In August we had a trip to Ryton Organic Gardens, Coombe Abbey and Mt Kiln Farm Shop. It was a good day with lots of knowledge sharing, new experiences and countryside.
We started the trip taking advantage of an invite to Ryton Organic, who we often do skill sharing and plant swap days.
Sally showed us around and there was much to see, in one heat regulated greenhouse we found West Indian Sorrel, which was known by one of our members for making sour sour soup in Sierra Leone: ‘When someone is sick they eat that, to increase taste add maggi, pepper and water’. We were told the English use it to make tea, in Nigerian its seeds were common.
The basil was sliced up put with boiled potatoes yam and kalaloo and cooked put inside a stew.
We found crab apples trees – like the apples in our Kushinga garden, only smaller.
We went for a walk around the orchard, as well as behind the scenes to pick plums and see the experimental kalaloo, an African delicacy. To cook you can splice veg and fry in oil cook for 5 mins, mix with spice, chilli, onions and fish or meat, add hot water, cover for some time and cook as stew.
Heading from their to Coombe Abbey country park, we had a windy fish and chip lunch on the benches before walking to see the ponds, ducks and country house. Many posy pictures here!
Finally, we went fruit picking at Mt Kiln Farm shop, even so late in the season there was a lovely mix of raspberries, strawberries and corn. We picked and bought enough for our jam making session with the Hope Women’s Group the next day.
