Winter Walks and Sweet Memories

Well February is now upon us and it has come in like an arctic fox, beautiful sunny day but oh so cold. A brisk winter walk is so much nicer in the sunshine and oh so nice if you can return to a nice warm home with something heart-warming and tasty to sip on.

All those bottles of Cherry Vodka and Sloe Gin made earlier in the year should now be getting ready to drink, they always seem to taste better to me when the weather outside is really cold and wintry.  Up until this last week we have still been finding Wood Blewits growing in the shrubbery round where I walk the dog each morning, it is quite amazing how late (or should that be early?) they are this season. 

Wood Blewits, Lepista nuda, do cope with frosts, and whatever else the weather seems to throw at them, rather better than most mushrooms, they are even good if picked frozen and then defrosted. There are still young specimens around so they are still growing out there - well they were - not sure how much longer they can hold out in this ultra cold spell.

For those who cannot live without a wild food hit there is always the Jew's Ear, sorry I am not supposed to call it that anymore; Jelly Ear. You can find it growing right through the year, in dry spells it will be shrivelled up and almost black whilst it reconstitutes itself as soon as it rains - or you pop it in some water to resusitate it! It is somewhat of an acquired taste but maybe best thinly sliced and put in a stir fry.

Personally I'm with the Sloe Gin!