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Pick-your-own hen party

blackberries.jpg

Now the sun's come out, make the most of our indian summer by getting outdoors and enjoying the last of the summer sun. Buy seasonal fruit and veg from your farmers market and support the local farmers.

A great idea for a seasonal hen party is to plan an outing to a pick-your-own farm. Picking strawberries, raspberries and other fruit can be great fun if there's a group of you. Or you could go wild and take a hike into the countryside to pick blackberries from the hedgerows - it looks like a great blackberry year this year.

Take a picnic and make a day of it. Come home and have a jam making session with your friends. The jars of home made jam can be covered with pretty tops and labelled with your own designed logo and given to your wedding guests on the day.

theme-fall-homemade-jam.jpg Plan the day well and it will go with swing:

• Invite your group of friends and family and ask them to RSVP. This is so that you can check that the farm will be happy to have a whole group of you coming. While you're in touch with the farm it would be a good idea to check that the produce is ready for picking on the day that you would like to go, and keep an eye on the weather forecast for the day.

• Send maps and directions and organize lift sharing to save on fuel consumption. If you're picking blackberries you could take the train and start picking just outside the station.

• Explain what activities you're planning for the day and make sure people are aware that they should wear old clothes, sturdy footwear or wellies and take waterproofs with them. Get them all to bring boxes to store the fruit in while traveling.

• Put together a basket of things you may need like insect repellant, sunscreen, water and ground sheets or blankets to sit on.

If a picnic's on the agenda, get your guests to contribute one or two dishes to share with everyone and to bring drinks, plates, cutlery and any condiments necessary to complete the feast. No need to bring dessert, you'll be picking that!

Here's how to make a delicious blackberry and apple crumble when you get home:

apples.jpgapple_crumble.jpg225g plain organic flour
115g organic local butter
90g unbleached sugar
pinch of salt

Either pile together in a food processor and wizz 'till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (if you don't have a food processor you can do this rubbing between your hands).

Peel, core and slice enough apples to fill a shallow ovenproof dish leaving enough space for some blackberries - you will need around 500g fruit altogether.

Pile it into the greased dish and sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of sugar over the fruit. Spread the crumble mixture over the fruit, giving the dish a bit of a shake to settle it.

Bake in the oven at about 180C for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the top is evenly golden.

Enjoy with lashings of local cream, clotted cream or ice cream. Mmmmmmmmmm!
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