24.09.22 Back in August we spent the afternoon with Ella and Hannah of @conversations__with talking about the connection between food, flowers and farming. Our conversation is live on their website today, with some beautiful pictures by @ellagladwell. Thank you so much for having us. ‘To eat - a plum, blackberry and ricotta cake, and to decorate the table - garden roses with wild blackberry trails. The roses on Liv’s plot were coming into their second flush, many of them blown in the heat and perfect for immediate use. We liked the contrast between the purity and fragility of their blooms with petals just about to fall, against the more bullish wild blackberries covered in thorns - both delicate but different and putting on a truly beautiful show. Blackberries came unusually early this year, and the hedgerows were full of them - they’re not easy to harvest or to handle but they have such beautifully shaped leaves and natural arching foliage they were definitely worth the extra effort, especially as they were an ingredient in the cake and a huge part of our work at SSAW is about making connections between food and flowers - how both are seasonal produce and the importance of using them in line with their seasons. Ingredients in season don’t just taste and look better, they really are better both environmentally and ethically.’ There are still blackberries and plums to be had and the recipe for the cake can be found over on their website now. Serve warm with a camomile tea for a real autumnal treat.