Robin Harford
"Levi..." I said sweetly this morning on the way to work (its a nice sunny day here in Exeter, albeit a little nippy), "I wish I could go on a foraging course. I mean there's one this weekend at Exeter Race course..."
"For what?" asked Levs
"For Mushrooms!" I replied
"How much?" he asked
"Forty Quid."
Well, poor hubby nearly choked and when I said that I would love to go on a mushroom course as I am too scared to pick them, he said "but I don't even like mushrooms!"
I said, "That's fine. More for me."
He said, "Well thats just nice of you. Love you too."
But its true, I would LOVE to go on a mushroom course. I realise the dangers of trying this you don't know what they are and am normally really good about this (like the time I dumped my elderberries and the time I made ghostberry jam, tried it, thought it repulsive and stuck it down the sink). And thus, there is no way on earth I am ever going mushroom hunting on my own ever. I read about all these poisonings in the paper (though I have found out that only twenty of Britain's three thousand mushroom species could actually kill you but I refuse to take that 0.006% chance). Even as a child I never trusted Grandad's mushrooms that he picked whilst out walking and he actually knew what he was doing. Alas, I have no money. What I wouldn't give for forty quid. Anyway, it clearly wasn't to be and besides I have two lovely school friends coming up to see me from London this weekend (Devon is the happening place it seems). Iona is a tax accountant and Sarah is a primary teacher. And I am the slightly quirky associate lecturer friend with purple hair, a bunch of home brew under the living room table and a tray of rotting *sorry* bletting medlars in my laundry room.
"Fergus Fungus" the Mushroom Man
Speaking of which, despite my initial enthusiasm I'm rather going off my medlars. Now they are starting to blet they are creeping me out. Interestingly, they don't smell but a number of them have gone brown and soft. Its weird you know, that as a society we have this automatic response to be repulsed by this but I am still going to give this medlar thing a go later in the week. Om nom nom. Will post plenty of photos of their lovely rotteness! Don't you worry!
So back to my fantasies about foraging courses. Not only was there this one about mushrooms, but another one on winter trees! Only £30! Bargain! Oh no, wait its in Beer Wood, near Aller, near Bridgewater.... somewhere in Somerset... Yup, I can't get there via public transport. And there goes another crushed dream.
Maybe one day I'll have money and a car and a husband who eats mushrooms, but for now my sturdy hiking boots, bucket and train pass are going to be my best friends.
For those of you with some money in your pocket and your own transport, links to the courses can be found here:
Devon Wild Edible Mushroom Courses & Forays - Saturday, 16th November 2013
http://www.foragingcourses.com/fergus
Tree Talk: Our Ancient Woodlands in Winter - Saturday, 30th November 2013
http://www.foragingcourses.com/treetalk
No comments:
Post a Comment