Preparedness for when

thenanny2die4

I agree with you all about last year being appalling for growing pretty much everything except runners. It was a case of "grow a bit, stop growing, rot away" for most of our veggies although I do still have some *whispers for Mardatha's benefit* kale.

GreyQueen, I've cooked squirrel. Admittedly, it came shrink-wrapped from a local game fair though. DH has a thing about wanting to eat unusual foods so I agreed to have a go with it but (given that I've been veggie for 25 years) I didn't join him in the meal. Can't say it smelt much like chicken; it was pretty stinky and gamey.

pineapple

GreyQueen wrote: »

PMSL! Love it!

There's a perplexed version of me, too; I see her every time I look into a mirror.........:rotfl:

At first, when I saw your response to perplexed pineapple I thought 'what is she on about?'. Is someone being funny? Or is the confusion that obvious? And I thought I was hiding it so well.... :rotfl:

Perplexed_Pineapple

pineapple wrote: »

OMG there's a perplexed version of me! :eek::eek::eek:

Heh, I'm afraid it isn't in homage to your supreme pineappliness...

meme30

Goodness me , you really got my brain going last night. I loved the seed company website.
http://www.realseeds.co.uk/index.html

It had never occurred to me that places like the Ukraine and the Czech Republic would be growing hardier types of veg than us! Daft really, because when you put your mind to it it's obvious!
There was so much stuff that will grow in the north and further north than I am.
Last year I managed to grow some stuff in an Ik*a blue bag and grow tumbling tomatoes in a couple of T*sco wine bags hanging on a south facing wall.
Fennel did well but the slugs did for the courgettes.:(
I am inspired to grow an outdoor cucumber and the Pak choi and Kale will grow here and we love them stir-fried.
Although we have a big garden, physically a couple of blue bags will be all I could cope with. Mind you I could put some of their Beetroot in amongst the raised border. Oh my brain is whizzing!:rotfl:

OMG I just read this!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20911373

Just terrifying! :eek:

[Deleted User]

the_cake wrote: »

Re growing veg in "challenging" (!!) conditions - I have had great success and lovely tasting veg from the Real Seed Company in Wales ... will attempt a linky:
Hurray, seems to have worked. They are a very interesting company, and all their info. is relevant and very helpful. Cannot recommend them highly enough.

Another long time lurker here :j

Can I just say I am right there with the Cake and Pineapple about the Real Seed Company. When they say something will grow in in cold windy conditions it does! The one's that have done well for me are:

Leeks - 'Bleu de Solaise'
Kale
Sutherland Kale
Turnips - 'Navet de Nancy' and 'Petrowski' (incredibly easy to grow)
Kyoto Market onionsLatah tomatoes - grew these in a potting shed which has no windows and only a plastic clear corrugated roof!
Sprouts - Seven Hills
Cabbage - Golden Acre

I have no connection with the company - just love them and what they do Without giving too much away about where I live ... these are being grown on a 'northern island'

thriftwizard

I've cooked squirrel. Admittedly, it came shrink-wrapped from a local game fair though. DH has a thing about wanting to eat unusual foods so I agreed to have a go with it but (given that I've been veggie for 25 years) I didn't join him in the meal. Can't say it smelt much like chicken; it was pretty stinky and gamey.

Sounds like it'd been hung for too long. I can't understand why people like to hang game for so long - pheasant, for example, tastes delicious when fresh - but there must be something in that high, gamey taste that appeals to them?

Popperwell

Speaking of food increasing in price...

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/store-boss-warns-food-price-rise-053835990.html?bcmt_s=m#7VNvtXi

GreyQueen

thriftwizard wrote: »

Sounds like it'd been hung for too long. I can't understand why people like to hang game for so long - pheasant, for example, tastes delicious when fresh - but there must be something in that high, gamey taste that appeals to them?

Yeah, I don't care for that high taste either. Wild meats have a strong flavour anyway compare with farmed meats and I don't feel it necessary to add to it.

I listened to an article the other year about a butcher who was selling grey squirrel dressed and packed at £2.50 a pop and finding plenty of takers. They interviewed some of his customers and tastes like chicken was the universal remark. A local was shooting them with an airgun, if memory serves.

There's an awful lot of deer on the hoof in the UK, thanks to our skewed eco-system (removal of the top predators). Scotland isn't naturally bald of trees. We have a lot of deer around here, all the species, and back when I worked in the motor trade it was fairly common for the mechanics to have cars in with their steering totally burgered because they'd hit a deer. Didn't do a lot for the animal either.:(

Just like to mention that bow-hunting is apparently against the law in this country, in case anyone was going to take potshots and Peter Wabbit or Bambi. Although I have personally hunted pheasants with a Ford Fiesta and can report considerable success. We used to casserole the ones we'd hit.

You can pan-fry the meat after rolling it in flour and herbs and then casserole with carrots and celery. Nomnomnom.

mardatha

Am another who doesn't like game that's too old, I eat pheasant right away too and it's lovely.
Many thanks Pink Thrift, I have saved that list, it was Latah tomatoes that I grew on my livingroom windowsill and the neighbours were gobsmacked at how early.
I did grow the dreaded green stuff one year just to look the enemy in the eye but it won and I retreated. I want to try turnips because we eat that.
Lots and lots of amazing info and help and chat on this thread, I love it
I have that Cottage garden Diaries one Helen, she lives in the same village as my son not too far from me.
I have all the books, the problem is getting off one's a$$ and actually outside to do it :rotfl:

[Deleted User]

Mardatha, I grew Latah tomatoes because I read about you doing it. (I keep notes too, and if I read anything about a variety of plant that does well in cold climates I pop details in my notebook).

I'm trying Amish Paste tomatoes from Real Seeds this year (I'm awaiting delivery of the seeds) because they are supposed to be good cooked for pasta sauce.