"Have you seen the forecast?"
That was what just about everybody said when Al (The Big Lebowski) and I announced we were going for an overnighter this weekend, plus one half-disbelieving half-admiring "You guys are hardcore".
Dunno what all the fuss was about. Just a severe weather warning for torrential rain, with a few gales thrown in.
Are we bushcrafters or not?
To be fair, Saturday was just grey and largely dry, so once my wife had got back from shopping (she took the car) I set off to meet Al. We packed up, grabbed a little supplemental food, and went for a forage.
First up were some St George's mushrooms, growing in profusion on a grassy bank. More about them later. Then we hunted out some three cornered leek, which in this part of the world is pretty uncommon. I'd never seen it before, and took some pictures
From there we were off to a lane where wild onion grows in profusion, and dug up a few of those, and gathered some hogweed and cow parsley for good measure. Then down to the coast to collect an armload of sea beet (wild spinach) and sample the other goodies growing there.
By this point we had enough food for about six people, but our next stop was Tesco, where Al foraged up the ingredients for a recipe he wanted to try, and I mounted a raid on the 'reduced price' shelf. The result was yet more food, although neither of us having eaten at this point, we did reduce the quantities somewhat shortly afterwards
Then it was off to the camp in the woods. By this point the wind was starting to pick up, so we ended up in a more sheltered spot than originally intended.
Al got a fire going to preheat the dutch oven, and I helped by letting him, and taking pictures
The main meal involved a slab of double-smoked belly pork that I had procured a week earlier, and given to Al for his birthday. Foolishly, he had elected to share it with me. Lucky me. Here it is, cut into chunks, browning. The aroma was awesome.
To this, over the course of the next 2-3 hours, was added diced salami (various), smoked bacon, St Georges mushrooms, a red onion, the wild onions, some chopped tomatoes, paprika, cannelini beans, and a sacrificial measure of port (reluctantly on Al's part). I cheered him up with some of last year's sloe gin, and ended up with remarkably little of it, as it turned out.
Whilst we were waiting a fallow doe came charging up the hill towards us, braking to an astonished halt at meeting us, just 15 feet or so away, before turning and fleeing into the trees. You could almost see Al thinking frantically "Venison! How fast can I whittle a sharp stick?"
At the end, we steamed up the chopped hogweed and cow parsley, and layered the sea beet on top of the rest of the dish in the dutch oven. The end product, as is usual with Mr Lebowski's efforts, was superb. Very rich in flavour, and the greens balanced it nicely. Well done sir
That taken care of we built the fire up, and finished off the port.
We timed going to bed perfectly, since the rain started just as we turned in to our hammocks.
That was one of those nights of lying there thinking "There's another tree cracking. That one sounded closer. That tree nearby didn't look too stable earlier. Am I going to be alright? What was that thud? Something just hit my tarp. Good grief this tree I'm suspended from is shaking. What was that?..."
Miraculously we survived to the morning, fried up a bit of bacon (Being a lightweight, I had a dodgy tummy and worse head from the alcohol), packed up, and left.
The walk out was horrible, being uphill, into the wind, and torrential, but we made it.
Then to finish off I drove us on a scenic tour round the county, ending in a visit to the farm shop where I bought the belly pork. There we were greeted with complementary coffees (very good indeed) and a plate of samples of pancetta, smoked ham, and a fennel salami. The last was to die for, and Al couldn't leave without buying some. I had no money, but will be back. Best salami I've ever had.
And then home (via Tesco's again).
What a great weekend. Thanks big man for another great trip, and for showing me some excellent foraging and a few species I've never seen before.
Until the next one.
That was what just about everybody said when Al (The Big Lebowski) and I announced we were going for an overnighter this weekend, plus one half-disbelieving half-admiring "You guys are hardcore".
Dunno what all the fuss was about. Just a severe weather warning for torrential rain, with a few gales thrown in.
Are we bushcrafters or not?To be fair, Saturday was just grey and largely dry, so once my wife had got back from shopping (she took the car) I set off to meet Al. We packed up, grabbed a little supplemental food, and went for a forage.
First up were some St George's mushrooms, growing in profusion on a grassy bank. More about them later. Then we hunted out some three cornered leek, which in this part of the world is pretty uncommon. I'd never seen it before, and took some pictures
From there we were off to a lane where wild onion grows in profusion, and dug up a few of those, and gathered some hogweed and cow parsley for good measure. Then down to the coast to collect an armload of sea beet (wild spinach) and sample the other goodies growing there.
By this point we had enough food for about six people, but our next stop was Tesco, where Al foraged up the ingredients for a recipe he wanted to try, and I mounted a raid on the 'reduced price' shelf. The result was yet more food, although neither of us having eaten at this point, we did reduce the quantities somewhat shortly afterwards
Then it was off to the camp in the woods. By this point the wind was starting to pick up, so we ended up in a more sheltered spot than originally intended.
Al got a fire going to preheat the dutch oven, and I helped by letting him, and taking pictures
The main meal involved a slab of double-smoked belly pork that I had procured a week earlier, and given to Al for his birthday. Foolishly, he had elected to share it with me. Lucky me. Here it is, cut into chunks, browning. The aroma was awesome.
To this, over the course of the next 2-3 hours, was added diced salami (various), smoked bacon, St Georges mushrooms, a red onion, the wild onions, some chopped tomatoes, paprika, cannelini beans, and a sacrificial measure of port (reluctantly on Al's part
). I cheered him up with some of last year's sloe gin, and ended up with remarkably little of it, as it turned out.Whilst we were waiting a fallow doe came charging up the hill towards us, braking to an astonished halt at meeting us, just 15 feet or so away, before turning and fleeing into the trees. You could almost see Al thinking frantically "Venison! How fast can I whittle a sharp stick?"
At the end, we steamed up the chopped hogweed and cow parsley, and layered the sea beet on top of the rest of the dish in the dutch oven. The end product, as is usual with Mr Lebowski's efforts, was superb. Very rich in flavour, and the greens balanced it nicely. Well done sir
That taken care of we built the fire up, and finished off the port.
We timed going to bed perfectly, since the rain started just as we turned in to our hammocks.
That was one of those nights of lying there thinking "There's another tree cracking. That one sounded closer. That tree nearby didn't look too stable earlier. Am I going to be alright? What was that thud? Something just hit my tarp. Good grief this tree I'm suspended from is shaking. What was that?..."
Miraculously we survived to the morning, fried up a bit of bacon (Being a lightweight, I had a dodgy tummy and worse head from the alcohol), packed up, and left.
The walk out was horrible, being uphill, into the wind, and torrential, but we made it.
Then to finish off I drove us on a scenic tour round the county, ending in a visit to the farm shop where I bought the belly pork. There we were greeted with complementary coffees (very good indeed) and a plate of samples of pancetta, smoked ham, and a fennel salami. The last was to die for, and Al couldn't leave without buying some. I had no money, but will be back. Best salami I've ever had.
And then home (via Tesco's again).
What a great weekend. Thanks big man for another great trip, and for showing me some excellent foraging and a few species I've never seen before.
Until the next one.
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