Hermione's Pantry

For years I have seen photographs every October of people picking their pumpkins for Halloween and thinking it was a great idea. It teaches children about how and where pumpkins grow. They are local so reduces the number of miles travelled and it is a great family day out!

Rowan and I had a great time at the Kilduff Farm Pumpkin Patch. Rowan loved playing among the pumpkins. It is a family-run arable farm and the owners Lucy and Russell, plus their children have worked incredibly hard to get this up and running. It is the first year that they have opened a pumpkin patch to the public. They grew a test patch last year which worked really well so decided to try a full sized patch for the pumpkin picking this year.

They have grown seven different varieties this year, four carving varieties and three culinary varieties. They planted all 5000 seeds by hand! I choose two carving pumpkins and two culinary pumpkins to take home with us. Look out for my biryani-stuffed pumpkin recipe coming later this week. Next year they are planning on growing more culinary varieties so they can sell them to local food establishments.

The pumpkin patch not only has the pumpkins but also a bale maze, which is really good (I actually got a little panicked I wouldn’t find my way out!). Rowan walked some of it while holding onto my hands. He can not walk on his own yet but can walk really stably holding either one or two hands.

Sinclair and Rice are also on site serving amazing coffee, hot chocolate, toasties and cakes in their newly converted horse trailer “Bluebell”. I had a hot chocolate and pumpkin cake which was delicious.

The patch is going to be open again:

Friday 26th October 10am – 4pm

Saturday 27th October 10am – 4pm

Sunday 28th October 10am-4pm

If you are in Edinburgh or East Lothian you should visit this weekend!

H xx