Yesterday Andrew uploaded some photos from the 'Cloud', stuff floating around in space is how I see it. But the great bulk of photos on my external drive is still not uploaded. This computer is excellent for its big screen but all its openings for attaching things like external drives and memory cards are at the back which is rather awkward, But it is also splendid for watching films or television programmes.
I have been watching Borgen, a Scandinavian drama about a female prime minister and what she has to do (often against her better judgement) to stay in power, the latest is divorce.
I notice John (Going Gently) was eating scotch eggs yesterday on a bench with his dogs somewhere in Wales and it reminded me of something I had read a few days ago. Don't be squeamish from the following but do you know you can have vegan scotch eggs? First thing that sprang to mind how can you have a scotch egg without an egg?
Here is the recipe: Centre part = mashed potato coloured with turmeric. Middle part = white cooked rice of course. Outer part = a mash of red kidney beans, etc. A long process with a very funny outcome. No I won't be trying it.
I had been listening to Henry Dimbley's book called 'Ravenous' he was the author of the Government's Food Strategy. A sensible look at how we can focus on better eating for the nation and yes it does incur giving up some meat and dairy products. But then there are artificial means of creating meat down in the scientist's laboratories, without putting all those animals under the stress of short lives and nasty deaths in abattoirs. Don't worry it will take a few years yet, it is prohibitively expensive at the moment.
One day I will read up on fungi, apparently it's meaty texture is just that and is equally as good for us. Which brings me to thoughts of another subject. The stripping of wild foods from the countryside.
There is a bit of an uproar there. Apparently all those blackberries you strip from the bushes are robbing the birds of their food. I think we would all agree there are plenty of blackberries and wild garlic for all of us but the mushrooms of the forest and woods floor should be left by greedy and unscrupulous people to serve the fashionable London restaurants with a taste of the 'wild'.
p.s. Just found a new toy on this computer, it read out aloud this blog, there are plenty of voices too choose from as well perhaps I can dictate to it also.
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| Just a thought |
There's a great documentary on Netflix on fungi. Just search Fungi.
ReplyDeleteThank you Rachel for that. I don't have Netflix on this computer but it is on our television along with the rest of them.
DeleteI thought as you have been watching Borgen you had it. Borgen is a great favourite with many of us. I have watched it several times over.
DeleteNo I watched it on BBCI player Rachel. Being able to pick and choose what programme to watch is a great deal better than in the 'olden' days!. Borgen is well scripted by the way.
DeleteOh, it's got there now has it. Well it's been on Netflix for many years and yes, I guess that is why we watch it, it isn't rubbish.
DeleteThe commercial picking of wild mushrooms gives us individual scavengers a bad name, but France and Poland seem to leave enough for next year and the animals.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling that in Europe there are more trees and land left than England. I remember a couple of years ago there was a furore of crossness about how wild mushrooms were being taken. Enjoy your mushrooms but don't pick too many ;)
DeleteFor information, population densities - UK 719/squ mile, France 303/squ mile
Deleteand much higher for England, as figure is much lower for Scotland and Wales.
I would expect that Will, we are an overcrowded country and one has only to see the rubbish people leave at beauty spots to understand that we take too much for granted.
DeleteI see my Carer has left me a Scotch egg salad for my lunch today. Luckily she has not tried your recipe!!
ReplyDeleteAll that trouble for a miserable lookalike scotch egg Pat. Somewhere along the line I think vegans have lost the plot.
DeleteI'm surprised how few people I meet who are picking blackberries these days.
ReplyDeleteWell for a start John it is a scratchy business, and one must always remember to have a container with you.
DeleteCome to the countryside proper - away from the big cities - and believe me there are more than enough blackberries to go around and the birds certainly don't go short!
ReplyDeleteAs for a lookalike Scotch Egg - to my mind, you either eat the real thing or don't bother!
I think the New Forest probably suffers more from being over-picked for wild fungi because it's near a big city and some high-end restaurants in London probably benefit too.
Yes Jennie there are plenty of blackberries around for picking in season. Actually I think there could be calling that recipe for Scotch eggs may be seen as illegal, there have been plenty of clashes in the past.
ReplyDeleteForaging for wild mushrooms is getting to be a problem here, too. It’s not people picking a few for their own consumption it’s organized teams of pickers harvesting (often improperly and inefficiently) a “crop” for which they are paid substantial amounts from high-end restaurants. As soon as people hear there is money to be made (the great common denominator for humans) more and more parties go out and the woodlands are stripped of fungi, depriving the ecosystem of one of its vital components.
ReplyDeleteHello David, That is what has happened here in England, I see you are in Canada. It is sad that greed and profit always come before decency. We have a law against the picking of wild flowers (a plant that has not been deliberately planted), it was made in 1981, perhaps it should be stretched to mushrooms as well.
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