Week beginning September 2nd - Wild Cherries, Sea Aster and Damson Plums

Autumn has sadly arrived all too soon. For most of us it’s the come down of summer and the time of year where reality sets in and we do a little admin and stock-take of what we've used and what’s left to look forward to. Luckily autumnal produce offers some very interesting and tasty ingredients to keep us distracted from the shorter days and long chilly nights. 

Damson plums: possibly one of my favourite cooking fruits, miniature and intensely sour. These small plums are roughly the size of a grape and have a very short season of around 3-4 weeks. Best cooked in a pot until the plums soften then passed through a sieve to remove the small fickle stones. Damsons are perfect made into a jelly or dressing with sugar to help cut through their amazing sour tang. This week we've made a dressing from the damsons and drizzled it over a salad made of parmesan polenta balls, roasted carrots, watercress and garnished with foraged bird’s foot trefoil blossom. 

Sea aster: is a succulent perennial that grows mostly along coastal marshes and cliffs faces. This sea veg is quite strong, sharp and slightly herby, bordering on fruity. Sea aster features in this week’s tart which is layered with celeriac to make a gratin and garnished with a large dollop of salty and sour rouille. 

Wild cherries: through our forager supplier we've managed to acquire wild English cherries. Very deep in colour and flavour with a slight bitterness and halve the size of a regular cherry. Once cooked these cherries become richer in flavour than cultivated varieties of cherries. This week we've cooked our stash of wild cherries and made it into a jelly which is great served with a butter croissant or used as a condiment for wild duck. Come in and ask for a jar today before it all sells out for another year. 

Come get caffeinated and while you're at it, satisfy your hunger pains.

Jared Bryant
Lead Chef
@redjar50

Please enjoy the menu for this week, as we have enjoyed putting it together for you.

Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50

Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passion fruit) 3.70
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with home made preserves 1.70
Coffee, cherry and walnut toast 2.30
Banana bread 2.40

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.80
Pain au chocolat 2.40
Almond croissants 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet Muffins: Peaches and cream 2.40
Savoury Scone: Rowan berry, thyme and parmesan 2.40
Blackberry friands 2.40
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 1.80
Chocolate chip cookies 1.80
Lamingtons 2.50

French retro baguettes 4.90
Smoked salmon with lime cheese, thai basil, cucumber, rocket
Baked discovery apples and red onion with aioli, mature cheddar, spinach

Foccacias 5.00

Ham, rose-hip dressing, ginger, wensleydale, spinach
Mushroom with a creamed corn fondue sauce and rocket

Salads: 5.50/6.50
Figs, fennel, pancetta, manchego, basil with a honey and fortified wine dressing
Polenta and parmesan balls with roasted carrot, watercress, oregano, birds foot trefoil and damson dressing
Edamame in a wasabi and lime dressing

Tart: 4.40 or 7.50 with salad
Celeriac and sea aster bake with rouille