Adventure 36: In a Pickle

Hello again! After an absence of two months I have returned to Western Weeds. Life has been simply hectic this past while, with the students all doing their exams, and applying for jobs for September (my contract runs out next week!) and I am delighted to say, that I now have a part time job for next year teaching history at a private girl's school in town! HUZZAH! 

I have, of course, also been out and about in all the good weather we've been having and have even had some time to do some foraging. This week I have been doing elderflower wine (see my next post, when I get round to uploading all the photos) thanks to a practical demonstration by my friend Elaine in Bath, but what I can share with you is my Ash Key Pickle! 

"Ash keys?" I hear you say. Yes, those things that look like little green helicopters that hang down from ash trees at this time of year. I've waited a good year to make these, as you need to pick them nice and green. 

© Lizzie Harper

They've been on my fantasy list for many a moon and now they are everywhere and I've been dying to try out this recipe from the good old 'Eat Weeds' blog 

(http://www.eatweeds.co.uk/pickled-ash-keys). I decided in the end to pick mine near Highfield Farm in Topsham, one evening after Brownies, as I thought they might be less contaminated with pollution than the ones near where I live. 

Basically you boil them up til they look like this: 

Then you boil up a concoction of cider vinegar, cinnamon, all spice, ginger, cloves, peppercorns and salt and cover the ash keys in them like so: 

I'm waiting for Levi to finish his honey, so I can steal the jar to put them in but am hoping that this air tight container (once the purveyor of fine cherry liqueur) will do for now. I am not known for being patient in such instances, but will know how this will taste in September. 

In other news, Levi and I have discovered a new path (well, new to us) between Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton the other week. We had a very pleasant Sunday stroll down the old railway line and I have discovered a large number of sloe bushes and bullace trees ready for the Autumn which I am quite excited about already. 

Budleigh Salterton itself is very pleasant, full of little local shops, some with specialist Artisan products, like fine cheese and locally made icecream. It has lots of charm and you might already be familiar with its shoreline from the famous painting by Millais, 'The Boyhood of Raleigh' (who was born nearby). 

 We stopped for a picnic by the sea which was very relaxing and enjoyed a good and well kept pint of Devon Glory at the Feather's Pub on the High Street (http://www.feathers-hotel.co.uk/). A little darker than we were antipating (more of a winter beer) but very drinkable nonetheless. 

Other news in the last couple of months - I got a bike! For work, admittedly, but I wasted no time taking it for a spin over half term while Levi was at work. I cycled past the Quay down to the Double Locks pub (for a nice half of Young's Bitter), then further down the canal to the lovely and hard to reach Turf Lock Hotel (where I had a half of Otter) and then on past Starcross to one of the pubs in Cockwood where I read my book and had some lunch. I regrettably did not bring a bag for foraging (silly me) but did enjoy munching on some fresh elderflower, freshly bloomed, that I found near Exminster. Elderflower is simply the taste of summer! And a sure sign for me (though it was a wet, soggy afternoon) that Summer was round the corner. 

Anyhow, later this week, I will get on to publishing my latest adventures in London and Bath and show off some of Elaine's wine making skills. Damn, its good to be back. Cathy x