Considering that we live miles from civilisation, it's surprising that the local authorities keep our road-sides so beautifully trimmed. It's common from Spring through to Autumn to encounter large tractors cutting back all the vegetation from beside small country lanes, leaving everywhere extremely neat and tidy.
Unfortunately their obsessive neatness also spills over onto woodland tracks and other non-essential pathways; often cutting-back flowers and plants that we would prefer were left alone.
A case in point are Brambles; the mother plant of the wonderful Blackberry. The weather this year has been perfect for a good crop, and they are just now beginning to swell, but what's the betting that the tractor driving road-side trimmers turn up just as the fruits ripen?
Autumn wouldn't be the same (for me) without Blackberry and Apple crumble, and I have no doubt that we'll manage to gather plenty of berries. I always freeze the very best of them in cheap disposable plastic cups. Just the right amount to accompany a couple of Bramleys under a blanket of buttery crumble..
That would be a nice pud for now here. 1 degree in the porch this morning.
ReplyDeleteMorning Cro - Oo now you have got my mouth watering - it is a great autumn occupation wandering the hedgerows in search of fruit.
ReplyDeleteHello Elaine. I'm just back from having taken the dogs for a walk past my Blackberry patch.... they're still there!
DeleteMy knees go weak at the thought of a great crumble.
ReplyDeleteI walked past a chap only the other day cutting (slashing at) the hedgerows and verges with a tractor left over from the Mad Max films. Elfin Saferty rules seemed to dictate that he shut down his monster while I was fifty yards away and not start her up again until I was the same distance beyond - very thoughtful, but a lengthy process and highly embarrassin' since I don't do "running" for anyone! He seemed patient enough.
Yummmmmmmmmmm
ReplyDeleteBriony
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Yes, shame about the brambles being cut down but I do like the way they keep the roadside verges so tidy in France.
ReplyDeleteTwo sides to everything, right Cro? Some of the narrow pavements in town could use your tidy French road workers. They are so overgrown with hedges and shrubs, one has to fight one's way through. I guess our over-regulated little town missed making homeowners responsible for their hedges somehow!
ReplyDeleteNow that is a pudding worth spending the calories on, with lashings of custard.
ReplyDeleteThick cream, for me!
DeleteI'm not a fan of blackberries, I prefer my apple crumbles with rhubarb in them. Drizzle the whole thing with warm custard....yum.
ReplyDeleteWe have plenty of Rhubarb. Maybe we'll (she'll) give that a go. Sounds nice.
DeleteI made my annual blackberry pie from the first pickings (which ended up being also the last because of no rain) and the pie was well received by all! Can't wait to see how your crumble turns out. Sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteForgot to comment on the roadside slaughter, as I call it. Every year, just up the road, just about time the day lilies are going to show their blooms, bam! they come and chop their heads off. Pisses me off.
DeleteI love blackberries, I also love making a mixed berry pie with lots of blackberries.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by and commenting on my post. The water appears brownish because of the reflection the rocks, it's actually quite clear. The lobsters cost us $3.99 a lb. or 3.25 EUR, the reason they are so inexpensive is because there is a glut of them on the market.
Hope you have a wonderful week!
Mary
Love blackberries. Worry about our council chopping them down too. This year and last, they have done their trimming just as the vipers bugloss has been coming up - which is a shame . . . but at least the blackberries are left to flower.
ReplyDeleteGoodness. I didn't know you had those in Dorset; aren't they the smaller brothers/sisters of the wonderful Echium Pininana?
DeleteThe council have not cut the verges up our road this year which is probably another money saving venture, but it's a bit like travelling through the undergrowth until you get up to the main road - still blackberry pie is quite nice.
ReplyDeleteI had blackberries at my old location and wineberries. Here, we have raspberries, and i just picked the first ripe ones yesterday! Got almost a quart (3/4 L) of them and gave them to the neighbours who kindly lent their lawn mower. They were glad because they had just gotten some vanilla ice cream, and the berries were a welcomed topping.
ReplyDeleteBlackbery and apple crumble ? Oh yum! One of the things I love to have if we are in the UK at the right time. Trouble is we like to avoid the tourist crowds so we make a point of going in April/May so we miss out on the brambles.
ReplyDeleteI love the way you have so much yummy bounty free for the picking. Any blackberries we see are hugely expensive and don't have the flavour. Guess our climate is just too warm - even the cooler parts of Oz.
Cheers