A Fool for Gooseberries and Twitter

I was the anti-internet. I did MySpace many years ago for about two weeks when this weirdo I avoided all my life since junior high school contacted me via MySpace. I cancelled my account immediately. I even made it a point to only check my email once every few days. My husband, on the other hand, is a bit of an internet junkie and I often used to joke that soon he would reach the end of the internet. 

Then I moved away from my entire life to Europe. First, I was in a Swiss city, Geneva, small by most city standards, where it was clear my four years of French study in high school meant relatively nothing. After about a week of exploring I had been to every farmers market, church, museum, chocolate shop, landmark, grocery store and Swiss watch shop within walking distance of our teeny apartment. We still had a few months left before we moved to London where I could work and go to school. What was I going to do? Yes, I was in Europe and spending every weekend traveling around to very cool places, but during the week I was bored out of my mind and watching reruns of Seventh Heaven (the only thing I could get in English during the day). Not to mention an emergency abdominal surgery that kept me off my feet for some time. The internet saved me.

It was then that I discovered the vast world of food blogging. I now have some wonderful friends via the internet that have made my transition to a life away from home much easier. Some back home are shocked that I created this website - I don't divulge how helpful Typepad has been! 

A few weeks ago I joined Twitter. I didn't want to at first and then Ashton and CNN had this thing and I took a look at the site and it seemed relatively simple. It was. So I signed up and started tweeting. That was about a month ago. Last week I even upgraded my beat up, cell phone so old my mom asked me where the slot for the coins were, so I could more easily manage my "on-line" life. I only just figured out that people had been responding to my tweets and I feel awful because I didn't acknowledge, but it was only because I had no clue someone was tweeting to me!

I've been doing a bit of Twitter (is that correct? - Can you do Twitter, or is it twit or tweet?) on my plight with what to do with a gooseberry and got no advice. But I did! I just didn't know it. So, fellow blogger, Daily Spud, suggested Gooseberry Fool, a few days ago actually, but I just realized this today. I'm a twitter fool so this is a perfect recipe for me.

Gooseberries are an interesting bunch. Paley green and covered in funny stubble - think a seventh grader's mustache - they are super tart for the tongue. 

GOOSEBERRY FOOL 

• 2 cups gooseberries, trimmed top and bottom, then halved
• 1/3 c sugar 
• 1/4 vanilla bean, split  
• 1/3 c whipping or double cream 
• 1/4 c superfine sugar 
• 1/4 c creme fraiche 

OR, the first three ingredients and about 2 cups of greek yogurt.

This recipe serves 4.

METHOD

Cook the trimmed and halved gooseberries, sugar, and vanilla bean for about 10 to 15 minutes on low to medium heat. The fruit will break down and then start to thicken a bit. When the consistency is like a loose jam, remove from heat. Gooseberries are quite tart so adjust the sweetness to your liking. Chill overnight or at least for four hours. Whip cream and slowly stream in superfine sugar - when it reaches soft peaks, whisk in the creme fraiche. Layer with the chilled gooseberry puree (remove the vanilla bean). Alternatively, stir the gooseberry puree in with greek yogurt. 

I recycled some of my yogurt pots and put gooseberry-vanilla puree on the bottom and thick, greek yogurt on top.

Comments

[elra]

I am on twitter too, but never really use it. Not sure wether I can keep up with this technology. It's amazing! Especially when you live in Silicon Valley, you know what I mean.

Anyway, I'll check my tweeter (gosh, what was my password)?

Gooseberry, that is one berry that I don't think I'll ever seen here.

[ann]

Those two things ( Berry and Twitter) are totally new to me. I think I should also get it to the twit world..

[lisa (dandysugar)]

What a story! An exciting and adventurous one at that. I don't twitter (or is it tweet?)..yet. I'm just not sure if I could keep it up on an ongoing basis.

Gooseberries are a unique bunch. I wouldn't know what to do with them either. This is a tasty and very pretty dessert. I love the look of your yogurt pots too!

[OysterCulture]

Hehehe, I am still learning the ropes on Twitter myself. You may want to try TweetDeck . I tweeted you with suggestions on cauliflower leaves. I think you asked about those. Twitter, I'm having a hard time adjusting to, I think unless you have it on your mobile and are prepared for instant responses, you are not aware of the interaction going on.

I feel like I was in interloper on this post, as I saw the tweets flying between you and Daily Spud.

The fool looks amazing and I love the serving size portions afforded by the yogurt containers. Have not done anything with gooseberries, but I will have to check one of the ever growing number of farmers markets around here to see what is available.

[gastroanthropologist]

Oyster - Oh, goodness... Dare I ask - what is TweetDeck? I did see the Cauliflower suggestions (yesterday!) and thank you. I did end up using them, though I don't remember how now.

[The Duo Dishes]

Well we just signed up for Twitter last week after refusing to do so for so long. Oh well...call us suckers for peer pressure. So what is a goooseberry exactly? And are they tart like a really sour grape?

[gastroanthropologist]

Duo Dishes - I'm quite unfamiliar with gooseberries but from working with them they are a bit tougher than grapes and have these little edible seeds inside. I believe they are related to currants. They grow on bushes and from what I gather thrive in cooler, damp climates (like London!).

[doggybloggy]

I tweet but it is irregular and twas not for my lack of twying - this 'fool' looks and sounds good though.

[OysterCulture]

http://tweetdeck.com/beta/

Here's a link to Tweetdeck - its a way to organize your tweets. I'm still learning I have it but do not use it regularly , My problem is that I have two Twitter accounts, one for OysterCulture and the other for my management consulting, because while some people might be interested in both, not everyone is, and Twitter does not have a good way of doing this that I know of. I cannot have both accounts open at the same time.

I can forward you some other info as I come across it on the workings of Twitter. I'm switching computers and blog sites - life is fun.

Hope the strike is not impacting you too badly.

Its coming back to me now. We had gooseberries at my grandmother's in Iowa - they grew wild and like anything else, if you could pick it and eat it from a bush, as a kid, it was just cool. They did make you pucker.

[gastroanthropologist]

Oyster - Ah, thanks. Two sites and two twitter accounts! You're amazing...the Internet Wonderwoman. Oh, the strike - complete gridlock in central London. What usually takes 20 minutes to get home took almost two hours! At least the rain stopped this afternoon so I didn't mind the walk.

[mycookinghut]

Hmmmm.. I thought I left a comment this afternoon but it didn't seem to create an entry? Oh well, I wanted to ask you where did you get your gooseberries cos I really love this dessert!!

[gastroanthropologist]

mycookinghut - I got these at Borough Market - at the fruit + veg stall behind the Spanish store that sells the sausage and red pepper sandwiches with the line always a mile long. They also have the red gooseberries but they are much more expensive.

Tourist season seems to be in full swing, especially at Borough on Saturdays so I went Thursday at lunchtime.

[Daily Spud]

So lovely to see that my fool suggestion came to fruition - I just wish I were close enough to drop in and have a taste :)

Reading the other comments, it's funny to think of people not being familiar with gooseberries when, for me, they're something I've grown up with. My parents grew them when I was a kid and I have had many close encounters with thorny gooseberry bushes. Mum still keeps a couple of bushes so I'm hoping to score some of her crop whenever they're ready to pick, and, when I do, I will be trying my hand at that gooseberry curd recipe I found. More on that anon.

[Lori]

I can definitely relate although I was a moderate internet user before our move abroad. I used it a lot for trip research, but once we moved to Brazil it has become a necessity. It connects me to the world (and my family via skype) and keeps me occupied. In addition to that it also keeps me employed with my writing. :) I don't know what I would do without it.

I have grown to enjoy Twitter so much. It has really become my replacement for office mates giving me human (well okay virtual) interaction throughout the day. I also get so many tips and leads for my writing through using it. I'm so glad you joined!

My Dad has always had a few gooseberry bushes and my mom usually turned them into jam and pies. I'm so-so on them, but this looks great. Especially with Greek yogurt. Yum!

[Natasha - 5 Star Foodie]

What a lovely dessert! The gooseberry-vanilla flavor sounds wonderful!

I was never anti-internet but I was kind of anti-social networks before and now of course on twitter, facebook, etc. :)

[Phyllis (me HUNGRY!)]

Being a weird food enthusiast, can you believe I've never tried gooseberries before? Can't wait to try them, that fool looks fab!

My friends were also surprised when I started a blog - I'm still pretty anti-technology (will keep my tube tv till it craps out on me, have an ancient cellphone that belongs in a museum etc). My desktop helps me limit the time I spend on the internet. But I have to confess that I have a twitter ID, which is totally idiotic on my part because I have no way to check it.

[Sophie]

Lovely dessert, Adrienne!
I love it: easy yet so lovely,....YUm Yum Yum!
I adore gooseberries!

[mycookinghut]

Thanks for the info!!
By the way, I like the sausage and red pepper sandwiches!!
I didn't know there are red gooseberries!

[Sam]

I make gooseberry fool almost every year, I normally add some elderflower to mine it tastes great!

I really like the little pots you've served your in the look really good, they sound delicious too!

[gastroanthropologist]

Sam - Elderflower with this would be so lovely. I tried a gooseberry-elderflower jam not to long ago - it was deelish!

[Tangled Noodle]

I am firmly in the 'never tried gooseberries before' category! In fact, your photos may be the first I've seen of them. 8-) This is one delicious and refreshing-looking fool!

I took to blogging and joining Foodbuzz quite easily but so far, I've shied away from other social media such as Facebook (despite several family members bringing pressure to bear!) I'm just an old-fashioned 'fool' I guess! 8-)

[rowena]

Well you can have your Twitter (although I might have a go at that fool). In the meantime, don't mind me as I enjoy some of this wonderful cranachan... ^-^ You know, the scotch really does it good, but then I'm biased. Next time I'm at the bar and they ask me, "So how will you take your scotch Rowena? The usual neat?" I'll let out a little giggle and say, "Not this time honey. Gimme a cranachan!"

Hardeee-har-har....

[Olga]

These remind me of my childhood in Russia. I don't think I've had them ever since I moved to the States 16 years ago.

[Jamie]

Yes, I know how much 4 years of high school French serve once you find yourself actually in France! Zero! also have been saved by internet, living in a country where people like me but where friendships are hard to find. I love my food blog, love following all my new foodie friends on their food blogs and have now started twittering as well. Husband cannot believe it! But he is now used to hearing me talk about my internet friends as if they lived next door.

I have never seen gooseberries in real life and that fool looks divine. I have considered rhubarb fool but just haven't gotten around to it yet. Lovely.

And I am glad you started this blog :-)