Hello,
You will not believe where we have just returned from! It turns out, all of us together, we ended up in a jungle of Costa Rica. Can you imagine such a thing?
And you may be wondering how. Well. It seems Mr. Dandelion, instead of building the aeronautic miracle we were all so patiently waiting for, had his eyes on something else entirely: your aircrafts. So we did what any sensible forest folk would do. We tucked ourselves into a suitcase, not knowing at all where we would end up.
And his excuse, when we asked? He only wanted to look at the airplane itself. To really understand how it works, he said.
So off we went. First an airport, which was a marvel and a fright all at once. Then more travelling, still inside that same suitcase, and then, if you please, a boat. Not straight to the jungle at all. There were many steps to it, and I could not honestly tell you how we found our way in the end.
I came home exhausted. But after a week or so resting in my own forest, with a great deal of reflecting, I can say I am glad for the adventure. It was good for all of us, the little ones included. And Mr. Dandelion, I think, learned a thing or two. Not only about aeronautics.
As for me, well, I was mostly amazed by the plants, as always. They were almost nothing like what I am used to. Ferns, yes, but the rest... plants I had never seen before, much larger, in colours I did not expect. Some behaved as if they were alive! One plant hid all its leaves the moment you touched it. I learned so much.
Besides that, I met ants there, looking almost exactly like the ones in my own forest, only in a different habitat. They were much more visible though, because they were carrying green leaves, not pine needles like our ants do. It was great fun to watch.
I also met some Fernkind. Very much like us, but since everything there grows large, they were giant to us too. Twice our size, maybe. Or less. I was too dazzled to work it out properly. We exchanged contact details and promised to keep in touch, though now I wonder if that is even possible. We are separated by a whole ocean, after all. But we shall see what Mr. Dandelion can figure out.
I also learned about new food. That sugar you all have, the Fernkind there make it themselves, from sugar cane. I brought some home, along with a few spices, cinnamon leaf powder and cardamom. They said it is easy to make, and they have everything all year round. Almost. They told me seasons hardly exist there. When I asked about snow, they looked at me very, very confused. I take it they only know sun and rain. Which, now that I think of it, is a fine recipe for growing so big.
Anyway, I expect I will mention more of this adventure in letters to come. For now I am too full of it all to tell everything at once. But I am sure it will trickle out, drop by drop. So if one day I say, "remember that time I went on an adventure far, far away," well, now you will know it was the jungles of Costa Rica.
Now, I did promise you my jam recipe, the one I use for berries picked right here in my own forest. Though I must confess, it has had a little makeover. I experimented in my kitchen with spices from the travels, and, well, I am afraid there is no going back now. Unless I run out, in which case I shall have to figure out some alternative, but let us not think of that yet.
For now, I am quite in love with cardamom. It brings out so much warmth, and you need only the smallest amount! I can already imagine myself, come the middle of winter, opening a jar and having it on my sourdough toast.
I shall tell you more about my sourdough baking habit another time. But for now, here is the berry jam recipe, one you can make at home too.
Spiced Forest Berry Jam
You will need:
- 2 kg berries (or fruits such as plums, you can go wild here)
- 250–500 g sugar, depending how sharp the berries or fruits are
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 crushed cardamom pods
Wash your berries well and take away any stems. If you are using plums, chop them a little. Put everything in a big pot together with the sugar and the lemon juice, and let it sit a while, maybe half an hour, until the sugar has pulled out all the juices from the fruit.
Then add in the cinnamon and the crushed cardamom pods. Bring it slowly to a boil, and after that let it simmer gently. Stir it now and then, and take off any foam that rises to the top.
To test if it is ready, do the same as I do for my syrups: drizzle a little onto a plate that has been chilled in the freezer. If it wrinkles when you push it with your finger, it is done.
I would pour it hot into sterilised jars and seal them right away, while it is still warm. Once opened, keep the jar in the fridge.
This one I like very much on my sourdough toast, especially imagining it in the middle of winter, when the cardamom will bring back a little bit of that jungle warmth.
With warmth,
Mrs Nettle
A little more of Mrs Nettle…
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