SAVOUR & SIP
HARVEST
AUTUMN’S PUMPKINS, ROOT VEG AND APPLES ARE NOW RIPE FOR THE PICKING – MIRIAM BALANESCU DIGS INTO HARVEST TRADITIONS OLD AND NEW
COMFORT FARM CHECK OUT OUR TWO TOP FARM SHOPS, STOCKED FULL OF SEASONAL OFFERINGS JOHNSONS OF OLD HURST Championing local, this family farm tucked away in Huntingdon comes complete with quirky tea rooms, a steak house and – best of all – a farm shop and butchery. Find a plentiful stash of pies, pasties, sausage rolls and straight-out-of-the-oven bread, an impressive meat and cheese counter and fresh Fenland veg. and yell “Holla Lar! Holla Lar! Holla Lar- Jess!”, calling on the passer-by to donate towards their harvest supper. “Following World War II, farming production changed as mechanisation took hold,” Sue continues, which transformed harvest from a communal event to a practical necessity. An interest in farm-to-table produce diminished. Yet, with Cambridge’s swathes of arable land, there is an abundance of fresh food literally on our doorsteps – unearth some of the harvest traditions as shared by local foodies here.
the 1850s, food historian Dr Sue Bailey explains, peasants marked the month with folk festivities such as dancing, parades and cock fighting. To reel in proceedings, the clergy appropriated the celebrations. “The full moon nearest to the autumnal equinox is called the harvest moon,” says Sue. “In ancient traditions, harvest festivals were held on or near the Sunday of the harvest moon.” One peculiarly East Anglian custom is called ‘hollering largesse’, where if a stranger passed a field where labourers were reaping, they would circle round
hen the leaves turn yellow and red and tumble from the trees, heralding the
season for hot toddies and warm cocoa, there is a bountiful feast to be discovered growing in Cambridge’s green spaces, if you venture outdoors. As apples thud to the ground and pumpkins blush on their stems, a host of harvest traditions are honoured around the UK. Harvest was first celebrated in churches in 1843, according to Love British Food, when a Cornish reverend held a service to bless the crops. Before
ELY APPLE AND HARVEST FAYRE’S 17TH-CENTURY APPLE POTTAGE Once a year, Ely goes wild for all things apple. With this year marking its 22nd edition following a revival, Ely’s Apple and Harvest Fayre is one of the city’s many unusual historic foodie traditions. Get in on the apple action at Palace Green on 8 October and, in the meantime, try out this early modern fruity recipe. Peel, core and slice two apples. Boil them until soft and press through a sieve, before adding one cup of almond milk, four tablespoons of honey, one cup of breadcrumbs, a pinch of saffron, one teaspoon of sandalwood and a dash of salt. Simmer on a low heat before serving hot.
THE GOG FARM SHOP The Gog Farm Shop is teeming
with treasures, from fresh-roasted Monmouth Coffee beans and black truffle crisps to specially selected cheeses and melt-in-your-mouth pies.
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK OCTOBER 2022 55
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