Foraging

Today was the first really sunny warm day for ages and I wasn't working so it was the ideal opportunity to do some foraging. This time last year (I will be writing that phrase a lot because I should have started this blog when we first moved onto the boat, but it is useful to compare last year with this) we were still living in our house and hoping that the sale would go through. Everything we ate or used came from the supermarket.

What a difference this year! Most of our heating comes from wood gathered from the tow path or during our walks in local woods or footpaths, especially by the estuary where the wood has been well seasoned by being washed up from the salt water. A couple of weeks ago I came across some apple trees on one of my cycle rides through the countryside and was able to fill my ruck sack with apples and go back for more until I have now collected enough for us to press and make cider out of - watch this space on Sunday when we have booked the equipment for. Last Sunday I walked for 8 miles along the tow path and came back with sloes, damsons and blackberries. I spent today making sloe / damson gin having put the fruit in the freezer in order to simulate an early frost which is supposed to improve the flavour. here is a recipe:

1 lb sloes / damsons
1 pint gin
12 oz sugar

wash and dry the fruit and freeze for at least a couple of days. Mix fruit, gin and sugar together in a bottle and shake twice a day for 2 weeks, then once a week for 4-8 weeks. Then strain the liquid through a muslin cloth, bottle and leave for a couple of months.

I've never done this before so will keep you posted!

Today I picked blackberries and made chutney. here is a recipe! :

1 red onion
2 large chillis
3cm fresh ginger
1lb blackberries
45 gram sugar
30 ml red wine vinegar

Cut up onion, chilli and ginger finely and fry in  a tablespoon of olive oil for 3 mins until soft. add the blackberries and cook for a further 5 mins. Then add the sugar and vinegar and bring to the boil, simmer for 15-20 mins until it thickens. Place in storage jars while still hot.

I'll let you know how this turns out too as I've never done this before either!

The sunset was spectacular tonight and we sat on the stern with a glass of wine and chatted to our neighbour who is a lovely lad. He is the perfect neighbour to have on a marina like ours, in that he is there for a chat early evening, but never imposes. He has never invited himself on our boat (and we have never seen the inside of his either) and goes inside when it gets dark keeping himself to himself.

We all live in such close proximity that everyone has to be sensitive to each others space for a successful social environment. We got on really well with our neighbours when we lived in a house - they were great people and we still keep in touch. They would often knock at our back door or come in the front and shout for us, but then we lived in a big terraced house and that worked. Our boat is 57ft and as such the space is very private and personal and thank goodness genuine boaters respect that.

I cycled into town this morning because it was market day and managed to get some venison which I got into the slow cooker in time for it to be ready for our evening meal. A slow cooker is an essential item for boaters because if you go out for a cruise for the day, you can put a meal in the slow cooker and by virtue of having the engine running you get your power as a by product, so it cooks as you are travelling. Fantastic!

We plan to go out on Friday so .... watch this space!

One happy boater!