I‘m lying between garden beds in the sun. I’ve spent the day weeding, whilst the boys got on with the bar roof, it’s been so long since I’ve been in a veggie garden even the stinging nettles and snapping roots of thistle can’t get take away the buzz. Being in the woods has made me realise how a well managed Australian Permaculture gardening is like a well managed woodland, a healthy mix of plants of all ages, things self seed when the time is right, survive if they have the sun or die off if there is not enough, the forester knows when to intervene or not. Bens veggie patch is very English beds of one thing spaced for sun earth between.

It’s all rather idyllic, fluffy white clouds and white chickens slumbering in the sun. I’m preparing the beds for their summer occupants, everything but the weeds in their English rows. Under the soil there are treasures: tiny self seeded potatoes, a frog that leaps from the dirt to give me a heartattack.

An email from Dylan’s mum has interrupted our fantasy, we knew it was coming one day but we are reminded that reality awaits us back home. The house is being sold, nobslipping back into the same old routine, we have decisions to make, big ones, I guess it’s a good thing. Where is home? This is our chance to rent a house in the country, just the two of us after years of 6 or 7, are we ready? We’ll be returning home with the change in our pocket, it’s time to take stock.

An orange butterfly floats into view. We must be mindful, look to the future, whilst still glorying in the present. For now there is sun, the sound of hammering and a row of leeks waiting for a weed.

I thought it might be fun to add some simple recipes I’ve tried backpacking. They will often contain harvested ingredients, be very simple and sometimes even only require a campfire or camping stove. This one we used a woodfire oven, but it can easily modified so you cook the rhubarb in a pot over the fire with the addition of some water and the crumble toasted separated in a pan and sprinkled on top.

Rhubarb crumble

Mix the rhubarb, apples and sugar together in a baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes at 180C, or until soft.

Meanwhile use your hands to combine the butter, sugar and flour until it is like breadcrumbs, but more on the lumpy side.

Cover top of cooked rhubarb mixture with crumble and bake for a further 30 minutes, until browned.

Serve with ice cream!