Gone fruit picking for the first time this year. I'm very chuffed to have beaten the crowds and got my sticky fingers on some gooseberries, and of course I couldn't leave without a trug of strawberries too. When we got home, I quickly knocked up a beautiful (if I don't mind saying so myself!!) gooseberry fool, by steeping the said berries in a little water and a good generous couple of handfulls of my vanilla sugar, and a large elderflower head then left to cool. I whipped up a carton of cream from our local Northiam dairy, to soft peaks then gently folded in the syrup. Topped off with some lightly crushed strawbs. Delish.
Later in the afternoon, the family went to Goudhurst fete, on top of a vertiginous hill overlooking the weald, with voluminous clouds all around, threatening rain, but fortunately delivering none. It was a quintessentially English affair, with coconut shy, tombola, dog show and carnival wind up organ. Due to our late arrival, most stalls were packing up shop, but not so late that Hugh couldn't go nuts on the bouncy castle with a troop of young girls and Mike take the obligitory and embarrassing turn at trying to upend a coconut (only to be showed up by an under ten who neatly demonstrated a hatrick in fine style).
A day which felt strangely satisfyingly successful as a family day out. Finished off with one of my favourite dinners that always goes down well with the kids, squid linguine. Aaaah. :)
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