Puskassa - In the bush

Afrikas ko ollaa puskas, ollaa niiko kaukan asutuksest, keskel ei mittää. Vissikii Australias kans? No kuitekii, mie oon olt nyt iha vaa herukkapuskas.

When someone is "in the bush" in Africa (assumingly in Australia, too?) it usually means they're off road, in the middle of nowhere, far from villages and towns. I haven't gone that far, I've spent time in the currant bush in the yard.




Miehä oon siis potent huonoo ommaatuntoo siit, jot miu herukkapuskat naamioituut kesä mittaa nokkospuskaks ja heinikoks. Sit vast ko alkaa marjakerruuaika olla käsil, mie ota sirpi ja viikattee ja kaivelen ne essii sielt. Nokkosii keskelt ko ei oo kiva kerätä. No elähä mitä, täl viikol just kuulin, jot kylä vanhimmist naisist yks tek just samal viisii joka kesä! Täähä on hitto karjalaine perinnetapa niiolle! Häne mukkaa marjat säilyyt ko linnut ei pääse apajile, eivätkä varise nii helpol ko heinikko suojaa. Ja nyt ko mie taas olin marjapoiminnas niito jälkee, ni näköjää on muitakii syitä. Siel on jokkuu pesint kaikes rauhas piilopirtis keskel pensasta. Tien vastakii täl taval, unohettaa hakkeet ja pensastuet, naturelli soppii miule.

I've had a guilty conscience for years. Everyone SHOULD keep their currant bushes neat and build all kinds of support constructions for them and mow the lawn underneath them. Well I don't. My bushes get a natural camouflage during the summer when the hay and the nettles grow high and hide them totally. Just a slight tint of red among the nettles suggest there might be something else growing, too. When the time is right, I go and get my scythe and sickle and hack the jungle down, revealing the bushes so I can pick the berries without being burned by nettles. And now, only this week, I heard that one of the oldest ladies in the village does the same, every summer! This is a goddamn Karelian tradition then! Woohoo! She states that there will be more berries this way (as birds are unable to find them in the middle of the undergrowth and the wind doesn't rip them off because the nettles shield them.) I immediately added erosion prevention as well as creating sheltered habitats for birdnests (as seen in the picture) to the good reasons to be lazy  do the natural thing.



Nii jot toine mehumaijalline pöhisöö hellal. Luumut ei luojakiitos oo viel valmiita, niihe hilloomine on aina yks yhelaine souvi.

So the steam juicer is huffing and puffing on the stove. Fortunately the plums are still green, it's a show of its own to make the plum jam, I am glad it's not happening simultaneously with the juice making.



Nii joo, idän ihmeitä, kelta-apila. Trifolium aureum. Tää on kuulema kasvant joka paikas ennemuino, mut sitä mukkaa ko lehmät on vähentynneet on tääkii harvinaistunt. No mei pellolt löytyy jos kuka kaipaa.

This pretty one is the golden clover, Trifolium aureum, which used to grow everywhere where cows grazed. It's getting really rare, though. If you need some, I've got some on the field, come and get it.



Tän päivä ruokaa män kaks 60 senti ruokakermaa, mausteita ja -30% kanasuikaleita, oiskoha höile jäänt puoltoist euroo hintaa eli vuoalline ruokaa noi kolmel eurol. Siin on kannaa, ommaa pottuu, ommaa sipulii, ommaa lehtikaalta, valkosipulii, ruokakermaa ja pien pala paprikaa (kaupast). Mausteet niiko yleesäkkii periaatteel tuotakii vois laittaa elikkä broilermaustetta, mustapippurii, chiliä, Madras curryy, suolaa, tais olla vähä paprikajauhettakkii ja vähä cajunmaustetta ja mitähä muuta. Tää män ehottomast jatkoo ja teemast tullaa tekemää variaatioi.

Today's dish contained some chicken (which was on -30% sale because it was nearly at its "use before" date), potatoes and onions and kale from my garden, cream and a piece of bell pepper from the store. The ingredients cost about 3 euros altogether and filled a relatively large casserole. I spiced it up with garlic, salt, black pepper, chicken spice, Madras curry, chili, whatever I thought suitable. Will be making this again, with variations.