today i braved the hot, mosquito-infested woods and emerged quite soon with four false morels in basket. they partook in an omelette with some fresh thyme and half a red onion. i only ate half because even after the double boiling and rinsing, some poison remains and i wanted to give my liver a break. (not that i've been binge drinking or anything, i just don't have the most rigorous innards...) it was tasty with the fermented parsnips and brussels sprouts i made before my trip: they had matured to absolute perfection! i've started a small batch of ground elder and fireweed already, and intend to make more.
my head is reeling with plans and inspiration. i'm having a needless panic over not having enough time, because in ireland everything was so far ahead, all the plants and gardens -- i keep forgetting it's not even june yet!
i tried to make a rowan whistle but my scout skills were a little rusty. i'll have to try again with willow, which is softer to work with, and have a good look at some instructions. they look fairly nice, though. now is the time to make these whistles, when the juices are flowing inside the trees and the bark comes easily loose. (which reminds me: there's still time to tap a birch!)
in westmeath i realized ducks actually say "duck, duck, duck!" for the first time. at least these girls did...
...and here's a treat i dug up for them from under the garden tiles! an invasive pest, again, the new zealand flatworm was sticky and odd, but the ducks loved them, and even the chick that would not eat a slug, devoured any i could find.
as a duck-sitter i was allowed free pickings from the vegetable garden. i haven't even sown my own curly kale yet but in milder latitudes it grew tall already. i made a nice soup from these and assorted other foraged ingredients, thickened with two duck eggs of course. it doesn't matter if some kale bolts, since the flowers are delicious, too!
they also had really cool, non-moldy clothes pegs, handy in a rainy country like that...
