The Porter's Garden > PicturesMidsummer soirée - Sunday 26 June 2005
Tom Blair, Deputy Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, after opening the sculptured seats
St Ann's Church handbell ringers performing
At the party, under the walnut trees
The Con Brio Singers
The 18th century buffet
Plum pudding
Recipe: 1kg ripe fresh plums, 2 cups red wine, 2 cups water, 1/2 cup clear honey, 1/2 cup cornstarch or rice flour dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp mace. Put plums in a saucepan and cover with wine and water. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove plums; peel them and discard pits. Press plums through a strainer or blend in a blender; add honey and all spices to the pureed plums, and stir this mixture back into the cooking liquid in the saucepan. Stir in the dissolved starch carefully: it must be thoroughly blended for about 5 minutes; it should be quite thick. If there are lumps, restrain or blend. Pour into a serving bowl; cool; then chill. Serve with cream.
Apple pie and apples stuffed with mince meat
At the party
Winners in the raffle
A winner in the raffle
A winner in the raffle
A winner in the raffle
The newly opened sculptured seats with the Millennium Tower in the backgroundPictures John Scott