I have a small woodlands area on the property and have been finding and replanting wild edibles. Eventually we will have a small forage in our backyard, a forest rich with mushrooms and berries!
RAGGARE!
Scandinavia has a love affair with vintage american cars, growing up in NM we always had old cars and the best biker mechanic. This is a different experience but one we love none the less.The cruisers clubhouse has a big meet in the barn once a year, 100s of vintage cars, weekend warriors in leather vests, rockabilly bands, salmiakki shots, smoked pigs and and a ton of fun!!! Raggare is a subculture found mostly in Sweden and parts of Norway, Denmark, Germany. Raggare are related to the greaser subculture and are known for their love of hot rod cars and 1950s American pop culture. While the raggare movement has its roots in late 1950s youth counterculture, today it is associated mainly with middle aged men who enjoy meeting and showing off their retro American cars. However, the subculture retains its rural and small town roots as well as its blue collar and low brow feel. The original phenomenon unleashed moral panic but the contemporary raggare subculture tends to be met with amusement or mild disapproval by mainstream society. However, there has been an increase of younger raggare lately, possibly due to a growing interest in the 1950s and 1960s culture.
Night Orchids
Elderflower cordial
Elderflowers were in full bloom, so one cannot resist taking an afternoon to make that divine floral lemony cordial. I used a BBC recipe, mostly for the ratio of citric acid to simple syrup, I always use a little extra lemon.
- 2½ kg white sugar, either granulated or caster
- 2 organic lemons
- 20 fresh elderflower heads, stalks trimmed
- 85g citric acid (from chemists)
Put the sugar and 1.5 litres water into the largest saucepan you have. Gently heat, without boiling, until the sugar has dissolved. Give it a stir every now and again. Pare the zest from the lemons using a potato peeler, then slice the lemons into rounds.
Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the pan of syrup to the boil, then turn off the heat. Pluck flowers off the stem with the tines of a fork. Fill a washing up bowl with cold water. Give the flowers a gentle swish around to loosen any dirt or bugs. Lift flowers out, gently shake and transfer to the syrup along with the lemons, peel and citric acid, then stir well. Cover the pan with a towel and leave to infuse for 24 hrs.
Line a colander with a clean tea towel, then sit it over a large bowl or pan. Ladle in the syrup – let it drip slowly through. Discard the bits left in the towel. The cordial is ready to drink straight away and will keep in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.
