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Post by dazza on Mar 12, 2007 13:54:32 GMT
I've got a big yellow one. It's 20" wide with a 6hp B&S on top and has a reverse gear for when it's buried up to the handles. Cuts through almost any ground but takes about two days afterwards for me to stop shakingggggggggg...
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Post by dazza on Apr 11, 2007 17:46:54 GMT
Been away for easter or I'd a got that! Do I get the wooden spoon prize if I tell you why it's called bread and cheeze?
Ramsons and Jack-by-the hedge are all out now too and a great seasonal treat! Both go really well in peanut butter sarnies!
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Post by dazza on Apr 2, 2007 12:49:40 GMT
Yep. About 8 pints a night should do it!!
Pete - never called, never wrote... Kate - wasn't sure she was even there half the time... Kemp - Kemp? Camp more like... Sphagnum - now you're talking! A natural bacteriacide, it makes a fantastic wound dressing (it was used for this in WWI field hospitals) but more importantly makes the best natural bog roll you can get! Also you can use it to filter....whay's Stormy looking at me like that??....oh...<sulk>.
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Post by dazza on Apr 1, 2007 15:25:12 GMT
Oh, and if anyone's ever out here in West Wales way, I'll happily spend the day showing you what I know if you fancy! ;D
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Post by dazza on Mar 29, 2007 14:21:03 GMT
Yes. We gather wild all through the year. I was taught by my parent and I have taught my kids. I do sympathise to some extent however, in that most of the books I've see on the subject have been at best poor at worst misleading. There are some exceptions however.
On the other hand the degree of fear and paranoid that is encouraged over this I also find distressing. Have we really become this fearful as a society?
I have never had a problem with *informed* exploration and have always encouraged my children in this regard. Are there dangers and poisons out there? Sure - but there are plenty of guidelines both specific (don't touch the foxgloves they give you digoxin poisoning) and general (avoid the umbellates - sweet cicely and cow parsley look too similar to guess). And yes, some things give allergic reactions, but why do we have this fear over wildfoods but not when picking up a new 'exotic' from the Tescbury's fresh fruit counter? One's first thought is never "I wonder if this Dragon Fruit will kill me?", so why the stress when outdoors?
Obviously I am not, for one moment, advocating an unconstrained and uneducated 'munch fest' through the nearest hedegrow, this would be both silly and irresponsible, but like everything in life, start with basics and gain confidence from there to move on.
I'm glad to hear you've tried nettles - they're great eating and easily (if painfully!) identifiable. Other simple ones are blackberries (obviously!), dandilion leaves, and this time of year the young hawthorn leaves (once the blossoms have passed and the new green leaves have come out). Ramsons are also in season now and easily identifiable by their strong garlic smell annd small white flowers and can be visually identified from any wild food book. Red clover flowers are also a good one.
Have a little confidence, but stay within acceptable boundaries. Very few plants have 'deadly cousins' as you put it. Have fun.
Thanks.
- Dazza.
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Post by dazza on Apr 11, 2007 17:55:57 GMT
It is harder living in the country, and often NOT the rural idyll that the more urban-based would believe. Dependence on personal transport (rather than public) is a necessity.
But would you swap??? Nope, neither would I ;D
(Modified for bod spullingz)
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Post by dazza on Mar 19, 2007 13:58:04 GMT
We have to really - we're on a tank, not mains serwerage, and anything else mucks up the tank's natural digestion process. Can't put fats down the sink either - same problem!
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Post by dazza on Mar 4, 2007 1:59:13 GMT
Or do what we do: once you've knocked the seedling out of its pot, plant it up and then 'plant' the empty pot to the side of it. Creates a nice little hole (pot hole???) into which you can water over the seasons.
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Post by dazza on Mar 6, 2007 13:17:09 GMT
I dunno, there was something unconvincing about it as a whole.
The coverage of the felling and bleeding out was straight up as was the skinning and processing. There was also a vet-tech giving commentary on what was going on which provided some good insight for those unfamiliar with the slaughtering process.
Where it started to get a bit surreal was with the live-cookery-show / audience reaction bit. I really not sure what this added beyond highlighting the already well known national naivety to all things animal.
I found it bizarre that they would take the carcass straight into butchery and food prep - the meat was still warm without rigor mortis or maturation. It did look somewhat flaccid and unappealing, but once cooked (flash fried) elicited the expected oohs and aahs of the "mechanically reclaimed” munching audience.
If the purpose was to educate, why not show the fresh and then feed them properly hung and matured meat (you could tell the butcher there would have preferred this). They would have then tasted and experienced the final proper “meat” product rather than just fresh killed animal. I’ve had both and there is a big difference.
I came out with something of a "so-far-so-what?" attitude to be honest. All the vegetarians in the audience were still all vegetarians and all the meat eaters all responded from the “I’ll still continue eating meat but have more respect about where it came from…” cue card.
In summary, the following through of the abattoir process was interesting and necessarily graphic. The “We’ve installed windows and hidden cameras throughout…” bit was a little too Big Brother House and the audience “Ready Steady Cook” section afterwards was just strange and probably unnecessary. I will watch the next one but I doubt if I’ll make the series.
Sorry you missed it hope that helps! All my own opinion of course and I'd value other viewpoints ;D
- Dazza.
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Post by dazza on Apr 12, 2007 21:33:28 GMT
Dare one say Waspish??? ;D ;D <Ducks and covers...>
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Post by dazza on Apr 12, 2007 13:24:43 GMT
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Post by dazza on Mar 21, 2007 13:32:20 GMT
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Post by dazza on Mar 5, 2007 20:05:13 GMT
Here's a quick country recipe for those of you suffering from the various coughs and colds of the season. Historically, this was made from ramson (which start appearing about now in the hedgrows) and stored onions, but this version is updated.
Take a large onion, 1 bulb of garlic and some light brown sugar. Peel and finely chop the onion and the garlic (don't worry too much about getting all the fiddly peel off the cloves).
Take a ~1lb jam jar and put a 1cm layer of sugar in. Add an equal sized layer of onion, then sugar, then garlic and keep repeating until the jar is full or all ingredients used.
Pack down a little (don't crush!) and screw on the lid.
Leave it in the fridge for 2-3 days. During this time, the sugar will draw out all the juices from the onion and garlic and liquify. Once done, strain through some muzzy or a tea strainer into an appropriate bottle. Take 2 teaspoons 3 - 4 times a day and store in the fridge.
Don't taste too good but it's suprisingly effective.
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Post by dazza on Mar 4, 2007 23:53:52 GMT
I planted 28 grape vines last year as an experiment, half black (Triomph D'Alcase) and half white (Madelene Angevine). Hopefully this year we'll get some good growth and grapes next. We're lucky not to have rabbit around here - just giant mutant ninja slugs.
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Post by dazza on Mar 4, 2007 1:53:09 GMT
It's still a bit early up this way. All we've got in is some kale, leeks and garlic from last year. But the rotavating is done, my new windbreaking hedge is planted (30 meters of it) and as soon as it dries out and warms through we'll be planting the early beans and peas and filling the greenhouse shelves (and the father-in-law's too!!).
Those seeglings look nearly ready to prick out. (stop laughing stormy).
- Dazza.
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