Allotment growing and bushcraft grub

[Nomad]

I recently got a half plot at an allotment, and I'm currently in the process of preparing it. My main interest plant-wise is stuff I can eat cold, like strawberries, tomatoes, peas, etc, but it occurs to me that there is a possibility of growing stuff that could be taken on bushcraft outings. Maybe things that can be dried and stored.

Any suggestions on what I could (attempt to) grow? Climate is south east Scotland, if it helps.

 

[Toddy]

There's always peas If you've got a good sunny bit, then they can grow really well. I manage to grow oats and barley too. Fruits can be dried, and they make even better fruit leather and if you just grow a selection of veggies they can be cooked, chopped small and dried to make great broth, soup and stew mixes Herbs like sage are actually better tasting dried than fresh, but almost any herb, with a little care, will dry for storage and taking with you.

Tbh, it's more important I think that you know what you will eat, and kind of work from that. There's no point growing stuff like celery if you won't eat it, for instance.

Best of luck with it

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Nomad]

The locals tell my that my spot gets good sun, so I think peas for sure. Not sure what fruits I might do other than strawberries (and they'll be scoffed long before they get dried out). Maybe a couple of drawf apple trees or something.

What's fruit leather?

Soup and stew mixes sounds like a good idea (would go well with some chopped-up Polish sausage). Already thinking of growing various herbs (thyme goes well in soups). You're right - I won't be growing celery (it's boufin').

 

[Toddy]

I like celery leaves in my salad and I like cream of celery soup, but otherwise it's a mouthful of stringy stuff.

Fruit leathers are simply fruit puree dried out in sheets in a dehydrator, but you can do it in the oven too, especially if you use those £store baking tray liner sheets.

We dry apples and pears, but they're better peeled and decored first. If you save all those scraps (minus the wee black hairy bits that used to be the inside bits of the flower) and boil them up, mash them down and then strain them through a coarse sieve, then you'll get a really good puree. Simmer that down carefully until it's syrupy and simply spread it out on the sheets and dry it. Absolutely delicious No added sugar (no need) no waste and it's really good food

Blackcurrants and rasps are easy to grow here too. Very rich in vitaminC, easy to store and they make everything from jam and jelly to ribena type cordials.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[santaman2000]

I like celery leaves in my salad and I like cream of celery soup, but otherwise it's a mouthful of stringy stuff.....

True if eaten plain. But it makes a good container to stuff with something (pimento cheese comes to mind) And it's definitely a neccessity to make the trinity.

 

[Toddy]

Sorry Santaman2000, you've lost me......pimento cheese...like seasoned cream cheese? and 'the trinity' ? must mean different things that side of the pond

cheers,
M

 

[British Red]

Carrots, Yacon, blackcurrant, blackberry, raspberry, gooseberry, onion, shallot, welsh onion, ramson, apple, pear, cherry, lettuce, spring onion, cucumber, chicory, sorrel, oca, fennel.....and many more can call be eaten cold

 

[santaman2000]

Sorry Santaman2000, you've lost me......pimento cheese...like seasoned cream cheese? and 'the trinity' ? must mean different things that side of the pond

cheers,
M

-Pimento cheese definition and one of the many recipes: www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6877304 It can have cream cheese as an added ingredient but personally I wouldn't.

-Trinity is the Cajun and Creole basic veg combination for adding to other recipes: 2 parts chopped onion, 1 part chopped bell pepper, and 1 part chopped celery. All sauted and added to other recipes (everything from gumbo to chile to steak sauces, etc.)

 

[Everything Mac]

I would have thought that blackberries, currents and such like would be worthwhile. Raspberries?

Would apple trees not take some considerable time to mature etc?


I'd be going the root veg route myself. I love all that stuff!


Cheers

 

[Tadpole]

I recently got a half plot at an allotment, and I'm currently in the process of preparing it. My main interest plant-wise is stuff I can eat cold, like strawberries, tomatoes, peas, etc, but it occurs to me that there is a possibility of growing stuff that could be taken on bushcraft outings. Maybe things that can be dried and stored.

Any suggestions on what I could (attempt to) grow? Climate is south east Scotland, if it helps.

Onions, shallots Garlic, broad beans, Jerusalem artichokes, peas, pea shoots, French beans courgettes/marrows. Tomato, bell peppers, and the like need warmth, so unless you get really good sun, for a long period, then you'll best rely on making chutney and pickles, but pickled peppers and chillies make great Christmas gifts, or bartering items.

 

[jacko1066]

What about the good old potato?
Again it can be made into a leather the same as fruit and added to things to thicken soups sauces etc.

Iv also read that sweet potato bark is very nice too!!

 

[Armleywhite]

'the trinity' ? must mean different things that side of the pond

cheers,
M

European cooking uses a trinity as well. In a lot of cooking you'd use a trinity of carrot, onion and celery as the initial base in things like ragu, bolognese's etc. I hate celery, but chop it really fine so it disintegrates in the cooking process.

 

[santaman2000]

European cooking uses a trinity as well. In a lot of cooking you'd use a trinity of carrot, onion and celery as the initial base in things like ragu, bolognese's etc.....

Yep. But that combination is called "mirapoix."

 

[Toddy]

I hadn't associated it with any cooking term

Chopped that finely is how I make the soup, sometimes scattered through salad with the leaves too, I'm more inclined to use the seeds in a boullion and then strain out.

cheers,
M

 

[Armleywhite]

Yep. But that combination is called "mirapoix."

Pedant.

 

[HillBill]

Carrots, Yacon, blackcurrant, blackberry, raspberry, gooseberry, onion, shallot, welsh onion, ramson, apple, pear, cherry, lettuce, spring onion, cucumber, chicory, sorrel, oca, fennel.....and many more can call be eaten cold

Blueberries, lingonberries, honeyberries, loganberries, tayberries, wild strawberries, red currants, ........

 

[Toddy]

I had a look in my Larousse Gastronomique and it doesn't mention trinity either

It's a big world

cheers,
M

 

[northumbrian]

I had a look in my Larousse Gastronomique and it doesn't mention trinity either

It's a big world

cheers,
M

ahh - the big book of food ! there's some knowlege stored in there ! i think the french call it something else but most of all the worlds great cooking methods have a trio of base ingredients.

 

[Armleywhite]

I had a look in my Larousse Gastronomique and it doesn't mention trinity either

It's a big world

cheers,
M

As Santaman stated, the European (French) term is actually "mirapoix"

 

[Toddy]

I use the celeriac, onions and carrots as a mirepoix with herbs, but then the onion is thrown away once it's given up it's goodness and so not to give windy indigestion to folks, just like the boiled celery if used in bouillion.

The celeriac is a really useful root vegetable, it dries well and adds a fair bit of flavour to home made broth and stew mixes. Grows fairly easily too and it's edible raw.

cheers,
M