Sunday Roundup

It has been a glorious day here weather-wise.

After gathering the cones yesterday, I popped them into a basket with the ones collected from last year.  I really need a large jar in which to store them for crafting and practical uses later in the year. I have all sorts of projects planned with wild items in the latter part of the year.  Until then, I am busy stockpiling specific items to use then as and when I find them.

I also gathered Cleavers and some of these are currently in the Dehydrator as I intend to use these for a green powder to add into stews etc. during the winter months.  You can make pasta with fresh Cleavers and I may well try this in the week to give it a whirl to see what it is like and whether it is worth making again and possibly drying.  I believe it is just the juice from the Cleavers that is  used in the recipe I have located.

I am gathering fresh Cleavers that have no seed pods or flowers on them.  The plants and growth are still young and are meant to be more tender where the older plants with flowers and seed pods apparently the sticky hairs get tougher.  It may be that I will not like this when it is all done, but at least am experimenting to try and find out. You never know either way. I have recently been following several blogs where proper long-standing Foragers make all sorts of wonderful dishes out of wild produce which is quite intriguing me and I would love to go on a proper Foraging course. I was taught to identify a lot of common-place wildings as a child, and although I am confident with the basics some of the items I am not so sure about.  Particularly fungi I hesitate and err on the side of caution.  I particularly like Puff Ball mushrooms when we can locate them, but I am not confident with any other type of Fungi even though I used to go with my Dad collecting Field Mushrooms as a child, and then coming home and having them fried.  They were delicious.  A long standing happy memory.  

I am not qualified in Herbalism or anything like that and this is something I am choosing to try myself so please use your own discretion and judgment; if unsure check with a qualified Herbalist especially if you are on medication.  I am not telling  you to try.  I have long-term immune system conditions (several not just one) and the Cleavers are meant to be of assistance with keeping the immune system working properly and an anti-inflammatory and blood cleaner.  I can only try and see if they help me. 

I intend to gather some more Cleavers possibly if we go on a walk today, to make some fresh tea as I still have not tried this.  It is meant to have a slight Cucumber flavour so will wait and see.

As I have mentioned before, I intend to get out sometime in the week for a couple of hours to have a proper forage to see what is out there and what useful bits and bobs I can bring home to play with.

We are having egg, bacon and tomatoes for tea tonight.  Neither of us are particularly hungry and for the past couple of evenings we have had "scratch teas" which did not consist of any cooking at all.  So time for a cooked tea despite it being a warm day.

Have a lovely evening.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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