Autumn Harvests

Last weekend the weather well and truly broke and we had torrential rain but it was still very warm.  Mr Shoestring and I started our garden clean up while the rain came down all around us, which was quite pleasant after such a long dry spell.  Mr Shoestring found this unusual garden tool recently at the markets (red of course, his favoured shade) which is ideal for gathering up fallen leaves.  We are unsure as to whether that was its original purpose but it is engraved with a “Patent Pending” sign at the top of the prong and it is very handy. 

I would like to report that there was a dainty harvest of Jerusalem artichokes and that the result looked like this:

(Note the pretty floral mauve gardening gloves, a kind gift from The Dancing Queen)

But in reality the result was like this:

And that is after we pressed some onto Mr and Mrs Peaceable, The Canucks and my friend B2, all of whom looked rather dubious.  They all were insistent that they only needed a few and that they were unsure exactly what to do with them.  I am dreading what next year’s harvest will be like – they multiply by leaps and bounds even when we think we have removed all traces of them from the earth. 

Mrs Peaceable gave us some more of her fragrant quinces and we must get ourselves motivated and make the quince vodka and also some blackberry vodka to make the most of the short season of these delicious fruits. 

The warmth and rain has brought on a wonderful flush of field mushrooms and here is a shot of them in the paddock out at Mr and Mr Peaceable’s farm.  The taste of store bought mushrooms really can’t compare with fresh field mushrooms, what a treat we had with a Jerusalem artichoke gratin, field mushrooms and quince and apple pie for dinner.  Afterwards we had to lie back and quietly groan while we digested our meal, but it was worthwhile. 

The mushrooms really do grow in "fairy circles", you can see the outline of them here.

The other seasonal delight we have been loving is feijoas.  Daughter number three who is travelling around Asia has been emailing anxiously and enquiring as to whether the season has started.  We have to admit that it has and that she is missing a bumper crop.  I will post some recipes for all these short-lived autumn delights.  The feijoa sorbet is well worth a try, also the Jerusalem artichoke gratin. 

   

A random selection of the strange and extraordinary fungi which popped up in the garden after the warmth and wet