2020 an Interesting Year

It has so far been a year like no other but I'm glad to say that some things have remained constant.

We had an unseasonably hot spring which, along with my nettle beer, helped me through lockdown. Fruit-wise, the warm spring gave us a great crop of soft fruits, from which, my daughter created some truly spectacular deserts to cheer us all up.

The summer period contiued to be hot and dry for long periods and this seems to have hampered some fruit trees due to lack or water. Many apple trees had ripe fruit a month or two before they would normally.

As part of our frequent walks, we got out to gather Mulberries and make yet more delicious things, I have added some more recently to my cider - I successfully did this last year, as an experiment, to great effect.

I also gathered enough Elderberries to make a gallon of port/wine, so perhaps I will be able to test its alleged antiviral properties, in a highly un scientific manner.

At the moment, it looks like our normal, public Apple Day event at Mansbridge Community Orchard, will not be able to proceed due to government restrictions on gatherings but we been doing plenty of pressing, with Apples and Pears, at home in our garden.

Of course, more fruit means better cakes, provided you have some great cooks in the house. If you don't have great cooks, you can always learn some new skills yourself. In difficult times, it is important to adapt; change is normal, be agile, be creative, keep fit & healthy, build resilliance into your bodies and family systems...

Nutty Flapjack / Museli / Energy / Snack Bars

We had two baskets of Hazelnuts and Walnuts that had not been used since Christmas. The nuts had been sitting, lonely on the side and I reasoned that we ought to be able to make some super tasty muesli/energy/trail/snack bars using some of them.

My daughter did a little research to make up a simple recipe that used up ingredients that we already had in our cupboards. I told her that she should improvise and replace one thing with another if necessary. Flour, rolled oats, butter and syrup form the base of Flapjack, and whatever else you add makes it more interesting, tasty and nutritious.

The following is what we ended up with and it worked fantastically using our nuts and some other simple things that we had available.

Ingredients

• Self Raising Flour - 100g
• Rolled Oats - 300g
• Hazelnuts and Walnuts - 250g
• Flaked Coconut - 50g
• Sesame Seeds - 50g
• Pumpkin Seeds - 100g
• Raisins - 125g
• Soft Brown Sugar - 200g
• Butter - 200g
• Golden Syrup - 125ml

Method

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Melt the butter and syrup in a saucepan then allow to cool for 5 mins before mixing thoroughly into the bowl with a spoon.
3. Using a baking tray about 2cm deep, line with greaseproof paper and then press the mixture into the tin.
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 170 degrees Centigrade for 25 minutes.
5. Allow the baked mixture to cool in the tin, it will be soft at first but will firm up as it gets colder.
6. Cut the delicious flapjack into squares and eat.
   

It will probably keep for a week or so in an airtight tin but it will never last that long in our house!

Fruity Beauty

Yesterday I heard two articles on Radio 4 that caused me to stop and think about the implications of the Urbane Forager project, beyond my family sphere.

A Large, Misshapen Pear Yesterday

First, in a belated rear-guard action against fruity fascism, Waitrose supermarket is now selling weather damaged apples at a reduced cost. This rather strange phrase also applies to ugly or misshapen fruit, which somehow doesn't conform to the current warped ideal of Fruity Beauty.

All Different All Tasty

Well, here at the Urbane Forager we have long recognised the fact that fruit, like people, comes in many shapes, sizes, flavours and colours. The world is a richer place for this; there are over a thousand varieties of apples in the UK alone. Some of my favourite apples are knobbly, russety or possess unique profiles. A quick glance at any of my Usual Suspects or Apple Matrix pictures illustrates this fact. As a society, we should be concerned about waste and in the current financial climate individuals and industry should be reducing it as much as possible.

Don't Judge Us By Our Skin Colour

Thinking about saving money brings me to the second news item that came shortly afterward. Once again, an expert was stating that families apparently cannot afford to buy healthy food and somehow end up eating crisps and junk-food instead of fruit and vegetables. It doesn’t take a genius to spot that this is a matter of education, habit and culture rather than just money. Various people including the well-meaning Jamie Oliver have attempted to address this very serious issue.

Better Than Crisps

Take a brief look back over this year’s blog entries and see the vast amount of fruit and nuts that we have collected - over 200 Kgs of apples for starters – all for free and all from within the city environment. Of course it takes a certain amount of time and knowledge to locate and pick fruit and that is partly what the Urbane Forager project is all about, to demonstrate what can be achieved, if you want and if you can be bothered.

Loads of Free Apples

As an aside, I called the Soil Society to ask if I could define my foraged fruit and nuts as “Organic” and so arguably, healthier. From my interpretation of their definition, it seemed that I could. However, they were unable to give me an answer at the time and this seemed to be because I was eating, not selling the produce (so I wouldn't be wanting to pay the Soil Society any fees), they failed to call me back but in any case, it makes no difference.

A Real Plum Spot

Miraculously, just as the cherry trees were starting to look a little empty – I spotted a Cherry Plum tree that was laden with ripening fruit. I tried a couple, then quickly filled my empty sandwich box and headed back.

My First Cherry Plums of 2011

These beautiful little fruits are always simple to spot because people do not often bother to crop them at all, hence you tend to notice the fruity mess, squashed all over the pavement.

Squashed Messy Fruit - Look Up!

Cherry plums come in many colours and will differ likewise in taste but they will all cook nicely. I have seen Red, Yellow Purple and Green varieties, all of which taste great straight off the tree. It is easy to tell when they are ready for harvesting, as they will be falling of their own accord and should come off into your hand just by touching.

Many Colours but all Plums

Closely related fruits are the Greengage, Damson, Bullace and Wild Plum. Again, they vary greatly in size, taste and colour but all can be eaten or cooked.

The Usual Suspects

It’s worth remembering (especially if you have young children) that the pavement is not always the best place to pick from, especially if it is beside a busy road. Fortunately, there is often a field on the other side of the hedge, so this is where your young pickers should be installed.

Green Plums - Possibly Bullace

These tasty hedgerow fruits can be eaten straight of the tree or made into Pies, Jam, Chutney, Cordial, Schnapps, Wine and a hundred other lovely things. Most recipes that I know do not include the stones, so you might as well take them out as soon as you get home, if you intend to cook with them.

Red Cherry Plums

You can then freeze the halves in the same way as I described for cherries. Of course, they will keep on the windowsill (as they are) for a while, if you just want to eat them as the fancy takes you.

Pitted and Ready to Freeze

It might be worth experimenting a little with drying these fruits – home made prunes anyone? Actually these things often taste a lot nicer than they sound.

Another Loaded Tree Waiting to be Turned into Chutney, Jam or Pies

I think it may be about time to get the child supported blanket out again and shake a tree or two this weekend.

Summer Plum Recipes

Trail Mix Trial

Last night I finally produced my fabled Trail Mix, nine months after harvesting the main ingredients (I had the idea for this after the kids and I gathered a record crop of walnuts last year).

Trail Mix

After drying some cherries in the sun, I mixed them with the remains of last year’s walnuts and hazel nuts to create this tasty, filling and very healthy snack.

I was cracking away for half the evening it seemed - then in the morning I promptly forgot to take the box to work with me…