Rosehip / WILD FOOD FOR FREE

Hedgerows, rough grass, scrub. A thorny plant with arching stems up to 3 m (10 ft) high. Leaves: pairs of toothed leaflets. Flowers: pink of white, June-July. Fruit: orange-red, oblong, up to 2.5 cm (1 in), late Aug-Nov

The fruit of the wild rose, the hip, is the star of one of the great success stories of wild food use. It is the only completely wilf fruit which supports a national commercial enterprise - the production of rosehip syrup.

Rosehips had been used as a food for centuries, but it was not until the Second World War, when supplies of citrus fruits were virtually cut off, that the potential of rosehips as a source of Vitamin C were taken seriously. Rosehips had been found to contain twenty times the amount of Vitamin C in oranges.

Harvest/Pick

The hips are on the bushes between late August and November.

Uses

Rosehip syrup can be used as a flavouring for milk, puddings, ice cream or almost any sweet, or diluted as a drink, and making it is the simplest way of filtering out the prickly seed, which can be a dangerous internal irritant.

Rosehip Syrup

Wartime Ministry of Food recipe foor 1 kg (2 lb) 

Have ready 1.5 litres of boiling water, mince the hips in a coarse mincer, drop immediately into the boiling water of if possible mince the hips directly into the boiling water and again bring to the boil. Stop heating and place aside for 15 minutes. Pour into a flannel of linen crash jelly bag and allow to drip until the bulk of the liquid has come through. Return the residue to the saucepan, add 750 ml of boiling water, stir and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Pour back into the jelly bag and allow to drop. To make sure all the sharp hairs are removed, put back the first half cupful of liquid and allow to drip through again. Put the mixed juice into a clean saucepan and boil down until the juice measures about 750 ml, then add 900 g of sugar and boil for a further 5 minutes. Pour into hot sterile bottles and seal at once. If corks are used these should have been boiled for 15 minutes just previously and after insertion coated with melted paraffin wax. It is advisable to use small bottles as the syrup will not keep for more than a week or two once the bottle is opened.

SNOW PEAK TREK 900 COOKSET

PRODUCT INFORMATION

The 2 Pieces

Manufacturer: Snow Peak
Year of Manufacture: 2004 (still in production)
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.snowpeak.com
MSRP: US $43.95
Listed Weight: 6.2 oz (175 g)
Measured Weight: 6 oz (170 g) with the mesh carrying case 5.5 oz (156 g) without the case
Measured Size: Main pot 4.75 in (12 cm) diameter and 4.25 in (11 cm) tall. Lid / fry pan 4.25 in (11 cm) diameter flat surface / 5 in (13 cm) rim and 1.5 in (4 cm) tall.
Other details: Titanium Pot with lid that can be used as small frying pan or bowl. 30 ounce (887 ml) capacity. Fits inside the Snow Peak Trek 1400 (per website but not tested) 

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

The cook set comes with three pieces. These are the main pot, a lid that can be used as a frying pan, and a mesh storage bag.

The main pot is 4.25 in (11 cm) tall and 4.75 in (12 cm) in diameter. It has a folded over upper lip, rounded bottom corners and 6 measurement markings indented into the side. The bottom, in the center, has the word "titanium" stamped into it. On the side, spaced a bit higher than center is spot welded a sleeve that allows two handles to rotate from flat against the pot out and together to form a handle. "Snowpeak" and their snowflake logo are stamped in the side of the sleeve.

The lid, which can be used as a frying pan, starts with a diameter just under that of the main pot but then flares out a bit to allow it to set securely over the main pot when it is upside down (lid mode). Overall it is 1.5 in (4 cm) tall. The lip of the fry pan is also folded over providing a sturdy and rounded edge. The pan also features a fold over handle with a clever little locking mechanism that keeps the handle sturdy. The handle wobbles a tiny bit but is still very secure in that it will not move more than the little wobbles. "Snowpeak" and the snowflake are etched into the handle while they are stamped along with the word "titanium" into the bottom of the pan.

The mesh carrying case is black with a drawstring and barrel lock. It is taller than the cook set requires and is a little tight around the flared edge of the lid while putting it into the bag. It has a little "snowpeak" and snowflake logo on the tag that is sewn into the bag.

Dandelion

First of all I love gathering the dandelion flowers – just the tops for fritters. They are easy to pick and so bright and cheery on a sunny day. Usually, I want to pick more than I need, just because the gathering is so fun. Do pick them in the sunshine when they are open, and when you have time to make the fritters right after gathering. Bring your basket of flowers inside, find a bowl, and mix together one egg and one cup of milk. Stir in a cup of flour and your fritter batter is ready to go. (If you like your fritters sweet you can add a little maple syrup or honey.) Now, prepare a skillet on the stove with gently warmed olive oil – keep it over medium heat. Take one of the flowers and hold it by the greens at the base of the flower petals. Dip the petals into the batter and twirl until the flower is covered. Drop it into the skillet, flower side down.Continue dipping and dropping flowers, checking the first ones every once in a while to see if they are brown. When they've lightly browned, flip them over and brown them on the other side. When they're brown on both sides remove them from the skillet and drain the excess oil on paper towel. For a sweet treat, drizzle them with maple syrup, honey, jam, or powdered sugar. For savory fritters try dipping in mustard or adding some savory herbs to the batter.

 

Sea Purslane Fish Cakes

In this Sea Purslane recipe, the gorgeous flavours of sea purslane, wild fennel seeds, and fresh mackerel merge together to create a fish cake full of seashore tastes. This must-try Sea Purslane recipe will have every seashore lover going back for seconds.

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized Mackerel
• 500g of just boiled potatoes
• 100g Sea Purslane ( Halimione portulacoides )
• 15g Kelp
• ½ tsp ground Wild Fennel seeds
• 1 tsp fresh Marjoram
• Plain flour
• Egg (Beaten)
• Oil

Suggested Instructions

1. Boil the potatoes until just done. You don't want them too watery. Then mash.
2. Grill mackerel until done, then debone and flake, then add to the potato mash.
3. Bring a pan of water to the boil, remove and soak the kelp for 30 minutes, then slice finely and add to mash.
4. Finely chop the raw Sea Purslane, and add to mashed potatoes.
5. Next add the wild fennel seeds, fresh marjoram, beaten egg, and 4 tbsp of plain flour.
6. Form into small cakes no thicker than 2cms, and gently shallow fry for 3-4 minutes on each side in hot oil until browned.

Makes: Makes 8 fish cakes.