There is a fantastic walk from here to a local pub that involves several steep hills with incredible views down to Chichester harbour and the Isle of Wight. In one of the fields where it is particularly steep, the ground has been left fallow and is covered in wild marjoram.
We used this as an excuse to visit the pub over the weekend – a stroll in the sunshine over the beautiful downs, followed by a pint (or two) of Ballards before heading back home again. We nearly forgot our mission – pick a little bit of wild marjoram which Em used while baking foccacia (with gorgonzola and mascarpone cheese) for supper.
You can find wild marjoram on roadsides, banks and rough grassland and its pinky red flowers make it easy to spot at this time of year. The aromatic leaves are wonderful and it’s a good perennial herb for the garden if you need more direct access.
The recipe for the foccacia is found in the River Cafe Cookbook Green