Run Rabbit Run, Not!

Friday evening was a bit of an exciting time, for us anyway, though it may not be to everybody's liking.

We've had rabbits in the garden for quite a while and been concerned about them getting in the vegetable patch now we have it up and running. I heard a bit of a commotion in the TV room with Jon and the boys and, before I knew it, they had shot and killed a rabbit. They all three of them ran outside and took it into the shed to skin, gut it and bring it to me.

How proud my boys were helping their dad!

Now they'd done their job I got busy looking on the internet about how to fillet our quarry! I have to say I was really excited about this because it is something I have loved the idea of us being able to do when we moved here - foraging, sourcing or providing our own food. I have never filleted a rabbit in my life but it wasn't that tricky and in the fridge for tomorrow.

Today we had the rabbit and I cooked it on a baton of veg and added a stock cube water and plenty of seasoning. In to the oven for a little while and then more stock cubes to simmer away nicely. 

I made dumplins with thyme from the garden and cheese, second photo is taken after I put them in the fridge to sit a while! 

After draining the juice from the meat and veg Jon set to making the sauce and cooking off the dumplins - I cannot compete with any sauce or gravy he makes! Then gravy and dumplins were added to the rabbit and veg and served up with corn cobs and my bread so we didn't miss any of those gorgeous juices. 

Mmmm, it was yummy; the boys loved it especially, I think, because they were involved from start to finish and truly understood where the food on their plate came from, and it was free food!. Wish it could have been our sweetcorn and vegetables to go with but soon.

This is enough for one post bur will do a second one with other news from indoors, the Poly House, around the garden etc.