It was getting tough in 2006 and the workhouse still threatens us in 2011

Churchmouse

SDG31000 wrote: »

Am I the only one wanting to eat things I normally eat in Autumm/Winter?
I've got a big pot of savoury mince simmering away, padded out with yellow stickered leeks, that I got for 50p a pack and froze, and value carrots, onions and mushrooms. I'm looking forward to it poured over a pile of buttery mash with baby sprouts and peas. Mmmmmmmm.
Normally I'm wanting to eat quiche and light pasta dishes and cous cous in August. I can't afford to start stockpiling carbs and fat onto my already ample thighs. There is already enough there to survive if not an Ice Age then a severe winter or 3.

Well I wasn't until i read your menu for tonight :rotfl: Sounds yummy

Can sympathise with the thighs *sigh* :cool:

Seakay

Red_Doe wrote: »

I eat game but not hung, since I don't like the 'high' flavour. Roadkill is actually ok provided some common sense is used...as in, it isn't squished flat (meat pancakes, not a good thing) and you can still gut it, and that it's recent...notes to look for, if the fur comes out of a furry thing too easily, it's too old, if feathers do likewise out of feathery things, same thing.
I think it makes sense for all meat eaters to know how to gut and butcher if need be, it's really just common sense and you never know when you might need to do it. That's just my opinion though and lots of folks are squeamish, I get that.
Seagull honestly isn't as bad as CDW says it is, that was perhaps just her personal tastes or whoever made it not treating it right beforehand. Folks will pay quite a pretty penny for game and seafowl in posh restaraunts, but shiver at the thought of eating it 'wild', which makes no sense to me.
There's no more bones in pheasant than any other bird btw
Regarding meat, there are quite a few things we don't generally eat in the UK that are still healthy, lean meats. Lots of people won't eat rabbit but it's one of the healthiest meats to eat. On the continent I ate horse, lovely, tasty and lean meat, very healthy and eaten regularly there.

I love pheasant and if I lived in an area where I regularly passed roadkill would definitely investigate to see if it was fresh.
I agree that it has no more bones then anything else, and the flesh is tasty and very low in fat.
CDW was talking about gugu (which is salt preserved gannet) I'm sure that seagull can't possibly be as bad!
I've always wondered what horse tasted like - I don't really see the logic of eating one large quadruped but not another.
As I understand it badgers are carnivores (please correct me if wrong) so I would be a little more nervous of tackling one without advice - however a quick Google revealed that there is indeed someone who can give that help!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/jan/31/foodanddrink.britishidentity

Just seen that you are a taxidermist, Red Doe (still catching up with todays pages) how facinating! I think that that is brilliant and I'm really glad that there are still people carrying on the craft! My sister once preserved a badgerskin from roadkill but aside from that she just cleans skulls as she doesn't have the skills/materials to do real taxidermy. (She's a vegetarian, by the way, just not a sentimental or squeamish one!)

HariboJunkie

rachbc wrote: »

Put me down for bramble vodi and a flower brooch!!

That would be a bad combination. After some of my bramble vodka you could do yourself a mischief.

ceridwen wrote: »

I find that I've had some "branches" on the plants going soft and brown and when I tug slightly off they come. The leaves on them look "poorly" as well.

Sounds like it could be botrytis. Are there are grey mould spore on the stems or leaves?

It's caused in the main by damp, !!!! conditions and lack of air circulation so you might get somewhere by thinning out your leaves a bit. Might be too late though and if it definitely isn't blight then strip the plants of any tomatoes you have and ripen them indoors where the botryitis won't get them.

Churchmouse

HariboJunkie wrote: »

We're eating winter comfort food as well. Sausage and cheesy mash for tea tonight. I'm sure it's because we bought a new BBQ this year.

Might have known it was your fault :D:rotfl:

SDG31000

HariboJunkie wrote: »

We're eating winter comfort food as well. Sausage and cheesy mash for tea tonight. I'm sure it's because we bought a new BBQ this year.

Desperately hoping for a dry day tommorrow. There are chanterelles, ceps and blayberries to be picked :j. Still too early for the hazelnuts, sloes and brambles but I have all my jars and gin ready to go.

Made lovely blueberry muffins today and also did a huge batch of dropped scones to have with HG strawbs and cream tonight and the rest have gone into the freezer for children's lunches as they go back to school in 6 days. :eek:

Redlady, we love peg dolies too. Today though we made felt hearts embellished with buttons and very lovely they are too.

Have sorted out my Christmas list now and know who's getting what from the hoped for stash of Sloe gin, bramble vodka, rhubarb jam, gooseberry jam, raspberry jam, mint jelly, wild mushroom oil, knitted hats, knitted flower brooches, wrist warmers, scarves, bath bombs and lavendar scented sachets.
Think I'd better get started. ;):rotfl:

How's the scones go Minnie? x

Could I have the recipe for Bramble Vodka please HariboJunkie?
And can I just say that I wish I was on your present list. They all sound fantastic.

Red_Doe

I've always wondered what horse tasted like - I don't really see the logic of eating one large quadruped but not another.

I thought it tasted like very fine, lean mild roast beef.
I lived on an isle for twenty years where salt fish and other suchlike delicacies were the norm, so maybe my palate became hardened to 'weird' stuff over the years

HariboJunkie

Churchmouse wrote: »

Might have known it was your fault :D:rotfl:

Most things are apparently. :rotfl:

SDG31000 wrote: »

Could I have the recipe for Bramble Vodka please HariboJunkie?
And can I just say that I wish I was on your present list. They all sound fantastic.

Bless you for the compliment but you haven't seen any of it. My knitting could look like THIS for all you know.

Bramble vodka recipe. Fill a large kilner jar 1/3 up with brambles. Add vodka to the top and a couple of tablespoons of sugar. I tend to like it like a liquer so add 6 tablespoons of sugar or more. Give it a good shake every day until the sugar has dissolved. leave for a couple of months (more than 3 is best) and decant (minus the fruit into bottles. Then eat the boozy fruit with ice cream. Same recipe goes with gin and any soft fruit or sloes.

Red_Doe wrote: »

I thought it tasted like very fine, lean mild roast beef.

I've never eaten horse but I'd never say neighver.

Red_Doe

I've never eaten horse but I'd never say neighver.

Groan...lol...:D

ceridwen

One further quick look at tomatoes later

- the main stems of the poorly ones are sorta grey-greeny/sorta mottled like.

As compared to on the 2nd tranche of tomatoes - where the stems are the normal uniform green as normal.

I've been tending to think that maybe I put these tomato plants out too soon - ie before the end of any frosty type weather and didnt acclimatise them properly and that thats maybe what they dont like...

Hobsons_Choice

Been to the Chazzers today, got a lovely Monsoon (you'll be a Mon Soon my son, as they say in the Black Country) top for £1.99, M&S trousers for £3.99 - still with the label on - and a couple of paperbacks that I couldn't get at the library.
On the way back, my neighbour's got a glut of runner beans, so I helped her out @ 50p a pound.
Result!