FORAGING IN FRANCE IN WINTER

The thought of foraging and trudging around damp fields on cold grey days is not very appealing

BUT.......

If you are in the South of France its a whole different matter!!!....sorry to keep rubbing it in.

It is still a pleasure to forage in winter...its usually sunny and dry even if it is cold. The french people keep their volets (outer shutters) closed in Winter to keep out the cold.....actually they keep them closed in the summer too as its too hot. Some french village houses never seem to have them open and it can often make a village look quite deserted!! However winter is usually very nice.and we have ofter sat out on the roof terrace in December with a glas of wine...sorry not really rubbing it in.........there was however the time when we had just arrived here and this is what happened,,,,

 

Nice for Christmas card pictures but not very good when you have a house with no insulation, no heating and big holes in all the windows....thankfully all of that has been resolved so it can snow as much as it likes now.
I particuarly liked it when the Mayor of the village went out with his tractor tothe next village to buy bread ...our boulanger couldnt make it in his van....and deliver to all the villagers as well as all the youngsters clearing the paths at the homes of the elderly....thats the advantage of a community in a village
ANYWAY back to..............

Not a lot of foraging when this happens......there were a few comments of the English bringing the snow to the village.

There is, normally however,still a lot of foraging to be had at this time of year.

MUSHROOMS....there is still plenty around...look at previous post re the warnings on this one.
                             Never mind onions...know your mushrooms!!!!

ROSEHIPS........still some around but you need to look in places where they have not been so
                           exposed to the sun

DANDELIONS.. the leaves are good for salads and making teas

NETTLES...........ignore the old stuff at the top and find the juicy leaves below. Great for salads and
                            soups. If you are still growing veg in the garden you can carry on making fertiliser.
                            (will post the method later in a gardening bit!!!!)

THYME and ROSEMARY STILL ABUNDANT

Needless to say we still reguarly collect sticks, old vines and pine cones for the fire...as long as you can store them somewhere outside where they can dry off and keep dry!

If you are of the ilk you could also join the local chasse (hunt)...you can hear them out early morning on Wednesdays and weekends. Thankfully they are restricted to certain areas...you will see the CHASSE INTERDIT (not allowed!!!!) signs for the safe areas to walk!

The french are still very much in favour of hunting just about anything that moves and is worth eating...deers,pheasants and hares. However the "piece de resistance" for them has to be the WILD BOAR.
Believe it or not there were 560,000 shot in 2009 in France...yet the wild boar is still a major problem. In fact they are out of control on some areas. The increase in wild boar is not just a problem in France either..it has been reported in the UK this year that they are also becoming a menace to farmers.
Despite the best effort of the hunters the wild boar are exceptionally good at evasion...they can travel miles in a day and change their habitats. Add to that they are very good breeders.....the female can reproduce at only 1 year old unlike most other hoofed animals...and produce about 5 per litter!

So don't worry if you feel that the hunters are reducing the numbers of wild boar  to a state of near extinction...
The French have long hunted the boar...the Gauls lived mainly on their meat...and most people in this area hunt for eating and not just for the "pleasure" Its an ancient tradition that is far better than modern culling techniques!!!!

ALMOND MILK AND HOW TO MAKE IT

We are very lucky here in the South of France that Almond trees grow as wild as the blackberries do in England.
You would expect the trees to be stripped bare every year considering how expensive almonds and almond products are yet on my walk today there were so many had been left to rot.

I have picked enough to last me the year!!!!

Today I tried making almond milk for the first time.......it was so easy that I dont know why I have never done it before. We generally use soya milk for our breakfast cereals but almond milk is equally good and if I can make it "gratuit"..all the better.

Firstly only make enough to last you 3 days as this is as long as it will last in the fridge...unless you know you need some for other recipes...ie..rice puddings.

Soak your raw almonds overnight in water.....longer if possible. I left mine for a day and a half to make sure they were very soft.
I used 3 cups of almonds and it gave me 800mls of milk.

Drain the soaked almonds then blend in a liquidiser with 2 cups of water to 1 cup of almonds. Its amaking to see the water change to milk!!!! (doesnt take much to amuse me)

Strain the mixture through a muslin bag then bottle up the milk.

Use the leftover almond paste in smoothies or in porridge. You can also bake it in a low oven for a couple of hours and keep in jars to use in cake mix/tarts.
We had our woodburning fire on today and the paste dried out very nicely on a tray on top of it!

Enjoy xxxx

ROSE HIP OIL...RECIPE

As you know I am a great fan of foraging and love to make the best use of everything that is growing.
Rose hips are abundant from September  to mid November...most are left on the bushes as some people only look for things which are edible. These little darlings are not easy to cook and the husk inside is not very attractive! However foraging is not all about food - I also collect produce to make my own beauty products.

Self sufficiency is not just about food.


I  prepare my own rose hip oil which is useful for facial cleansing, moisturising and for body massage. It is very easy to make

1. To each cup of rosehips you will need  2 cups of oil. Something without a fragrance is better.....almond,avocado.  Extra virgin olive oil is excellent especially if it is high in polyphenols and oleic acids......they will trap water in the skin to help hydrate it. It is also a cheap but natural alternative to some oils that are available.

2. Top and tail the hips. Chop them up  as much as possible. I put mine in a liquidiser but you can just give them a good bash .. This is not so important if the hips are really soft but if they are hard it will help them breakdown much more quickly
Normally you would not bash rosehips if you are using them for eating as the husk inside can make the jam/jelly bitteer tasting but its ok when making oil.

3 Put oil and hips in a slow cooker and cook on medium for 4 hours.this may take longer if the hips are harder.

4 Once ready strain the hips through a muslin cloth and put the oil into a dark jar.

I have not yet found a use for the discarded hips yet other than putting them on the compost heap.

C'est ca!!!!

USING THE OIL AS A CLEANSER

Massage the oil into the face.
Soak a facecloth in warm water and apply to the face to remove the oil. Repeat until skin feels clean and fresh. NO EXPENSIVE FACE WIPES JUST WASH AND REUSE YOUR FACECLOTH.


USING THE OIL AS A MOSITURISER

Cleanse the skin as you normally would. Leave the skin damp and then add a pea sized amount of your rose hip oil. Blend in the skin and leave to absorb. The dampness will help it absorb quicker.
A great natural food for your skin...and you will feel safe in the knowledge you are not adding any impurities to your body

USE AS A MASSAGE/MOISTURISING OIL ALL OVER THE BODY...IT IS ESPECIALLY GOOD FOR DRY ELBOWS, KNEES AND FEET.


USE AS A BATH OIL

You can add some other essential oils to the rosehip for use in the bath. Lavender, Chamomile or whatever your particular requirement is at the time of bathing. Add it to a small amount of oil and put into the running water. Alternatively you can put it directly onto the skin while it is damp after the bath or shower.

ENJOY!!!

Scrimping Holidays

As we are retired we live a relaxing life so therefore dont feel the need to have a "chill out" holiday. However it is nice to be able to explore different regions and discover what they have to offer.

The problem is that the greatest cost is the accomodation.Something which we would prefer not to have to fork out for.

We found a great oportunity to have a "holiday" at minimal cost. We registered with a company called Mind my House. It is a site which matches home owners to home/animal sitters at (usually) no cost to either party. In this way it is mutually beneficial to both parties.
If you get a chance to have a look at the site there are some amazing stories of sitters who go from assignment to assignment....and all over the world.....in that it is a lifestyle in itself!!

We have just returned from our first assignment in the beautiful region of Puy de Dome looking after a rural property and its resident two dogs and two cats.
We tired out the doggies with lots of walks, visited the historic sites of Clermond Ferrand, walked up the extint volcano Puy de Dome then spent the evenings in front of the log burner with the cats curled up on our knees.

Add to that that we came away with several glass storage jars that the homeowner was getting rid of, were able to pick more rose hips as they were still growing well in this region and a huge bag of apples from the tree in the garden... I would say we did pretty well.

Of course its not all roses......you have to be aware that you are responsible for the house and pets you are looking after and  you may not have all your home comforts(or any comforts) but all in all it can be very rewarding. Our homeowner was a lovely interesting lady and the animals were hard work but adorable. I think we will always stay in touch with each other.

I am already looking for the next venture but perhaps further afield.......just have to convince the hubby that Norway at Christmas would be really good!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Scrimping, Self-sufficiency,Scavanging, simple living,second hand buying, scouring for bargains

JUST A THOUGHT TODAY,,,,,

ALL MY FAVOURITE WORDS AND PHRASES START WITH AN S.........I COULD ONLY THINK OF 6 OTHERWISE I COULD HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE S CLUB 7

THE ODD WORD OUT IN MY LIFESTYLE WORDS IS FORAGING!!!!!
IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE WORD TO FORAGING THAT BEGINS WITH S??????

JUST DISCOVERED THE 7TH  S.......ITS  SCRAPPING. I SAW A PROGRAMME ON TV THE OTHER NIGHT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO GO OUT LOOKING FOR SCRAP METAL...DUE IT HAVE A GOOD TRADE IN VALUE AT THE MINUTE. WOW...SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE DOING REALLY WELL.

THERE IS EVIDENCE OF  THIS HERE IN FRANCE......IT IS USUALLY WHEN SOMEONE HAS STOLEN RAILWAY LINES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO POINT IN JUST GOING FOR THE SMALL STUFF IS THERE??????
I DON'T THINK I WILL BE GOING THAT FAR........

mushroom foraging and drying mushrooms

From about the end of Septeember to mid November you can find a variety of mushrooms in the fields in France. Here in the South they are less abundant due to the drier climate however it is still possible to find them.
Sites are usually a  closely guarded secret especially when it is the more rare variety.Cepes are a treasure find.
However caution....there have been over 150 deaths in the last year from those thinking they have correctly identified their mushrooms and as foraging has become such a popular pasttime more people are putting themselves at risk.
Its all too tempting to pick a crop that you come across......and theres no harm in picking them but make sure you have them identified correctly.  before eating them,Even if one looks similar to one you previously identified. In France take them to a local chemist.
Do not rely on your comparison to a book...you really need to be an expert to do that..no matter what some sites may tell you.
As well as the danger of eating the wrong types of mushrooms there is also the problem that some foragers are just not respecting nature.
Overpicking will mean they will not grow so well the next year.
Cutting and colleting in the wrong way will also damage the plant...spores need to be able to float free after picking.
We are staying the week in the Auvergne region and there is such a variety of mushrooms here...due to the amount of rain they get!!!!
It really pains me to leave some of these mushrooms but I would not risk it especially as I do not have access to a pharmacy out here in the sticks. Yesterday I was convinced that the beautiful little white mushrooms growing on the lawn could not possibly be poisonous. They smelt and looked lovely.
However on researching them they turned out to be Fools funnel...also known as the sweating mushroom as it causes sweating dizziness and occasionally death. A narrow escape!!
Play safe and buy mushrooms in bulk at the market while they are cheap and dry them. Its so easy and they keep forever!!!!

HOW TO DRY MUSHROOMS

Clean the mushrooms with a soft cloth or kitchen paper.
Slice thinly and lay out flat on a baking tray.
Cook for one hour in an oven of 150degrees
Take them out and turn them over.Dab with kitchen roll to get rid of any moisture. Cook for another hour.
The mushrooms are ready when they crack like crisps. If they are not ready just repeat the above process.
Once dried put them in sealable jar and check reguarly that they are not getting any moisture in.
To use simply add to soups and casseroles. You can also immerse then in warm water to rehydrate them.
This will give you a good supply to use when mushroom prices are high!