We love the Rural Coffee Caravan. For the past 14 years it has been touring villages across Suffolk offering tea, coffee and company to people living in rural isolation. The charity visits more than 70 villages, some where there is no where to meet anymore and where the more elderly villagers just find it hard to get out and about. As well as refreshments it offers an information service, a bit like a CAB on wheels. You can imagine how sad we all were to hear that the caravan has been stolen. Fundraising is well on the way to help with a replacement caravan. Here is the link if you are able to donate.

If you go to your local park and pick elderflowers it isn't foraging. If you go to your back garden and pick up some windfall apples, it isn't foraging. If you have a basil plant on your balcony, that isn't foraging either. Foraging for edible wild plants and all the new names for what we used to call weeds is OVER - time to stop.

My notes!

Brisket 5 x briskets – slow cooked Thurs and sliced (Ruth) with horseradish and chutney on side. I’ve got tons of chutney.

Coronation Chicken 30lb whole chickens. Roasted Thurs (Ruth) and cut up and made into Coronation Chicken on Friday. (mayo, curry, grapes, celery)

Fresh Salmon 30lb fresh salmon filleted into sides, served on shredded lettuce with lime and coriander mayo and prawns to garnish. To be assembled on Saturday.

Samosas Ruth will get from Leicester (serve with raita)

Spanakopita -the Guardian/Hugh Fearnley Whittingstalls recipe online is very good. His recipe will make enough for 12 people so suggest recipe x 8.

Hummus and breads and butter (garnished with whole chickpeas and drizzled with olive oil and pickled lemons)

Cheese, (Baron Bigod, Dorset Blue Vinny, Mrs Kirkhams) crackers and grapes a wonderful display!

Chinese noodle salad – noodles, water chestnuts, bean shoots, red peppers, spring onions, carrot ribbons, tom juice, soy sauce, honey and ginger dressing.

Coleslaw – carrots, cabbage, mayo (Sat morning Ruth)

Tomato and mozzarella salad – garnished with basil and salt and pepper, balsamic and oil (Sat morning Ruth)

Green salad – lettuce, rocket, cucumber, green stuff

Potato salad – potatoes, mayo, chives

Roasted vegetable and cous cous  - med veg, olives, herbs etc

Welcome drink - Prosecco or Elderflower Fizz

48 bottles Prosecco

EldeflowerFizz (Cordial/Sparkling Water/Lemons/Mint)

On the tables – Wine – Two whites, Rose and Red (45 bottles for the tables the rest to sell behind the bar

48 Sauvignon Blanc (white)

48 Esmerelda (white)

48 de Bortoli (red)

24 Rose

 Bar –

Beer and cider

2 x 36 pints polypin Old Cannon best bitter

40 litres/70 pints canned lager

40/50 bottles Aspalls cyder

Mojitos & Elderflower Collins Cocktails and Spirits (Gin, Rum and Vodka)

6 litres rum

6 litres gin

6 litres vodka

6 x Gomme syrup

6 x Elderflower cordial

6 x Jiffy lemon juice

24 lemons

48 limes

5/6 bunches mint

Light brown sugar for mojitos

36litres each of soda, sparkling water, tonic, lemonade, diet coke, coke and orange juice

8kg ice cubes

6kg crushed ice

I'm loving the green chilli sauce that Buckshot sauces sent me. It's slightly astringent with lots of ginger and cumin and I am pouring it over everything! I can't eat a samosa without it. Maybe I am addicted. (We really liked the brown sauce too).