Brendon Chase - my favourite book

Brendon Chase was written by B.B in 1944. 

Three brothers run away from home to live like Robin Hood and his merry men, deep in the forest of Brendon Chase. They make their camp in an ancient oak tree, loving the danger and excitement of their surroundings. Their aim is never to be caught, but how can they avoid all the people who are searching for them - including the determined Sergeant Bunting?

I really like this book. It is full of nature and it is very exciting. 

Catching Crayfish

Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans that look like small lobsters (which they are related to). They are also known as crawfish, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, mudbugs, or yabbies.They breathe through gills.

Equipment

You can use a bacon string. A bacon string is a long string with some bait tied on the end which you throw one end of into the water. Wait for a small tug then pull it in. 

You can also use a trap such as this:

If you do not have a crayfish trap, follow these instructions to make your own one.

1. Take a plastic bottle

2. Cut bottle in half

3. Take off lid, put the tapered end inside

4. Tie on a string, add bait to main bottle

and catch a crayfish!

Bait

Fish heads work best but any old fish will work. Meat is a good option too though, such as bacon or sausage. You can use cat or dog food too. 

Area

Find them in fresh or brackish water usually muddy ponds or streams, like this one on our land. 

You can mostly catch them all year round. 

Cook

Find the middle section of the tail, twist it and pull out the intestine. Boil the crayfish in water until they turn orange. Serve with butter and parsley. 

Eating Acorns

Acorns were an important source of carbohydrate around 8000 years ago in the Mesolithic Stone Age. 

Picking
You will find them on the ground below an oak tree in Autumn. Try to find acorns that are not wrinkly and have no holes. I get my acorns from a cork oak tree in our garden. The cork oak is Portugal's national tree. It's evergreen and can grow up to 20m. Our cork oak is around 10m tall and at least 100 years old. It gives very tasty acorns!

Peel
After you have picked your acorns you will need to peel them. If they have any black bits throw them away (these are bad bits). If you see little brown balls this is worm poo - throw the whole acorn away. 

Cut and soak
You will then need to chop the acorns into the size of a lentil then put the pieces in a clean sock and leave in water for 12-24 hours. This is to get rid of the bitter tannins. 

Cooking
First get a big bowl with a layer of kitchen roll in the bottom, then empty the contents of the sock into it. After that, put another layer of kitchen roll over the top and wait overnight. In the morning when it is dry, dry roast it in a pan. Eat it while it is still hot. 

Our cork oak

Haiku

Worm digs into earth
The birds circle overhead
Stay safe underground.

Lizards long and thin
Climb over bramble and twigs

Disappear from view

Sparrows in a nest
Mother returning with food
A fat black beetle

Black Bass Fishing in the Algarve

The black bass is a predatory fish that was introduced to Europe from America in the late 19th Century, and to mainland Portugal in 1952. They are known as black bass, largemouth bass, Micropterus Salmaides (Latin name), and the Portuguese name achiga.

Where
The largemouth bass live in freshwater, usually lakes and barragems. They like to hide among lily pads, fallen trees and weed.

Barragem Bravura - I fish here for black bass

When

They are most active in the summer and harder to catch in winter. You are not allowed to fish for them from the 15th March to the 15th May. This is because it is spawning season.

Technique
The tackle you should use is light rods and small reels, probably rods that cast about 5-20g or 7-28g matched up with 2500 size reels. The black bass will take a live or dead bait but are easier caught on a lure. Here are some examples of good black bass lures.

You need to be very stealthy when targeting black bass. Any sudden movements and you will spook them.

Prepare for the table
The first step is to get a sharp knife, preferably a fileting knife like this one.



Then as on the picture, slit from the bum through the pectoral fins to the gills, then cut out the gills. Next remove the intestines. After that is done, start taking off the scales. Put the blade at a 90 degree angle and scrape against the grain of the scales and they should start coming off.

Finally
Please do not leave bits of line everywhere and do not take home fish that are too small or too big.

My personal best black bass

              

Wild Asparagus Hunting

WHEN
The wild asparagus start coming up around late Winter early Spring.

WHERE
The wild asparagus prefer shrublands, windswept plains, and hill tops. They like full sun.

Hill top near our house

WHY
It is a fun way to make your dinner and a good reason to go for a walk!
                             

Enough for dinner!

IDENTIFY
The prickly bush that the asparagus grow from looks like this:

Prickly wild asparagus bush

HARVESTING
To differentiate woody tough spiky asparagus and to know which ones to eat, look for fleshy stalks underneath the bushes. The good asparagus look like this:

Wild asparagus near our home

COOKING
The first step for all asparagus is to feel where they snap easily (this is the bit you eat). I think the three best ways to cook them are: fry in garlic and butter, cook in a risotto, steam and season.

Ready to cook 

Haiku

A Haiku is a Japanese poem.

It has 3 lines, with 17 syllables in the format of 5-7-5.





It is Autumn time

Pike lies beneath lily pads

Waiting for her prey





Small frog hops on leaf

Pleased because he caught a fly

A fat blue bottle





Snake slithers through grass

Watching always for danger

By the river bank