Mission Impossible? you tell me

[duncang]

Morning all,

I have rather a special guest coming to visit for lunch in a few weeks, towards end of January. I would like to cook for them by preparing a meal made entirely from grown produce, or produce I have caught or picked myself.
This may sound like like a breeze to a lot of you more experienced thrifty-people, but the catch is that I am a beginner to this. I have only just started (last July) growing my own produce, have no experience of foraging really, (apart from the obvious berries, nuts) and have limited fishing experience.

What I have:
- Nuts: walnuts and hazelnuts I gathered, in quite a good quantity
- Chinese greens: currently growing!
- Spinach: still small but should have a few leaves in time
- Radishes: planted two weeks ago
- Chillies: a few green chillies from summer harvest
- Fresh herbs

I also have access to the river Avon (am, based in Bath), lakes, the Kennet & Avon canal, and at a push the sea front near Weston-Super-Mare.

I am really stuck. Am thinking desert, cheesecake maybe, using the nuts as a base, and maybe some spinach/greens spring roles with a chili and radish relish, but that's where my creativity runs out.
I just don't have enough produce, so if anyone can give me some tips on whats out there, and the practicalities of identifying, catching or growing them, that would be amazing!!

Can't wait to hear your suggestions!

Duncan

[Pilsbury]

can you sort out a licence for crayfish in time and try and get some of them, harder to get this time of year but not impossable

[Millymollymandy]

January's not the best time of year for home grown produce or foraging! Why don't you just do your best with what you've got and buy some organic fruit and veg for the rest. You can still be proud of it. Good luck!

[duncang]

Hi there,

Thanks for your thoughts.
Crayfish... I would, and love the idea. The problem I have is that the waters in and around Bath (as far as I know) are owned by Bathampton angling, and sadly without their permission, I can't get the license. I contacted them, and after an initially promising reply from the secratary saying he would take my request to their AGM, he came back to me saying that someone on the board was already "taking care of it" and turned me down.
It seems there aren't enough crayfish to go around, and I find that very hard to believe...

What about other fishing? or heading for the coast for some beach foraging?

Look forward to your thoughts!
Duncan

[Boots]

This is cool concept. Just like Ready Steady Cook.

Shame I'm a crappy cook.

I don't know where Bath is, but I think I remember Andy mentioning it... So, pack a bag, hop on your treadly and whizz over to his place. You are going to need some mushrooms, and he is your man.

Then you need to pedal over to the train station, and jump a train and travel out to weeeee Scotland. You need to make your way to Aberdeenshire and ask someone to point you in the direction of Stonehead Croft. Now this blokes crook, but that won't stop him from chasing you with a pitchfork if you try pinching his stuff. So, you offer to do a bit of wwoofing and give him a couple of days help in exchange for:
Some bacon
BAg a Spuds
Few Onions
Homemade Pasta
And some cider

Then you hitch a lift back and whizz past Shirlz place, and she'll set you right with some goats milk and eggs.

Now travel safely, because your cargo is now precious. Keep your eyes peeled for blaeberries as you exit Scoootland. Now you are set.

Entree is:
Piped Potato Pillows
made with 4 spuds, an egg an a dash milk - mashed and piped into bite sized swirls. Brush with egg, sprinkle with herbs and cook in oven until golden.

Mains is:
Alfredo morphed Carbonara and Green side salad, using sliced bacon, mushrooms, milk, onions, herbs and crushed hazelnuts over homemade pasta. Add raw egg after cooking sauce, and let congeal to thicken. Top Chinese green salad with radish twists and trickled sweet chilli sauce.

Dessert is:
Blaeberry Icecream made from goats milk, topped with whole Walnuts .


All washed down with that weird cider stuff...

This menu compliments of Daughter #2! Like I said, I don't cook.

[Shirley]

HAHAHA - nice one Boots!

I'd have to disappoint with the goats milk and eggs at the moment though - we've only one in milk and we are getting very little from her at the moment. time of year I suppose, but any ways of increasing this naturally would be welcome.

Same with the eggs... chooks are on strike but hopefully should start laying again soon.

More than welcome to a cuppa though.

Have a look at this thread... perhaps Steve can help with the crayfish

[Boots]

Do you have Goats Rue Shirlz? I have just planted some as it supposed to be the original/traditional fodder for lactating mums...

I have no idea where it comes from, but it comes highly recommended so thought I'd give it a whirl. It is a quick growing and very hardy legume, so I will collect seeds and send you some if it proves good. Might help get you through cold periods.

I also used a horse feed called coprameal, its made from coconut husks and I always found that really good for my milker. Do you have that over there? Tis pretty cheap here. Gives them a great coat and really helps keep them in condition. I fed it as a wet mash, and it doubles in size when you do that. Bubbles has just come away from the buck, so fingers crossed we will have milk again this year.

[Dendrobium]

Ooooo that is a tricky one unless you have some squashs or pickles aready laid in. I don't know what the beach at Weston-Super-Mare is like, but you could beachcomb for some shellfish maybe if the water is clean? You might be able to find some edible seaweeds as well?

I'm not sure if it counts, but get some mung beans and bung them on a damp cloth or in a damp jar to get some yummy fresh beansprouts! They'd be ready in days!

[Chickpea]

Brilliant idea, Boots!

[cazzie]

Wot about making a nut roast with a mixed leaf salad?
Delia has a good curried nut roast recipe in her Complete illustrated cookery course book, just the thing for the cold weather especially with a couple of chillies mixed in I reckon, you should be able to find it online. Let us know what you made.