garden and foraging in France in September/October

Its now almost two months since my last post. I WOULD like to say that I have been flogging myself to death working in the house and garden to create this wonderful image of "The Good Life"......
however that would be  totally against the principle of living well for less. Actually it is more a case of so many different things going on....summer gardening and produce, foraging, visitors and socializing!!!

• We also bought a rowing boat!...just for messing about on the Charente. Whilst we were buying our local organic honey from Chris Luck in Blanzay we spotted it amongst the long grass on his domain. Chris lives some way from the river so I was intrigued as to why he had one. Admitting it had lain there for years and as  he hadn't got round to getting anywhere near a river with it he was willing to sell it to us for a very reasonable price. We are looking forward to trying it out....once the cows in the meadow between us and the river move on!! Both them and the chickens seem to be very interested in our new addition!!!

Annie Sloan Paint in France

We are still in the process of trying to replace our furniture after making the decision to leave most of it behind when we sold our last house in 2014.

Point 1.....going out to buy furniture in France is not so much fun.......not a lot of choice unless you like everything lime green or purple!!

Point 2....its so much more expensive to buy good furniture

Point 3...you never seem to have the time to look properly when you are trying to renovate your house, create your veggie plot and go out to work at the same time

Point 4...you seem to run out of money before everything is replaced

As a result you tend to buy things second hand.....(Emmaus, Anglo-Info, Leboncoin Vide Greniers) In doing so, most of it needed the shabby chic treatment in an attempt to make it look anything other than shabby. I had brought a very large tin of Farrow and Ball Shaded white with us from the Uk but that didn't last long. There are outlets here that sell it but it is usually double the price!!
When I was looking at second hand furniture on ebay in the UK I noticed a lot were stating they were painted in Annie Sloane Chalk paint.
I began to look into it and discovered that this is soooo amazing. No preparation or sanding compared to other paints and usually only needs one coat. As well as that, the painted surface can then be waxed in a clear coating or with a darker one to give it a more distressed look.
I am probably already telling most of you what you already know but for me it was a great discovery.
Not only that....it was available locally and at a great price.

I tracked down Gary and Jayne who run couleursdevie.eu   This lovely couple who live in the most amazing house filled with lots of colour and character...

have put their heart and soul into their business. Their barn is filled with lots of painted pieces so that you can see how your paint will look and Gary even took the time to show us to how easy the paint and wax were to use.

I am now a total convert.

I bought these chairs from them with the intention of painting them a similar colour to our kitchen....Annie Sloanes Old White....however I quite like the different colours and will now try to incorporate those colours into my very conservative kitchen........what do you think???????

Lots of rain after the scorching weather and , lots of potatoes

The heat of the last 7 weeks has been draining.....its too hot to work but you still have to do it. The vegetables have really suffered and as my french neighbours said they are all "cuit" (cooked)
I had been hoping to leave the potatoes in the ground...the tops had just about burnt off...however on digging some up I found that some were starting to sprout.

As a result we dug them all them all up and our kitchen had a potato attack.. I dont have anywhere to store them which is cool and dark so several hours later of cooking, blanching and preparing ..on.NO FUN on a very hot day ...resulted in several bags of blanched potatoes, several bags of chips, several bags of mashed potatoes with cabbage and onion in,

Unfortunately....as I sometimes think we live in the middle of Siberia and only go shopping once a year....and my husband thinks Im planning for a siege...both of my freezers were filling up!!
Being part of the Ladies in France Network I put out a plea via our facebook site and thanks to Liz Nolan whoalso  lives in Verteuil I had a freezer on loan with two hours of asking!!! Now thats what I love about being part of this great group....there is always help at hand!!!
Now then...freezer number 3 is on its way to filling up....and hubby is saying we relly must start eating some of this food. However..., like the red squirrel who is busy digging holes ( or should i say more holes) in our lawn to bury all the nuts... I have this need to stash things away for the winter!!!!

I have used the last of the courgettes...thy reign no more in the garden!!....and made several quiches.
Tomatoes are in full flow and we are equally eating them and making  sauces for pasta.
The taste really is so much better than anything our of a jar or can!! Well worth the effort.
The aubergines have really flourished in the hot weather and in another week we will start harvesting them.

The rain has finally arrived.....plants as well as us are breathing a sigh of relief. The rain is the best excuse for not doing anything...well..in the garden at least. It has given  me a good chance to catch up on some inside work.
Ive had some material sitting about for...a while...to make some table mats for the sous sol kitchen. I thought these looked quite simple to do as, despite some of my ancestors being dressmakers, my skills in this area are something not to be talked about!!! Anyway, they do the job and look good from a distance! Much to the distaste of the hubby this kitchen is becoming a bit of a chicken shrine

The garden in France in July

So its the end of July already! The last  photo I took of the garden was when it was lush and green with the vegetables were healthily growing and I was looking forward to a good harvest.We  had a good mix of sun and rain making a gardeners life so easy.

Potatoes, onions, beetroot, celery,tomatoes, aubergines, lettuce, cucumber, peppers, strawberries, raspberries...you name it...everything was perfect!!

That was before we were hit with 6 weeks of daily temperatures over 30 and no rain! Now...I expected this when we lived in the South of France but wasn't prepared for it here. The soil was doing a good impression of the sand in the Sahara desert and the plants were just withering under the heat.
No amount of watering was helping they were just frying under the intense heat. The plants to suffer were the potatoes and onions...with the foliage dying the vegetables were just not growing below. They are now all dug up. The onions are only the size of tangerines and what were supposed to be big old potatoes are only the size of new potatoes.
Still...better than nothing.

Of course.that old favourite... the courgette...didn't seem to be affected. Even with only two plants we have had a massive crop. This year I have so far made 12 courgette lasagnes, 12 bacon and courgette gratins and 12 potato and courgette gratins.Thankfully there are a lot of good courgette recipes around...soup, fritters, quiches...you should never be at a loss of how to use them. I work on the principle of filling up the freezer first with winter supplies then use them fresh after.
Of course there is always the courgette that escapes and is hiding under a leaf....and this is what happens

Not as sweet and tasty as the small ones but good enough for making soup or marrow curd.

I  tried a new recipe this year of courgette potato and cheese bread, Its really easy although you do have to have the time to let it rise. The recipe can be found on bbcgoodfood site. It is delicious..great for cutting up into chunks and sharing.

PLUMS GALORE

We have two plum trees in our garden. One is defunct ...however as it is home to a woodpecker we are leaving it where it is....the other produced about a dozen plums last year.
This year they are arriving in their hundreds. I cannot pick them quick enough and lots have fallen through the night and fed some of the local wildlife!
The plums are the lovely dark blue variety...not sure what they are... our french neighbours just call them blue plums.
So far I have made plum chutney, plum jam and plum sauce.
The plum sauce is to freeze and serve with duck....
It is so easy to make....this is the basic recipe and just multiply it according to the number of plums you have.This amount is enough for two people.
In a pan put the following....
8 washed, destoned and chopped plums, a teaspoon of dried ginger, 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of soya sauce, a teaspoon of cinnamon and a tablespoon of lime juice. Let it all simmer until thick and serve or let it cool and freeze it.

Our freezer is filling up and I need to start looking at other ways to preserve our produce...watch this space!

Our apples trees are weighed down this year despite the fact we really cut them back in the spring. In fact yesterday a whole branch fell off into the chicken run...causing a lot of squawking and running around in a tizz ( the chickens not us!!!!) We have a lot of fallen apples also as we are unable to take of the excess on the higher branches....in fact I spend about half an hour every morning picking up the fallen apples. Luckily they do not go to waste.........these are our other girls who wait for their breakfast from us every morning.

Before the farmer put up the barbed wire they were actually coming into the garden...it doesn't stop them trying now however!

As we speak the heavens have opened and we have the long awaited downpour! Whoopee! The plants as well as us ar breathing a sigh of relief.

Now then.....we have visitors in a couple of weeks..it would be nice if it went away again by then!

Elderflowers...champagne, wine and cordial

May and June sees the Elder  trees around us in Charente in full blossom. The blossoms are  beautiful delicate little bunches of flowers. They are known for probably having more uses than any other single species of blossom.

Its useful that the Elder tree is very prolific so its very easy to find a plentiful supply of the blossom....the flowers are best picked on a sunny morning.
Try not to strip the tree and leave some blossom to become the elderberries...the fruits are later in July and August.

It has been said that the elderflowers can be eaten straight from the tree...mmm...not fancied or tried that one so I can't comment.

The flowers can be put in the base of a glass and pour over white wine or lemonade. The flowers will fragrance the drink.
You can also just flavour some water with them.....pour boiling water over the flowers and leave to cool. Then remove the flowers and filter the liquid. Serve cold with ice cubes.

DEEP FRIED ELDERFLOWERS

Deep fried flower bunches are delicious and easy. All that is needed is a thin batter of 4 tablespoons of plain flour, one egg and water to mix. Make sure your elderflower heads are clean of bugs....just give them a shake. Never wash them as this removes the fragrance.
Dip the flower heads by their stalks into the batter...strain off any excess ..and then plunge into the hot oil and deep fry till golden. Eat immediately! You will want to anyway!!!!


ELDERFLOWER CHAMPAGNE

The most popular use for the flowers is to make champagne, sparkling wine or cordial.
There are may different recipes for the champagne but the one I have tried is from the Jonathan Wallace....Self sufficient in Suburbia site. This one needs to be left for ten weeks before it is ready to drink...it uses a lot more elderflowers than some and a lot less sugar.
It seems the ones that are ready to drink quicker have more sugar. I have not tried any others...and it will now be another 6 weeks before mine is ready so I can't yet comment on the quality..

I am really hoping this lives up to its reputation!!!!

you will need....

a 20 litre bucket with a lid
a carrier bag of elderflower bunches
juice and grated rind of 8 lemons
3 kgs of sugar
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar.

Grolsch style bottles

Fill the bucket with cold water
Add the sugar and stir till dissolved.
Add all the other ingredients.
Stir well and leave with the lid on for 2 days

Strain well through a clean  muslin cloth or jelly bag.
Pour into sterilised jars and securely cap.

You may need to release the lid every so often as the champagne fizzes up......the bottles need to be strong glass or they may explode!!!

Leave for 10 weeks......I will let you know how this works out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL

you will need

1.5kg of sugar
20 elderflower heads
4 sliced lemons
1.8 litres of water
60 g of citric acid

Bring the water and sugar to boil in a large lidded pan
When it is cool add all the other ingredients and leave for 36 to 48 hours
Strain the liquid then heat it in a pan for about 5 minutes.
Pour into sterilised bottles

As this is a fresh mixture with no added preservatives it will only keep 2 to 3 weeks once the bottle is open(keep in the fridge). It may be wiser to use smaller bottles to prevent waste...depending on how quickly you think you would use it..
Some people actually put it into small plastic bottles and freeze it......however I avoid using plastic bottles wherever possible.



So that's the flowers...now we have the wait for the berries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eat weeds....free food

Its now two months since the last blog. Who said retired people twiddle their thumbs wondering what to do.
There really aren't enough hours in the day. We try and work on the principle of work rest and play....however the work bit seems to be continually poaching from the other two.
At this time of year there really isn't much choice.....miss the timing for sowing plating and picking and you have lost your future food supply.

EAT WEEDS....FREE FOOD

The only truly free food is the stuff you forage and eat raw...berries straight from the bush and leaves from weeds used in salad for example. If you have to add other ingredients to produce an edible meal then the meal isnt totally  free...only the item you have added to it. I often see quite elaborate recipes using "free food....by the time you have all these added ingredients it becomes quite an expensive dish.It may be worth noting how much it costs you to make something with your free food!!!

Back to WEEDS.....love them or hate them!!!

Weeding is the bane of the suburban gardener.Obviously in the vegetable patch you need to remove these so they are not overcrowding and taking the nutrition from whatever you are growing.  However some weeds  prove quite useful in the kitchen......its all down to taste and if you want to make the effort...and of course you can usually find a plentiful supply.
This is the first year that I have truly started looking at all the possibilities.

I have had this book a long time and used it as a reference but recently I found an amazing website called EAT WEEDS... by Robin Harford... gives lots of ideas, hints recipes and even runs foraging courses.  Recipes are current and although it is based on weeds in England....believe me most of them are the same over here in France. You can be as adventurous as you like or just take whatever is easy and available  for you and suits your lifestyle.  The advantage here in Charente is that there is less traffic pollution and greater restrictions in chemicals used in the fields as well as a lot of countryside which allows wild growth. Just remem

 DONT PICK FROM THE ROADSIDE
DONT PICK IN OBVIOUS DOG WALKING AREAS
PERMISSION IS NEEDED ON PRIVATE LAND
DONT OVERPICK....GIVE THE PLANTS AND SOMEONE ELSE A CHANCE
MOST PLANTS ARE BEST PICKED ON A SUNNY DAY AND IN THE MORNING WHEN THEY ARE FRESH

I am logging when certain weeds are at their best so therefore when to pick them, find the best area to pick them ( and not tell anyone!!!!) and try different recipes which would suit our lifestyle.

DANDELIONS

These can begin as early as March and whilst they are evident all year round they are most prolific April and May..  In french they are called PISSENLIT.  Which should warn you what it is good for!!!We know from our youth that it was called the "wet the bed" plant.due to its diuretic qualities. The Romans used them for medicinal purposes. It is of course one of the most profuse of weeds so there is a plentiful supply supply if you wish to use them.

LEAVES.....pick the smaller ones as they will not be so bitter. Use them directly in salads with a little dressing of olive oil and lemon juice. They are also nice with chopped bacon bits and roasted garlic on top.

PETALS AND FLOWER HEADS

This year I have made dandelion syrup to use as a cordial, dandelion burgers and cream of dandelion soup
I would recommend all of them...as anyone who knows me I will only make things that are quick, easy and tasty.All of the following are just that.

DANDELION SYRUP

Wash flowers and detach the petals from the leaves
put in a pan and cover with water.then  bring to the boil
Leave to infuse overnight in fridge
Filter through a fine sieve pressing with a spoon to get out all the liquid
Weight the liquid and for each gram add 0.95g of sugar. Or 1 pound of liquid equals 1 pound of sugar for the non metric of us!
Mix with a squirt of lemon juice and heat slowly until all the sugar is dissolved and the mixture becomes syrupy.
Filter again then store in sterilized bottles.
Use small bottles as once they are opened the syrup will only last a few weeks.
Dilute the syrup with water to drink.

DANDELION BURGERS

Oh yes...really....and you know what... they were brilliant. Will certainly make more of these next year to freeze.

you need...

1 cup of plain flour, 1 cup of dandelion petals, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of milk, half a cup of onions, crushed garlic salt and pepper.

Mix all the dry ingredients together then add milk until you have a firm but not too sticky consistency. Make into shape of burgers and then fry  in a pan till lightly brown.

This is the basic recipe but you can also add seasoning of your own choice depending on your taste.
Oregano
Basil
Mixed herbs
Turmeric
Cumin

I added... Ras El Hanut....which is  Morrocan mixed spices.

Easy quick and tasty

CREAM OF DANDELION SOUP

4 cups of dandelion leaves
2 cups of petals
2 cups buds
1 cup chopped onions
6 cloves of garlic

Boil the dandelion leaves in 6 cups of water....strain and repeat if leaves are large and bitter.
Saute onions and garlic
Add 4 cups of water plus leaves buds and petals
Season with salt and pepper
Simmer for about half an hour
Just before serving add some cream

This is the basic recipe but I personally found it a little bland and thin.  I added some mixed herbs. a stock cube to season it and some chucks of potato to thicken it up.
I also served it with parmesan croutons on top.
Again...I think you can add other seasonings until you find the kind of taste that you like.

We played a game with some of our guests ....guess the flavour of soup!!!! They loved the flavour and were suggesting all kinds of vegetables....mostly green ones as this soup is very green....They were really surprised when they found out it was dandelion and thoroughly enjoyed it!!!

I have since found several other recipes which I will try out next year....Blossom bread and easy wine!!! They will be on the list for next year

Spring has sprung...time to get to work!!!

I am itching to get planting in the garden but the time is not yet right. Working, as the french do, to Lunar planting, I am now waiting for the last quarter of the moon....11th April...to put in the potatoes and onions. I know its possible to plant them earlier but unless the ground is warm enough they just will not start growing until it is. There is still a risk of frost and also heavy rain. The ground is also still quite wet at the minute so not really good for planting so I am continuing digging and weeding
until the time is right.

we are hoping for a better food supply this year and have really missed the freezer full of goodies in the winter. This week we used the last of the summer berries and other than that we only have one bag of potatoes left in the freezer.

FOX ALERT

We allow our chickens to free range in the garden when we are in but always close them into their run when we are out. When they are free ranging there is always a risk against predators. Our french neighbour came to inform us that a fox had been spotted in the neighbouring gardens and to be more vigilant. The chickens are in their house at night but there is always that risk time early in the morning when we have just let them out and at dusk before they are shut in.
There have been times in the last two weeks  when the chickens have been quite vociferous and giving out warning squawks.....we are not sure if the fox was there but so far they have been safe.
To be honest the chickens would have a real problem escaping...they eat soooo much that even if their wings were not clipped they would never manage to fly very far!!!

Here they are two of them...lounging after stuffing themselves with seed I had put out for the birds as well as pinching every poor worm that appeared while I was digging!!!
All the girls are still laying...as they have done all winter...and despite giving away 3 days worth of eggs to our  neighbours per week , we find we are constantly looking for different egg recipes to use them up.
As well as the usual poached, scarambled and fried...we have had egg fried rice, frittata, egg gratin. Most people coming for aperos have egg mimosa and instead of taking chocs when we go to neighbours for a meal we always take eggs!!!
We are still on the lookout for more recipes!!!!!!

I love Spring.Spring flowers are my favourite. The lawn is filled with violets, daisies and dandelions which most people class as weeds but I love their natural splashes of colour in the greenery. Its always a shame when its grass cutting time as we lose this...I try to leave cutting as long as possible..
I love all the buds coming on the fruit trees....the raspberries, currants and blueberries are all coming to life. The hazel tree..which we didnt have a chance to cut back this year, is loaded with buds.
The chance of having any hazelnuts this year is very dependant on whether we can manage to relocate the red squirrels which use our garden as a local restaurant!!
We bought a squirrel catcher cage.....

.as advised in all the handbooks...simply put bait in the back of the catcher and relocate caught squirrel more than 12 miles away. SIMPLES!!!
1 week later......said squirrel seems able to get bait out withour triggering off the door. Not only that it is now climbing up onto the balcony and looking in the window as if to say......HA HA NO CHANCE MATEY!!!! As well as that it seems to have brought its Aunty and Uncle as well.....

Looks like we will not get any hazelnuts again this year.
As well as having spent 40 euros!!!!

Despite spring starting we are also looking to next winter! Yes...no rest...one has to plan ahead you know!
We have been pruning and cutting down several trees in the garden.They have been very neglected and all we an do is hope that we an salvage something out of them. If nothing else we have a good supply of wood for next year.....saving us at least 300 euros!!!

I am very happy to have had the garden shed installed at the bottom of the garden. Potting.... here we come!!! It will be like my little

haven... hubby has his workshop and I have my shed.
Perhaps I should put a sign on the door..... Bag Lady's shed!!!!
As well as that we laid a patio......

and then we have laid the base for an above ground pool

So the intention is  not" all work and  no play"..although it does seem that way sometimes......if we were being totally self sufficient I can honestly say I would probably buy an apartment by the sea. There is, after all a reason why our ancestors moved away from the country into the city.
Its hard work and you have to plan and prepare. You are victim to the weather and pests.There is no guarantee of a good crop and if there was no crop you had no food....Irish potato famine!!!!!
There are days you feel like a duck with feet going ten to the dozen under the water while trying to give an impression of total serene above!!!
We are lucky to have the safety net of supermarkets, take aways, restaurants....after a hard days work you can say lets put our feet up. Not so in the past...they worked from morning till night to just for basi survival.. If you didnt prepare in advance you were seriously short of food and fuel!!!
Living well for less is a choice and is enjoyable..yes its hard work and its a challenge...but some of us like that......if it stopped being so then there is no doubt we are lucky enough to say we don't want to do it anymore.
On that note...Its Friday...its the weekend...... getting  into a hot soapy bath...accompanied by pastis and coke..and hubby...sausage casserole is in slow cooker...woodburner is on.....70's music playing in the background.....heaven!!!!

Bonne weekend tout le monde xxxx