What to pick now... (page developing as the year progresses)
In all cases, please ensure you know what you are picking by referring to the internet if you need to. If you are not sure what you are picking or doing, please ask someone who knows for advice. Do not rely on this page for complete information, nor for health properties.
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March & April
Horseradish
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We have lots of horseradish, and spring is the best time to dig it up. What you need to do is to dig deep a plant that emerging, its the root that you need. Then you can wash it and grate it at home.
It is highly peppery in flavour and has a very pungent aroma (a bit like onions), so please be careful when picking and grating. Horseradish, (Armoracia rusticana), hardy perennial plant of the mustard family (Brassicaceae) known for its hotly pungent fleshy root, which is made into a condiment or table relish. Native to Mediterranean lands, horseradish is now grown throughout the temperate zones and is a troublesome weed in many cool, moist areas. The root is traditionally considered medicinal and is commonly used as a substitute for true wasabi (Eutrema japonicum) in Japanese cuisine. 
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Horseradish
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Wild Garlic
we don't have much yet, so please pick some and leave for others
If you're looking to give wild food a go, wild garlic should be top of your list, says Rob Cowen.
Trust me. Whatever you’re planning on cooking with this weekend, it won’t come close to this dish. And at its heart is a spear-shaped leaf that is rightly celebrated for its taste. In fact, if you really want to give wild food a go, this should be one of your first picks. Wild garlic is easy to identify and absolutely delicious.
Wild garlic or ‘ramsons’ refers to the leaves of Allium ursinum, a distant relative of chives, that delivers a really unique take on that most ubiquitous of ingredients. You don’t eat its bulbs but - bold, bright and fresh - the leaves are seriously pungent but ease nicely with cooking to give a real depth to dishes. Found in pretty much every deciduous British woodland or riverbank (and often in graveyards and hedges – signs that the area may once have been a wood), wild garlic likes damp ground .
Trust me. Whatever you’re planning on cooking with this weekend, it won’t come close to this dish. And at its heart is a spear-shaped leaf that is rightly celebrated for its taste. In fact, if you really want to give wild food a go, this should be one of your first picks. Wild garlic is easy to identify and absolutely delicious.
Wild garlic or ‘ramsons’ refers to the leaves of Allium ursinum, a distant relative of chives, that delivers a really unique take on that most ubiquitous of ingredients. You don’t eat its bulbs but - bold, bright and fresh - the leaves are seriously pungent but ease nicely with cooking to give a real depth to dishes. Found in pretty much every deciduous British woodland or riverbank (and often in graveyards and hedges – signs that the area may once have been a wood), wild garlic likes damp ground .
Stinging nettle tops (not in the EW itself)
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We don't have any stinging nettles in the Edible Woodland, thankfully, but they grow all around the place. Take off the tops, the to pop the stalk with the first few leaves (obviously using gloves) and use them just like spinach. According to many people they actually taste better and more balanced than spinach, and are very nutritious.
Nettles are packed with nutrients. High in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and full of calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium, they are also a good source of protein. Like spinach, when cooked, nettles reduce to about a quarter of their fresh amount when cooked, so a carrier bag full will yield about 500g/1lb when cooked. Urtica dioica. Stinging nettles are more than just needled irritants, the Cornish make a delicious cheese using them, the Nepalese make curries and some people even use them for clothing. Butterflies; Red Admirals and Painted Ladies, Peacocks, Small Tortoiseshells and Commas are particularly fond of nettles. With butterflies on the decline generally, the plants provide an important food source for these pretty insects. They in turn help to pollinate our garden flowers and crops. |
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Nettles are used to coat Cornwall’s delicious Yarg cheese,. Horse breeders have long fed nettles to horses to help provide a sleek coat, and in Sweden nettles are grown by farmers, dried out (causing them to lose their sting) and fed to dairy cattle, as it increases milk production.
Herbal benefits
Nettle tea is anti-inflammatory and often used in medicine. Nettles have traditionally been used for medicinal purposes by many cultures. Native Americans used the fresh leaves to treat aches and pains. European herbalists used the leaves in a similar fashion to treat gout and arthritis. Also, with the plant dried out to neutralize the acid in the sting, the leaves become a natural antihistamine. Some of these uses are now being scientifically tested, with some surprising results.
March & April recipes
Wild Garlic Bubble & Squeak
Wild garlic is the perfect substitute for basil in a fresh pesto or, like jack-by-the-hedge, it loves to be turned for a few minutes with butter, Parmesan and pasta. That said, my top recipe has to be this wild garlic bubble and squeak. With its crisp, brown edge and soft, cheese and garlic middle, it is, quite simply, amazing whether served on its own or as a side to a grilled pork chop. I’ve tried making it without wild garlic and it’s never the same so get out there this weekend and fill your pockets. This is the real taste of spring.
(serves four)
1kg of potatoes
Quarter of a pat of butter
1 spring green/cabbage
2 large bunches of wild garlic
Plain flour
Eggs
Milk
100g mature cheddar
Olive oil
Start by peeling the potatoes and boiling in salted water until soft. Drain and add the butter. Mash until floury and add a splash of milk, salt, pepper and the cheese, mashing until you get smooth, creamy, cheesy mashed potato. Slice the wild garlic thinly and stir in, before replacing the lid and setting aside.
Slice the spring greens or cabbage and boil for seven minutes, then drain. Add to the cooling mash and stir in. After another ten minutes, dust a work surface or large chopping board with plain flour and spoon the mash onto it. Push down into side-plate sized cakes that are about 2cm think and turn over to ensure a good coating of flour on both sides.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and, when hot, fry the cakes for seven minutes on each side. Don’t be tempted to turn them over too quickly; let each side go golden and get crunchy. Keep warm in a low oven. In the oil, fry the eggs both sides, keeping a slightly runny centre, then place one bubble and squeak cake on each plate and pop an egg on top.
(serves four)
1kg of potatoes
Quarter of a pat of butter
1 spring green/cabbage
2 large bunches of wild garlic
Plain flour
Eggs
Milk
100g mature cheddar
Olive oil
Start by peeling the potatoes and boiling in salted water until soft. Drain and add the butter. Mash until floury and add a splash of milk, salt, pepper and the cheese, mashing until you get smooth, creamy, cheesy mashed potato. Slice the wild garlic thinly and stir in, before replacing the lid and setting aside.
Slice the spring greens or cabbage and boil for seven minutes, then drain. Add to the cooling mash and stir in. After another ten minutes, dust a work surface or large chopping board with plain flour and spoon the mash onto it. Push down into side-plate sized cakes that are about 2cm think and turn over to ensure a good coating of flour on both sides.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and, when hot, fry the cakes for seven minutes on each side. Don’t be tempted to turn them over too quickly; let each side go golden and get crunchy. Keep warm in a low oven. In the oil, fry the eggs both sides, keeping a slightly runny centre, then place one bubble and squeak cake on each plate and pop an egg on top.
Nettles glorious nettles… foraging tips and delicious recipes
Wild food author and foraging teacher James Wood explores one of the most common plants – nettles – and shares his wonderful recipes and tips for foraging.
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In this post we’re going to look at a plant that almost everyone will already know, it’s the one plant I find that practically everyone can happily identify and maybe not for the best of reasons. Of course we’re talking about stinging nettles, let’s not lie – we’ve all been stung by these at some point and more than likely called it one or two not very nice words. I know I do on a weekly occurrence, often when I realise there’s a hole in the gloves I’ve put on to pick them, and don’t believe people when they say you can pick these bare handed without getting at least a little sting. Nettle in spring – pick the tender young tops. |
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Anyway from a food and materials point of view, nettles are absolutely outstanding in their variety and range of uses. They’re jam packed with minerals and vitamins, are everywhere and absolutely free, I honestly think if this ingredient was sold in the supermarkets it would be framed as one of the best super foods.
So let me try to persuade you in to going out and picking stinging nettles.
Firstly, when eating nettle leaves make sure to pick only the top 6 to 8 leaves from the top, just pull all 8 off at once. They are the most vibrant a fresh and anything below these may be a little to fibrous (they won’t harm you but you will be chewing for a long time if you take the leaves below these 8)
Second, there’s a common myth going around that nettles are dangerous to eat once they’ve gone to seed, it is true that the leaves start to store calcium after the plant has gone to seed, but I have yet to find ANY evidence to prove that this is anyway dangerous to your health to continue eating.
Lastly, If you’re picking nettle tops, the plant will continue to grow fresh young shoots, meaning you can have fresh nettle tops all the way through to October.
Here’s an overview of how we use it through the year:
Root: herbal use.
Stem: edible when young, becomes fibrous with age so use as cordage or fibre source when old.
Leaves young: lacto ferment, spinach sub, crisps, pickled, soups, pesto, sauce or raw if you’re feeling adventurous.
Leaves old: powdered, cordial, syrup, stock, tea.
Fruit/seeds: roasted or fried.
So let me try to persuade you in to going out and picking stinging nettles.
Firstly, when eating nettle leaves make sure to pick only the top 6 to 8 leaves from the top, just pull all 8 off at once. They are the most vibrant a fresh and anything below these may be a little to fibrous (they won’t harm you but you will be chewing for a long time if you take the leaves below these 8)
Second, there’s a common myth going around that nettles are dangerous to eat once they’ve gone to seed, it is true that the leaves start to store calcium after the plant has gone to seed, but I have yet to find ANY evidence to prove that this is anyway dangerous to your health to continue eating.
Lastly, If you’re picking nettle tops, the plant will continue to grow fresh young shoots, meaning you can have fresh nettle tops all the way through to October.
Here’s an overview of how we use it through the year:
Root: herbal use.
Stem: edible when young, becomes fibrous with age so use as cordage or fibre source when old.
Leaves young: lacto ferment, spinach sub, crisps, pickled, soups, pesto, sauce or raw if you’re feeling adventurous.
Leaves old: powdered, cordial, syrup, stock, tea.
Fruit/seeds: roasted or fried.
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Nettle Leaf Crisps
These crisps are a complete winner, full crowd pleaser and definite to convert people to the wonders of wild food, give it a go with the fresh young nettle tops. To make a large plate of nettle crisps Ingredients:
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Nettle crisps
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Nettle soup
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Nettle Soup
I’ve had a lot of bad nettle soups but having finally created this recipe I have no need to try any others as it’s really perfect.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
. A little single cream (50ml)
Method:
I’ve had a lot of bad nettle soups but having finally created this recipe I have no need to try any others as it’s really perfect.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- Half a bag of nettles, washed (about 200g)
- 2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 onions, skinned and diced
- A handful of wild garlic stalks (50g) finely chopped, (or two garlic cloves)
- 4 three cornered leek stems, chopped (or 2 Leeks)
- 10 Ground Elder Shoots, chopped (or Two Celery Sticks)
. A little single cream (50ml)
Method:
- Boil the potatoes and celery for 10 mins in the vegetable stock.
- Fry off the onions, leeks, wild garlic stalks and the nettles for 2 mins.
- Mix the two together and put in a blender, blend until smooth
- Add a swirl of cream in your serving bowl before eating, along with salt and pepper
- Why not add some fried nettle crisps to go on your soup?
Nettle and pear smoothie
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Nettle Leaf and Pear Smoothie
Why keep it only to eating? Let’s drink nettles! Apart from making a lovely nettle leaf cordial you can also use the leaves in loads of smoothies, simply search out any recipe that calls for spinach and swap it out for fresh young nettle leaves. This is one of my favourites for the morning.
Ingredients: per person (300ml)
About the author
James Wood is a renowned experimental wild food forager running wild food cookery and foraging courses throughout the UK and is the author of ‘The Foragers’ Cookbook’ – a countryside guide. He runs Totally Wild UK, and offers foraging courses and walks.
Why keep it only to eating? Let’s drink nettles! Apart from making a lovely nettle leaf cordial you can also use the leaves in loads of smoothies, simply search out any recipe that calls for spinach and swap it out for fresh young nettle leaves. This is one of my favourites for the morning.
Ingredients: per person (300ml)
- 1 pear, chopped with the middle removed
- 5 nettle tops, washed (or spinach)
- 200ml hazelnut milk (or regular milk)
- 2 ice cubes
- Chuck the whole lot in to a blender or smoothie machine and blend until nice and smooth.
- Enjoy chilled
- It’s also works well as a winter smoothie without the ice and with half a thumb of ginger instead.
About the author
James Wood is a renowned experimental wild food forager running wild food cookery and foraging courses throughout the UK and is the author of ‘The Foragers’ Cookbook’ – a countryside guide. He runs Totally Wild UK, and offers foraging courses and walks.
May
Cleavers - Sticky weed
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Cleavers grows abundantly in our hedgerows and springs up in waste places and fields. All around the Edible Woodland you will find it in spring and early summer. It is a traditional spring tonic. Botanically known as Galium aparine
Cleavers is a plant referred to by herbalists as an ‘alterative’. These herbs help the body become more vital by improving the body’s ability to eliminate waste through the kidneys, liver, lungs, or skin. Medicinal Uses In old herbals Cleavers was extolled as a purifier of the blood and modern day herbalists still value this herb in the treatment of skin diseases including acne, psoriosis and boils. Cleavers is primarily used for lymphatic congestion and is very useful where the glands are inflammed. We find it very healing for tonsillitis and glandular fever. It also has strong affinities to the kidneys and is used for the suppression of urine, non specific cystitis, urethritis and cloudy urine. |
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Although most herbalists use it for the lymphatic system it has been shown to be remarkable for neurological conditions where the nerves are over-sensitive or inflamed.
May recipes
Cleavers cold infusion
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Cleavers was traditionally decocted in cold water to preserve its virtues.
Add 5g of freshly chopped cleavers herb to a clean jar. Cover in fresh water and leave for 8 – 12 hours. Strain and drink. It is not only good for you, it actually tastes really good. |
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