Future plans

Curled up with hubby, beer, Becket and some new reading material: namely Richard Mabey's Food for Free and Food in Early Modern Europe for inspiration.
I have found out that my damsons are in fact, bullace... So it seems I have bullace gin brewing in my cupboard... Which is good to know.
I also have now a wish list for the next few months:
1) ghostberry jam (allegedly rare but tasty)
2) bird cherry gin/vodka/wine
3) nettle wine
4) ash key pickle
5) beechnuts
6) sweet chesnuts
I also discovered some weird fruit in the graveyard in totnes, which are called medlars. These need to be bletted apparently (ie left to semi-rot) before being eaten with sugar and cream. Let's just say the hubby is not wildly keen.
Anyhow, I'll let you know how I get on! Nighty nighy. X

Adventure 10: Acorns should come with a health warning (20.10.13)

Good afternoon, readers. 

This week it has been all about the acorns. I have collected a load the last couple of weeks and have been investigating the best ways of preparing them for the table.

Things I have discovered about acorns this week:

Look for holes in the acorns - these one's have worms in about... yeuch!

They take ages to dry enough to get the shells off (otherwise they simply ricochet off the walls when you try to open them)

Don't put them in the oven to dry. It seems like an easy way around the above problem, but they just roast. Luckily, you can make acorn coffee out of them... will let you know how that goes later in the week when its finished

They take forever to shell. My nails are broken, my scissors are blunt and I have cut myself innumerable times

Acorns take ages to prepare, ready for eating. They have tannins in them, some kind of acid which makes them bitter and I don't believe is that great for you... ergo, you have to go through an extremely lengthy process of blending them, leaching them twice a day and straining through muslin. I have been at this all week. Its mind numbingly boring

Blenders have their own dangers... when cleaning my blender I almost cut my finger off. I am clearly a numpty

The resulting flour must dry for several days...and days...zzzzz...

One really wonders, why one would bother - I know hubby thought I'd really lost the plot and couldn't understand my enthusiasm, particularly after the blender incident... but I believe, in the end that my patience and hard work has been rewarded in the shape of acorn cookies! These have come out really well and are seriously tasty. I will leave you then with the recipe for these (from http://www.grandpappy.info/racorns.htm). Have a good week!

Acorn Cookies

2 cups wheat flour	1 cup white (or brown) sugar	1 tsp. baking powder (or baking soda)
1 cup acorn grits	1/2 cup shortening	1 tsp. salt

Preparation: Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, cream the shortening and the sugar. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Then blend in the acorn grits. Pinch off walnut sized pieces of dough and roll into balls. Place 1.5" apart on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Cook: Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly colored. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Variation: Add 1 egg and/or 1 tsp. vanilla extract.

Adventure 9: The Last of the Sloes (13.10.13)

Despite the disgusting rain (which apparently is normal in Devon at this time if year... Why did I ever agree to relocate?!?!) the hubby and I strolled up to the university campus and picked the last straggling sloes and damsons and some of the acorns. Though sloe and damson season is clearly, rapidly drawing to a close, acorns seem fairly abundant and I have started collecting. I have put them to dry out but spent the evening shucking the ones from last week with a pair if scissors (hint, dont try and bite them...). Its long and arduous (and hubby has described me as cute but crazy) but hopefully in a few weeks I should have acorn flour. Hooray! More on this another day, but am pleased to have found an alternative method of making it where I will not require a blender. Anyhow, more on this soon. Goodnight! X

Adventure 8: Crabby with Crab Apples (9-13.10.13)

Happy Sunday followers! Been feeling crabby with my cold and Levi being away in Germany on a conference, but am on the mend and I got the hubby back last night. Busy week with classes and prep, catching up with old colleagues Friday, and the lovely Sophie and Arran in Plymouth yesterday (we had an amazing lunch of fresh fish and chips at the Ship http://theshipplymouth.co.uk/) so having a lazy Sunday so far with a trashy Wendy Holden novel and some crumpets.

                                                 

Foraging wise, have picked the last of the crab apples I could find over hanging the cemetery wall near my house. Made me think of Elaine's status on FB recently: Protip from an old lady on the bus re: blackberrying: "Go to the churchyard! They're twice as big there, and very tasty, because of all the bodies!" And true to form, these apples are very yummy. I now have a proper jelly muslin cloth (the pillow case was looking a bit sad) and have made a small jar of crab apple jelly which I was pleased with because I really didn't have that many apples. 

My cherry liqueur collection on my kitchen sill

Other news, damson gin going well. Have also put on the second batch of black cherry liqueur as the first one seems to be getting on so well. Have roasted my acorns, and am now saving up to buy a second hand food processor to make them into flour. The hubby thinks I'm mad, but I've told him to get me one for Christmas and in the meantime am keeping an eye on Gum tree.... 

Cherry picking on Monday

 My cherries! Om Nom Nom

Anyhow am off for a nice walk with my bucket and hubby! Have a good week! x

Adventure 7: Cherry tastic (07.10.13)

Good evening all! Today was one of those crazy, hectic days where everything started five mins ago... Despite this, I still managed to walk back to the botanical gardens and fetch my yummy black cherries (as I said in my previous post, these are native to North America)... I have 1.6 kg of them. Was figuring what I should do with them. To be honest, I have more jam than I could ever eat so decided that cherry liqueur is going to be the way forward. I bought the jar and sugar and have set about making it... om, nom, nom. I also set up my next batch of gin - this time, damson. I'm not sure I know the difference, but it sure looks tasty and is already going pink! A good sign, me thinks. Will see how this experimental batch goes and if it looks good, there are plenty more in my freezer. Also, in between lesson planning and volunteer work I managed to buy and label and sort all my frozen stash so it all looks swanky. Now for dinner and homeland! Bonne Nuit!

Adventure 6: Sloe and Damson Heaven (06.10.13)

The hubby wanted to do work (its Sunday, but you know, whatever!). He has a conference in Freiburg later this week and thus, I took the opportunity to go foraging. I walked along the pathway to the university picking  some rose  hips on the way (getting some very funny looks from students) and through the valley. I then went on a wander up the back of the university campus and behold! I found a load of sloes and damsons! I collected nearly a kilo. Am very scratched and nettle stung but it was worth it, I think. I also found some interesting berries in the old botanical gardens which I have since identified as black cherries from North America. Have an early start tomorrow to go fetch them before the birds eat them! Anyhow, aching and scratched to death, this domestic goddess bids you all Good night! Have a good week! x

Adventure 5: Rosehips, Rowan Berries and Auntie Nell (04.10.13)

Just realized today that I haven't blogged for a few weeks, but I have been busy starting my new part time job in a sixth-form college near where I live! HOORAY! Its really lovely: all the staff are super friendly and the kids aren't bad either (joke by the way, they're really nice too!)

Adventure wise, I had to throw the dandelion marmelade. It never set and I needed the jars.... but I did manage to rescue my second collection of hawthorn jam and on the advice of my dear friend Elaine. She came to visit me last weekend and had a whale of time!

It was very rainy when she came so we went to the Western (http://www.greatwesternhotel.co.uk/bar.asp) for a couple of nice pints of Avocet. After a tour of Exeter Cathedral and the Quays, we managed a quick pint in the Fat Pig (http://www.fatpig-exeter.co.uk/) - Pigmalion and Pigasus! Yummy! Then fish and chips and a few bottles of rose and trashy movies with Stan (he does love his 'Auntie Nell').

The next day we went to Topsham, to the beautiful 16th century Bridge Inn (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/pubs/3344734/Devon-Pub-Guide-The-Bridge-Inn-Topsham-near-Exeter.html) with its cavalier helmets, small dark parlours and bunting from the coronation of George V and enjoyed some amazing beer and fruitcake with cheese!

After a quick ferry ride over the Exe (http://topshamlockcottage.co.uk/map/getting-here/) we made our way to the Turf Hotel (http://www.turfpub.net/) for a quick pint of Otter and on the way back Elaine went sloe and hawthorn picking (putting her stash in an empty milk bottle), whilst I filled my pockets with rosehips. Another swift pint (this time Jail Ale) in the Passage House Inn (http://passagehouseinntopsham.co.uk/) and then it was the end of our girly weekend.

One additional thing that came out of it was Elaine telling me that rowan berries are edible so today I took my bucket over to the island and picked around 1kg as well as the last of the hawthorn berries and even found a small stash of sloes (enough for a small batch of gin! Hurrah!) I've tried making the rowan jelly this evening. It seems very bitter but I've read that this lessens if you leave the jam for a few weeks before eating. I will keep you posted on how it goes!

Am planning a trip to the Yeoford Cider Festival (http://www.yeoford.org.uk/events/) tomorrow with the hubby - I will be taking my bucket!

God bless and until next time I leave you with the following lyrics to an old folk song....

Oh rowan tree, oh rowan tree
Thou'lt aya be dear to thee
Entwined thou art wi' many ties
O'hame and infancy
Thy leaves were aye the first of spring
Thy flowers the summer's pride
There was nae sic a bonnie tree
In a' the country side
Oh rowan tree