River Cottage inspiration

I'm forever thankful that our library stocks so many wonderful resources. A recent wandering along the dvd shelves helped me find a new dvd called "River Cottage: Spring and Autumn". The censorship of M because of language had me a little concerned, so I started watching this once the children went bed.

Well, it didn't take long before I realised that this was actually a great dvd to share with the family. The M rating is a precaution about some 'slang' used occassionally (yes, a bit of bad language) and about showing some animals being slaughtered, but there was ample warning given to 'look away' before seeing anything.

The dvd series starts with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall helping a group of families in England's suburbia start up a community garden. This was lovely to see, and is a continued theme throughout all 4 dvds. The families learn to grow their own vegetables, then raise pigs, chickens and milking goats .. all in smooth transition, so nothing is too overwhelming.

Foraging is another theme that runs throughout, and part which we really enjoyed. It was just after seeing Hugh collect gooseberries that Mariposa and I decided to go berry picking the other week. Since then, we discovered that an apple tree is growing on the side of a main road near us, which was being foraged by another family. We may go back and see if any fruit's left on it, although we really do have enough apples from our own tree to keep us in supply for some months.

Now, what I learnt the most in watching this was in the apprentice butchering sessions. I know that we don't have any of our own livestock, but for frugal reasons alone, I think this is a skill worth having. So, I sought a copy of the River Cottage meat book to borrow. It didn't have all the 'hands on' information I was after. However, the opening pages have already taught me a lot about the importance of properly hung meat, the aging process of meat, and how supermarket packaging is more about keeping the water in for weight, destroying the integrity of the meat in the meantime. Of course, lots of lovely recipes fill the bulk of this book, but I'm still looking for more relevant information.

The next book I sought out, from a different library, looks to have more of the information I'm after: Basic Butchering of Livestock and Game. I've also added this to my Book Depository wishlist: The Butcher's Guide to Well-Raised Meat.  So, I've got my homework set out for me again.

It's coming up to that time of the year when we usually order a whole lamb from the butcher. We'll be chosing butchers very carefully now, and maybe even asking for the lamb to be pre-cut only into manageable sizes so we can have a go at finishing off the rest ... maybe?! It'll certainly be something worthwhile doing at some stage, and letting the children learn along with us.