[sion01]

Couldn't belive it a few months ago when I was walking on a surf beach near by when I noticed a whole scallop on the tide line.I presumed it was dead but when I picked it up I felt it closeing.Walked along and found another 6.Not believeing my luck I put them in a bucket of salted water when I got home and yes they were alive.

Haveing never cooked /eaten scallops before(theyre so expensive) I read my river cottage books and cooked them.They were fantastic.Ive been back to the beach many times after and after a storm I always get 2-10 scallops .Added bonus was that the dunes behind the beach had a good supply of field mushrooms too.Its a really great place and is well worth the petrol to get there.

Its a big beach and on one of my scallop walks a week ago I found a patch of millions of cockle shells (empty) makeing up part of the beach.I went down do the low tide mark and eureka COCKLES.I take a little rake there with me when I go there now and collect enough cockles for myself.Top Top spot

[sunshineband]

I love fresh gathered cockles --- so much more flavourful than those that have been hanging around somehow.

Lucky you, being able to get scallops too 

[Growster...]

Nice one, Sion!

I used to love going shrimping, and have forgotten just how rewarding a pastime it is!

Agree about scallops, for some reason, I never touch them (had a nasty vongole once, which turned me right off them, and mussels), but perhaps I should try again now!

[joyfull]

wow lucky you - I love scallops.

[Auntiemogs]

What wonderful luck Sion!   

I remember (in a previous life) chasing scallops across the sea bed.  They can really shift and we used to collect them in a bag and poach them in the galley in some milk.  Wonderful flavour (especially after working up a healthy appetite).   

Thanks for the memory, was good times. 

[superpete]

I go all ga ga when I find something out on walks that I can eat and is as fresh as – I don't know much... blackberries, a few mushrooms... I lived on the south coast for one winter and pretty much just ate fresh mackrel (were 10p then) and mash – I'm envious of you coastal dwellers now.

I agree sion01, “Wild Food” by Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix is a very informative and a lovely book, as are all the the books in that Pan series - the one that's just entitled “Vegetables” is a must have for veg growers (I think) as is the the one about mushrooms if you're into foraging... (but I'd still want a Frenchman with me)

What I wanted to share was this website – I haven't fully explored, only found it today...

[superpete]

wish you'd made this a Ning site John ----

the link I tried to post was to this :- http://www.eatweeds.co.uk/

[arugula]

wish you'd made this a Ning site John ----

the link I tried to post was to this :- http://www.eatweeds.co.uk/

Excuse my lack of knowledge of the name, but what is a Ning site? You appear to have managed to post the link, or is it missing some sort of functionality in its present form?

[sion01]

wish you'd made this a Ning site John ----

the link I tried to post was to this :- http://www.eatweeds.co.uk/

I've given up on all mushrooms exept for the common field mushroom.My nerves culdn't take it anymore.You have to have the memory of an elephant.What finally did it for me was discovering that one of the inkcaps I'd been eatting for a while was highly poisonouse if you consumed alcahol within 5 or so hours of enjoying the mushroom.Most of what I ate wern't up to fieldmushrooms anyway so other fungai are now off my list for safetys sake.It was either that or giving up alcahol.No contest Scrumpy 1 Fungus0

[superpete]

arugula - In the “post reply” section, the BBC tags don't tell us what they are when we hover over them (link; add image etc)  like the smileys do.

I didn't know before I posted whether my two links had worked, (“Vegetables”and “www.eatweeds”) then after I posted I couldn't see how to edit or delete it so that I could try again

 Ning sites are social networking sites like this is. I'm a member of one but now I think back, I had a hell of a job trying to upload my first picture.. New techy stuff is always difficult for me but I'll get the hang of it - - - I found out how to add pictures in my gallery two days ago but they haven't been approved yet?

Oh and by the way I'm not really superpete - just pete.

[arugula]

Ah, thanks for the explanation (super)pete.

And I'll go and approve now. That's a manual process of someone remembering to look.

[Joss]

I think theres nothing better than taking my dirt bike , or old bsa out when its blackberry time and having a day picking blackberrys , and sloes at the same time (I put the sloes in the freezer ) And I get my horse muck from a friend , i have to go and shovel it up out of her field sometimes and theres always Mushrooms to be picked as well . I'm also thinking of getting my Air rifle out and sorting the rabbit problem she has as well , I'll only take 2 or 3 at a time to eat , food for free is great 

[Armleywhite]

I use the dandelions I find on my plot and from other sources not anywhere near habitiation.  Leaves can be used in salads etc and the roots dried and made into coffee. 

[Growing4mykids]

Have lucked upon an area within 10 mins from our front door with cherry, apple and pear tree's and wild fennel, absolutely made up, needless to say we came home with a pound and a half of cherries  each of the tree's seemed to be laden so i'm guessing, apart from the birds, not many people bother, oh well 

[Growster...]

Of no real interest to anyone in particular, but as this is such an old starter post, isn't it nice to see all these old friends joining in all that time ago!