UKH

We've begun isolating, but I realised that I was short on garlic which I mentioned to a friend. Why not forage some ramsons he replied? So this afternoon mini Weasel and I have collected a good bag full which I have sweated down in virgin rapeseed oil is now frozen in several batches with another in the fridge . The house smells great and looking forward to cooking with some!

How's everyone else's lock down gastronomy going? 

Another surefire foraging tip at the moment is hogweed shoots. Delicious fried in a little butter or mixed with creme fraiche and stuffed under the skin of a roast chicken.

I'm restricted to the hairy bittercress crowing in the cracks in the back yard at the moment though.

A couple of days ago I had a ferret in the food cupboard (more because we couldn't be bothered to cook anything than out of store stress) and found a half tin of baked beans that expired in 2017. I haven't dared eat baked beans for years as the more senior gut doesn't seem to be able to process carbs without agonising bloating followed by devastating wind, so we had an air freshener ready and the window latched open but almost disappointingly, nothing happened at all. Maybe my gut flora has changed because I haven't travelled to Africa much in the last couple of years. The only conclusion of any interest was that in 2016 baked beans contained more sugar.

I'm a shop every day, kind of person and whilst I'm not in self isolation, I want to reduce that significantly. I have been going through recipes compiling lists for favourite recipes, so I have a weekly store cupboard check list and a list of fresh ingredients for a weeks worth of great meals. I'm sure lots of people do this, but I have never really got around to it.

That's a bit beyond foraging to be fair.

Was that supposed to sound rude? It reminded me of Finnbar Saunders from Viz.

I was just thinking it was a funny place to keep it...

Something out of an old last of the summer wine episode...

Nothing beats triple fried homemade mixed veg chips, but respect the hot fat. Respect It!

Sounds good! I'll be round when this all blows over...

Daal with ramson paste is ready and smelling awesome, just need to dry fry chapattis now.

Mrs Weasel went into her travelling in India mode when we first heard about the possibility of having to lock down and bought several kilos of lentils and chapatti flour. Her top tip is if you run out of fresh foods and salad then start sprouting beans for abundant long life salad. 

Vikings (singing elaborately): Spam spam spam spam. Lovely spam! Wonderful spam! Spam spa-a-a-a-a-am spam spa-a-a-a-a-am spam. Lovely spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam! Spam spam spam spam!

Almonds.

Wizz with sesame oil or groundnut into paste/ butter. Great on toast with ribbons of courgette.

What did it taste like, chicken?

You kidnapping Barrons cousin?

Stoatally delicious !

Having completed my booze inventory I decided not to risk running out, so dug out the elderflower juice that I froze last season and now got three gallons of elderflower sparkley on the go.  I also bought some Lidl gin to finish off the sloes and bullace and damsons foraged last autumn and lurking in the bottom of the freezer.

Dandelions starting to show, so will soon pick a load and will get a batch of my dandelion sherry on the go.

Anyone collected birch sap?

          . . . is this a mutating corvid evolving as a consequence of the present crisis?