HAZEL: Lack of plums in garden has left me glum

Aug 30 2008 by Hazel Ettienne, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

LIKE the Mother Hubbard of nursery rhyme fame, the Ettienne cupboards will be bare this winter.

But no, this is not another example of the much-maligned credit crunch affecting yet another hard-working family in Britain.

The plum trees are to blame.

Last year’s abundant crop is nowhere to be seen as we fast approach the autumn.

At this time in 2007 we were harvesting buckets, yes buckets of the sweet and stoned lovelies.

They were turned into jar after recycled jar of totally organic and totally free plum jam.

A couple of jars of damson jam were also created from a small, newly discovered tree.

That jam, delicious and reminiscent of the summer, was stored in the cellar and enjoyed during the dark days of winter – dark, ruby-coloured nectar delicious on fresh bread.

The atrocious summer, too much rain and too little sunshine seems to blighted this year’s crop.

The potatoes and cauliflowers in the vegetable patch have also been affected, only the hardy garlic has survived.

A younger colleague, whose culinary experiments come under much discussion in the newsroom, suggested “just going to the supermarket and buying a jar” instead.

Sacrilege!

Mr Robertson and Mr Hartley would not have made their fortunes with Ettienne cash!