discover Tuckers Market!  I went along this morning to buy some organic chicken pellets for our three chooks from the farm supplies shop (next door) and to view the furniture and art sale at Rendells Auction House (next door but one).  

Decided we needed something for lunch and I would follow the signs to where the pink bunting was hanging - what a find - apparently they've been here for two years already - so why hadn't I noticed?  Bought two lemon curd muffins for 50p each, a tomato tart (80p) and some apples - this could become my regular market - ultra-friendly salespeople and handily having a good selection of fruit, veg, baked goods, meat, plus storecupboard essentials.  

Open Tues-Sat.

http://www.properporkdevon.co.uk/localProduceMarket.html