The Cottage Smallholder

Photo: Harvesting bag

For years I’ve used carrier bags when out foraging. They are convenient and slip into a pocket – so if you unexpectedly come across some hedgerow treasure you have a bag for your bounty.

However, it’s difficult to keep the neck of a plastic supermarket carrier bag open so picking has to be one handed. Earlier this year I treated myself to this smart harvesting bag. The long strap means that it can be worn across the body, leaving two hands for picking. The opening at the top is rigid and less fruit falls to the ground than when fumbling with a soft bag. I gave it a test drive when I was picking our Morello cherries and it was superb.

The nifty design means that it can fold flat. Too big for a pocket but small enough to fit in the glove compartment of the car or in my cycling rucksack. The construction of the bag is a rubber mesh so that fruit can be washed in the bag.

I’ve also used my bag for weeding in a tightly packed border where there isn’t space for a trug. 

I bought my bag from Harrod Horticultural – taking advantage of their sale in the Spring. I’ve also spotted a similar harvesting bag on the Westfalia site but it is more expensive.

I’m strongly tempted by this natty fruit picker. So much fruit is out of reach on our trees – we can pick from other trees locally but we do want our fruit to be organic.  Comparing prices, Westfalia comes out on top for best price and has a sturdier linen bag (£19.00 for the picking bag and handle). But the reach is just half of the Harrod Horticultural one which is a staggering 5 meters. Has anyone out there used a pole ‘fruit picker’ sucessfully or is it just better to climb a ladder?

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Photo: Superb Leghorn bantam cockerels and wife

Since we got the letter from our neighbour we have been dithering about how to deal with our cockerels. As in all small communities, other neighbours have come forward to say that they liked the sound of the cockerels. We considered rehousing them but they would have to stay together as they were such close chums, looking out for each other and chatting in a cockerelish sort of way when they found something tasty to eat.

No rehousing project coud promise this as most peoplewho welcome a cockerel just want the one stud. We tried, but nobody wanted them.

They were the leaders of the flock. Alberto being Prime Minister and the gentler Massimo was Deputy P.M.

Beautiful birds but if someone is losing sleep (as every torturer knows), the culprits need to be silenced.

Danny was also woken regularly at 4.30 and was not over keen on the raucous brothers.
“We have to do something about them quickly. It’s been weeks since we got that letter.”

We eventually decided that killing and eating them was probably the best answer. Finally we would taste meat that we (and Caroline and Kevin) had raised. In our journey to self sufficiency this had to be the answer. But both of us were worried about killing them.
What if they didn’t die immediately?
Would the rest of the flock be upset?

These were just excuses. To be quite honest we just didn’t have the guts to do it. My Aunt Pickles would have ben laughing from heaven. She kept a flock of at least a hundred on a meadow outside her back door. All except for the special named ones were earmarked for possible slaughter in the future. Unfortunately I never saw her kill or prepare a chicken for table. But I did enjoy many a delicious chicken based meal at her house.

Finally S generously offered to kill them on the understanding that we would definitely eat them. I agreed at once.
“Wait until they have settled properly for the night and then put them in a box and bring them up to me. They’ll be sleepy and then it’s easy to catch then.”
And they were. Popped into a hamper within seconds.

They spent the night in the barn and, for the first time ever, I woke at dawn to muffled crows. They were quickly dispatched by S later that morning.

I must admit that I wasn’t looking forward to preparing them for the table. I even gardened in the rain to avoid the task. I was fond of Massimo – how could I eat him? But when I gingerly opened the hamper, the birds, like all creatures that have died, had lost their sparkle. By the time they were gutted and skinned they had switched from being our cockerels to food.

Now I have to take the final step and learn how to kill my chickens in the future.

If push came to shove I would now be happy to raise chickens for meat. Well husbanded chickens must taste better than those that have taken several days to reach the shelves of butcher or supermarket.

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Photo: Snoozing piglets

Over the past few years I’ve bought a number of fruit bushes and trees from the budget supermarket Netto. This can be a bit of a hit and miss affair. The green gooseberry bush turned out to be a succulent red dessert variety and tiny hands clapped with glee. About three years ago I bought a couple of cherry trees – one Morello and one dessert cherry. The later has been grown in a frame in one of the fruit cages. Last year they fruited and we discovered that both specimens were Morello trees.

After the initial disappointment – cherries are so expensive to buy – it turns out that this was a stroke of luck as Morello cherries are almost impossible to find in the shops in the UK. These sour cherries are perfect for making liqueurs and sauces for duck, pork, lamb and any of the fattier cuts of meat. They are great for jam too. In fact if you are going to invest in a few cherry trees make sure that at least one is a Morello (often labelled ‘Sour Cherry’ in the garden centre.

Last week I roasted a small belly of pork joint in Andrew using Danny’s recipe and supplemented plums/cooking apples for 100g of Morello cherries. The result was astonishingly good the sharpness of the cherries cutting through the fattiness of the meat. Plums and apples are great when roasted with belly of pork but Morello cherries are the winners hands down.

If you don’t grow Morello cherries all is not lost. You can buy Morello cherries at Asda. I’ve shopped at Asda and prefer every other supermarket around here but perhaps this is the time to give them another go. Our Morello cherries were so delicious, now I want to try jam, muffins, and (needless to say) gin.

We served this with fresh potatoes, carrots and dwarf French beans from the garden. Clean clear tastes to counteract the richness of the pork. Superb.
Slow roast belly of pork with Morello cherries recipe
Ingredients:
• 500g of belly of pork (get your butcher to score the rind and loosen the tips of the bones) or a supermarket boned joint will work too but bone-in is a bit tastier.
• 100 g of Morello Cherries
• Freshly ground white pepper for the sauce
• A decent sprinkle of salt to rub in the crackling
Method:
1. Set the oven to 160c (140c fan)
2. Tear off a length of aluminium foil to house the cherries and the joint (about 10cm larger than the joint) Pull up the sides to form a nest and arrange the cherries in the foil
3. Place the joint on top of the cherries and rub a sprinkling of salt into the crackling. Form the foil into a snug nest around the joint, leaving the crackling exposed and ensuring that the fat from the crackling will drip into the foil nest. Roast for 3 hours and then turn down to 150c (130c fan) for another hour (4 hours!)
4. Remove the pork to a warm place to rest (cover it with foil and a thick towel to keep the heat in)
5. We ate this with the cherries intact but you could make a sauce. Remove the cherry stones and drain off the liquid to a Jack Sprat separator (or a small cold bowl). Allow the sauce to settle for a few minutes and pour off the fat. Add the cherry/pork juice to the cherries and liquidise with a hand blender. Transfer to a saucepan and tbsp of dry white wine. Heat gently for a few minutes to let the flavours blend. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground white pepper
6. When you want to carve the joint, turn it over and the bones should pull away easily making the join easier to carve.

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