Gathering free food

 After the bread round, I try to take the dogs out for a walk most days. These days it is no great hardship as the sun persists in pretending it’s still summer and wonderful clear mornings have given way to sunny days by the time we get to go out. These days, walks are even better as the blackberries are beginning to ripen and it is proving to be a bumper year for fruit. Even the ancient wild damsons at the back of an old hays shed field are ladden down with fruit and free food is everywhere.  Last Sunday we had Blackberry pancakes and Blackberry lemonade and this week we are planning on damson cake, damson pudding and lots and lots and lots of damsons pickled in red wine and red wine vinegar – a secret family recipe that is spectacular. And then there is the elder trees turning to fruit and the crab apples and rosehips looking to be turned into jelly and juice. All free and all available in a hedgerow near you any time over the next month. Busy we may be, but nobody is too busy to pick fruit when the sun is shining. The hunter gatherer in me is still strong enough to enjoy this picking, especially away from the roads when the environmentalist can’t grumble too much about heavy metal residue. And the hunter gatherer also likes bottles and jars and freezers ( new age hunter gatherer here)  filled with products for the winter. This abundance of food compensates us for the loss of day light hours and lower temperatures. The cooking and preserving reminds us of long winters where the fruit will be welcome and distracts us from the Santa ads on the radio which seem to be earlier than ever and make me want to boycott the whole Christmas thing. Looking forward to the harvest festivals – we block out the other one and run with the free food, foraging and cooking over commerce, and spending and artifical magic.