OF WANDERING THE MEADOWS.
So, I started this a month ago then things got in the way like having an accident and being bedbound and miserable so I’ll just post this then explain the other!
A quickie to say when I went for what I thought would be a barren and arid ramble, I spotted some rose hips that I diligently harvested although some were reluctant to come with me. Clearly the little buggers weren’t quite ripe however I was determined to get some vitamin C in me. It was a poor haul anyway so I finally ambled along until I spotted little red berries all over the place! Time to get nimble fingered and pluck the little darlings for a cough syrup and winter tonic.
Pluck away! That’s what I say.
Then before I knew it my hand grazed a tiny perfect apple and by jingo, I had discovered a petite but bounteous crab apple tree. This was in the next meadow so I stripped the lower boughs greedily planning a crab apple vinegar or jelly; or a cider indeed why not! Hurrah I was in business. further along I spotted another rosier variety and the next meadow to that a larger possibly normal apple ?
Of course I couldn’t do my usual trek to the woods as my rucksack was now too heavy and I was exhausted from clambering over the tussocks and anthills that were all around. I decided to finish with a little lie down in the sun and a reverie of that blue sky and the black clouds coming in. I felt poetic and harmonious with nature. A little smug tis true or I would have noticed the inhabitants of the aforementioned anthills merrily biting away at my legs and bum. I just thought I was itching a bit in the dry grass.
I would notice when on the train and when public transport collapsed as usual with the train in front of us breaking down at the next station, I had to jump off and improvise the rest of my journey home which wasn’t quite as bucolic and frankly a real nightmare but I smiled bravely through it and finally made it home to sort through my booty!
All through this time I was going to my local farmers market every Sunday (except after accident!) I get all my organic meat, veg etc there and of course raw milk. The figs were from my terrace and turned into a very fine chutney!
I was too tired to process the hips so they were removed from the haws and put straight into the freezer. Apparently they lose vitamin C as soon as harvested and don’t take kindly to be left overnight even, and seeing as you need to remove the hairs from the inside or you choke, I thought it best to not fret just freeze. Next I took all the crap from the hawthorn berries; leaves twigs and stalks and left them prettily in a bowl as I had checked and they are not such delicate bullies.
Next I sorted the crab apples and decided I could do little but chop and cook a bunch of the rosier ones for a puree, the recipe stated that I just need to quarter and cook with a bit of cinnamon and sugar. I don’t normally keep sugar so I’d sweeten the next day when I got some. I hadn’t quite been ready for this collection of super sour which required sweetening from any recipe including the cider now I thought wildly, that I would have to make with the surplus. I went snooty about the jelly as that required loads of it and I wasn’t going to compromise my principals to that extent dammit. Sugar after all is poison.
The following morning would see me slavishly going to buy organic sugar and some arrowroot for thickening the dubious sludge that I had oh so gently simmered so as not to loose the benefits; that that would be my hawthorn syrup which I had added the last of my organic date syrup to sweeten which had given it a rather unpleasant brown colour rather than a red healthy looking concoction, rather disappointing; and although you’re allowed to whizz it a bit to remove the flesh but not too much so as not to damage the pits which contain a degree of cyanogenic glycosides , specifically amygdalin so sieve those undamaged babies out of your slurry. Problem here was I didn’t have an adequate sieve only a finely meshed plastic one that was proving to be stubborn about allowing any of the nectar through. At one point I even eyed my tea strainer in a desperate way but knew that was sinking too low. So whimpering with exhaustion I finally squeezed them through my fists in a ridiculous way to get anything from them. My harmonious food prepping was sliding away from me. My small amount of unappetising brown stuff I hastily jarred and also forgot about, I would add honey or something.
The vinegar next was easier and a safer route and they were despatched into two large glass jars with a good starter of mother from my previous pineapple vinegar. At this point I felt that I had done quite enough and really was kinda over doing the new things that I wasn’t accustomed to so left the banished rosehips in the freezer. I will attend to them in due course after hopefully gathering some fungi in the woods.
Seeing as it rained at last today I now plan to go for a long walkies for mushrooms in the next couple of days, I’ll let you know how it goes.
NO RAIN… STILL WAITING..
Well all good plans etc, I’d best get out and just do reckies on accessible green land for me while the land is so arid.
Highgate
I was so excited to return here after a few years and I was told Queens Park side was quieter and with less dog walkers (sorry but they do trample the mushrooms so!) and when I entered I was full of hope. I had a chat with the girl at their organic veggie garden next to the café at the gate and all seemed wonderful; oh dear I was bitterly disappointed.
Hampstead
So quick for me from Soho and I had never really looked into the woods there. I was exultant upon arrival, the woods are massive for London venues and full of very old trees of various kinds. Once of the heath with its charming aspects I was honed into the thick edge of the woods that I espied. It was a lovely experience with a lot of very big, old and varied trees and I was very pleased to have come. My spirits lifted for in the woods there were many small pastured clearings with yarrow and herbs of different varieties. There also are many benches in said clearings which are away from the main paths so relatively secluded.
When I had had my fill I went back onto the heathland at my entrance again and lay down by a large chamomile patch humming with bees and dozed a little in that heady mixture of the blossoms scent and the bees at it at the end of the season. I found only some mutated beefsteak fungus for my trouble but see huge potential of using this as a regular easy place to go to for a bit of earthing and sanity.
Sadly after this I managed to have an accident which I am keeping for another post as it’s a very good lesson in self healing on your lonesome! All will be revealed tomorrow……
OVER AND OUT FROM A MYSTERIOUS OLD BIRD!
