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Thursday 19 August 2010

Free bounty!

This afternoon I was out in the garden at the front of the house doing some weeding and I noticed that the blackberries on the other side of the fence alongside the footpath were ripe.

Now this path is used by dog walkers and during term time mothers taking their children to and from school but they obviously don't have the necessary tools and footwear to hand when they pass this bounty. I got my wellington boots and a rake and thus prepared was able to get close enough to pick a bowl full - not without getting scratched and stung of course but as my mother used to say "If a thing's worth having it's worth paying for"!!

Now within 5 minutes of picking I had some in the freezer - can't get much faster than that can you? And this bowl which we shall use later this afternoon. As I sat over a cup of tea in the garden I browsed through my book "Country Harvest" by Rosamund Richardson which I bought about 20 years ago as much for the photographs which are by Linda Burgess, and are as always absolutely beautiful, as for the recipes.


I could make some jam - the book has recipes for blackberry jelly, blackberry and apple jam, blackberry cheese, Damson and blackberry jam .......

Or maybe I'll try the blackberry and apple cake or the crumble....

Chocolate and blackberry brownies sound delicious too - what a pity I am finally succeeding in losing some weight and don't want to undo all the good I have so far achieved..... :-(

I also noticed that the nut tree is loaded with nuts - the squirrel has been busy all week - I hadn't realised that squirrels could chatter so much - I thought it was some kind of bird I could hear but no it was the squirrel getting agitated!

He'd better be quick as although badgers don't climb nut trees (they'd be far too heavy for the skinny branches) they do eat the ones that fall to the ground and these are on the bank in our driveway so we are in for a few weeks of badger crunching and snuffling at bed time I see!

21 comments:

  1. Nothing like free bounty is there, especially the yummy variety!

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  2. I have Blackberries growing wild in my garden, I'm off to see if they are ripe!
    Julie xxxxxxx

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  3. I don't even think Birdseye freeze their produce that quick!!!

    All those recipies sound wonderful - especially the Blackberry Cheese.

    Happy baking.
    Jill x

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  4. I love blackberries, very moreish. I've got that book too, it's beautiful isn't it. I've never made anything from it either, I just like looking at the pictures.

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  5. Yum, such a treatpost!

    Anna x

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  6. The recipes sound delicious, I like the sound of the chocolate and blackberry brownies. Well done for the free fruit! :) x

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  7. Free food always tastes better doesn't it?!

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  8. Lovely post Jane! Enjoy, and if you feel guilty about those lovely brownies, I'd be happy to eat them instead! Off to look the book up on the library catalogue now!
    Dan
    -x-

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  9. Jane,
    I shall be up the garden tomorrow to see if any blackberries I can find are ripe enough to pick. I haven't seen anything yet to alert me to the fact that they are but we are always late here. I love them in a simple crumble with apples and with chopped pecan nuts mixed into the topping mixture. Makes it a real treat - but not low fat sadly! Lesley x

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  10. I found myself doing the same yesterday. Our nuts are there in the hedge, but we won't see any because of squirrels! Had hoped to go bramble pickling at the weekend, but the forecast is not looking so good at the moment.

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  11. Hi Jane.....blackberries are so scrummy. Mine are not quite ready for picking yet.
    I love blackberry and apple crumble.....just the thought....yum!

    What a beautiful book, the background colour to co-ordinate with the fruit.....lovely idea.

    I wish we had badgers........

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  12. Can't beat free food :) Little son & I collected loads of damsons/plums the other day that are growing in our lane - added a couple of apples & voila - scrummy crumble for dinner :)

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  13. What a really lovely post. The blackberries look delicious and how wonderful having so much nature on your doorstep! I love the idea of having badgers snuffling about at bedtime! :)
    Vivienne

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  14. What lovely photos in your book - it's always so tempting to make naughty fattening things when the pictures are so luscious! But I do love an bramble and apple crumble, with porridge oats in the topping for crunch.

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  15. I have a few brambles in the garden, I need to dig them out, but I think I'll wait 'till the berries are ripe. We get squirrels who plant hazels and walnuts in our garden, but we haven't let any grow into trees. And no badgers have found their way into the centre of Luton, yet - and by the way. it the crumble for me. please.

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  16. Lots of lovely things to eat -it all sounds very scrummy. No blackberries around here as far as I can discover, sadly.

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  17. I'm with Jill. I love blackberry crumble although I've only had it when I visit the UK. It has become a bit of a symbol of the UK to me - that and Eccles cakes !!! (why is it always food !!!)
    Cheers
    Helen

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  18. YUM! YUM! TO BLACKBERRY!
    AND ALL THOSE RECIPES... SOUNDS TO YUMMY TO RESIST!
    WELL DONE... RESISTING THE TEMPTATION... AND TRYING TO LOOSE WEIGHT!
    I WISH I HAD AS MUCH DETERMINATION AS YOU!
    I`M SIZE 14 AND NEED DESPERATELY TO GO BACK TO SIZE 10... TO BOOST MY SELF-STEEM!
    I THINK YOU HAVE ENCOURAGED ME TO DO IT TOO!
    LOVE,

    DEBBIE MOSS

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  19. Everything looks very mouthwatering but the brownies look particularly yummy!! I wish we had Badgers around here!
    Lucy xxxx

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  20. LOVE this posting. Thanks so much for sharing this.

    Now, I must say that it is my dream to see a badger and a hedgehog in a British garden. I am traveling to Britain in September to do some research work for a new book and seeing these two beloved creatures is one of my goals.

    Sending fond wishes,

    Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island

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  21. Mmmmm... chocolate and blackberry brownies... sounds wonderful. You are quite the cook/baker!

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