500 gramms and a bit of foraging

In my newly acquired Abundance book by Alys Fowler I am enjoying flicking through to find lots of ideas of what to make and how to store my abundance of produce I AM going to get this year. there is even a recipe for Jerusalem artichoke chutney, so this year gorgon the pig may have to share those windy artichokes.

The strawberries i replanted have been useless so no Jam to go with our scones and cream but I have found a recipe by Alys for Wild strawberry jam, which as we have wild strawberries along the banks along the roads and in our woods it got me thinking ... small scale jam, i even found some little jam jars in the supermarket, how cute.

compared to the size of a normal strawberry the wild ones are tiny but there taste it so concentrated and strawberryish.

So the locals may of seen a mad English woman scurrying up banks in search of the tiny berries of scruminess, along with two dogs on flexi leads who didn't seem to understand the importance of the search for not one could be left under a leaf.

Every opportunity has been taken to partake in a little picking, I've been carrying a jar around with me as I've worked shearing under the pig's electric fence.

Today i am up to 400gramms waiting in the freezer (as recommended by Alys) as i am determined to only use wild foraged strawberries. i only hope the day of rain hasn't let those pesky miniature slugs eat those miniature strawberries that i will be searching for tomorrow. It must be getting near to jam making.....

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Snap shot

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Another steer went off on Wednesday. After spending 3 years with them it doesn't get any easier when they leave.

Weeding

Potatoes A sad looking patch Hunting for carrots The weather has now gone from one extreme to the other from rain, rain and a bit more rain to hot, sunny and hotter. Time to access the veggie patch after I planted everything in one hit and then it got very damp and soggy. Well the potatoes are growing well, although they are going to be a lot later this year, kind of Earlie's for late ones and late ones maybe ready for Christmas dinner ( if they survive the bugs, rabbits and moles). The weeds have and still are growing really well, this morning was spent finding the carrots and parsnips, which I have with no help from Sorrel, who after a quick sniff lazed under the shade of the apple tree (which by the looks of it hasn't got hardly any apples on it?) The poor herb seeds sowed don't look to good or the french and runner beans, think a hungry mouse have nibbled on them so I will have to resow (once I have weeded -again)

A problematic Ewe

While Master C and Miss F were here over the weekend we took the opportunity for their help in moving the two ewes, Gorgon and Thumberlina to the field where the donkeys had been. What with all the rain we have had lately the grass grow super quick. The only problem was Miss Fatty did not want to move from her safe field (if only she knew she was moving to new lush grass). It took farmer J and Master C to try moving her after pushing from me and Master C had failed and she fell to the floor not moving an inch. There try also failed so they were both lead through the field in another direction. Of course once in the new field there was no looking back. Gorgon on the other hand was a breeze to move, as long as you have food he will follow, you just need to make sure you have enough food!

The English Paysanne

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