Uncle Peter's plums

My colleague Sandra came into the office this week, fresh from a visit to her uncle’s house in Bedfordshire. Uncle Peter was once a farmer and still has plum and greengage trees in his garden, among other fruits and vegetables. Although I have not met Uncle Peter, I was lucky enough to share some of the fruits of his garden.

Yesterday I tried the juicy Victoria plums – sticky and sweet. I loved them – perfect for an afternoon snack to hold me over until dinnertime. “Only 50%,” mused Sandra. “I get them each year and I have had much better.” She said her uncle also gave her some greengages and she would bring a few in.

This morning, she handed me a paper bag with half a dozen greengages, a few of which I greedily scarfed. These were perfect as well for a mid-morning snack and were lovely and sweet – and bang in season. I confess to not knowing much about greengages, but since it is August for a few more days, there may be a few more greengages to come.