Guest Post – Mushroom foraging

This week I’ve thrown the gauntlet to a guest blogger to offer a timely warning for anyone wishing to go foraging for mushrooms this Autumn. I hand you over to James …..

As we enter the season of mists and decay, the delights of foraging for fruits and fungi are certain to be promoted on countless countryside programmes and in the glossy magazines that accompany wildlife charities’ newsletters. The colourful profusion of fungi across the countryside, lit up by the low-angled sun glinting through russet leaves and glistening spiders’ webs, is what makes autumn the most glorious of seasons to be out and about in Britain.  I have on occasion plundered the odd wild mushroom for the pot – if you know what you are doing, nothing beats a home made Chanterelle omelette, a grilled Parasol cap stuffed with Parma ham and Stilton, or pasta with blewits in a blue cheese sauce. Nevertheless, the enthusiastic expertise of the presenters and authors of these articles is not shared by the majority of the populace in our country hence, members of the public eager to get back to nature with their culinary creations may be leading themselves into grave danger. So, if you’re thinking of going down into the woods today to collect rich pickings from Nature’s bounty for your table, here are 10 reasons why it may be a bad idea: Continue reading “Guest Post – Mushroom foraging”

Autumn – slow cooker time

The wet and windy weather has returned, the summer heatwave is just a memory. Out come the wellies, raincoats and brollies, and we just know that in a matter of weeks we’ll be wrapped up in gloves, scarves, woolly hats and bemoaning the icy winds, frost and possible snow. We turn to the home comforts of casseroles, stews and steaming puds; we crave nursery food to keep us from inevitable starvation while we hibernate.

Right that’s the downside delivered. The upside is, with Autumn comes some of our best cooking gems. Continue reading “Autumn – slow cooker time”

salads

Summertime = salads. ‘Nah, boring’ I hear wails of dismay. But, salads don’t have to equal a few sad lettuce leaves and squishy tomatoes. With a bit of time and thought a salad can be a very enjoyable, healthy, meal. Salads consist greatly of raw foods so no loss of nutrients, and many ingredients you may choose are bouncing with health-giving properties. Continue reading “salads”

Breakfast

Breakfast is one of those meals whereby what you choose relies greatly on your forthcoming day’s itinerary. Sunday, a no plans, lazy, day, may enable a luxurious feast of ‘bad’ food. Workdays tend to be down to a fine art of coffee & your choice of regular fast-breaking. I’m partial to a cheese scone myself! But what to grab when having to leave 2 hours early to take a train? Continue reading “Breakfast”

Easter eggs

Easter is almost upon us. Religious or not, we all love Easter and especially the excess of chocolate. You’ll be inundated with adverts for Easter eggs; pressurised that they’re ‘perfect for Mum’, ‘perfect for the kiddies’, ‘perfect for your partner’, ‘perfect for YOU’! Easter eggs these days may be relatively cheap – if you don’t mind the matching relatively small, but also tend to be made of cheaper chocolate than the same-brand’s regular choccie bars. Continue reading “Easter eggs”

My illustrations

When I began my little venture, I hadn’t the time or money to cook and bake loads of dishes and photograph them; nor did I want to go online and use someone else’s photos to illustrate my recipes. Therefore, I decided to utilise another old love – my painting hobby – and use my own artwork for the illustrations. Continue reading “My illustrations”