The Blog
Mum....get out of the bush!
Friday 14th April 2017
So, it's official, the children think I'm mad and I've succumbed to the foraging folk that I used to shout "get yourself down to Tesco" at when they were on the TV rummaging through the woodland floors all those years ago. That was me back then. Yesterday, the new and improved me, had reversed the car back down the road in excitement after spotting something most interesting, and proceeded to forage away at the grass verge, to the shouts and groans of my children "get back in the car Mum, it's embarrassing!"
I chuckled away to myself as I tried to find the cleanest, freshest green shoots and white flowers that I had seen as we had sped through the country roads, feeling rather proud of myself. Wild garlic. Seasonal, free and extremely good for you! I bundled as much as I could in to the car and ignored the ranting about my behaviour - they would be eating their words one day...like me.
Back home, after giving the leaves a thorough scrub (you never know what's occurred on a grass verge!), I thought about all the things I could do with the pungent smelling leaves, that made me stomach rumble in hunger (I love garlic!). I thought about the warming flavours underpinning the nuttiness of brown rice, paired with a softened, sweet red onion and earthy mushrooms: A great side dish to match any protein.
I considered the heat and saltiness of the garlic as it was whizzed up with parmesan, nuts, olive oil and lemon juice - a wild garlic pesto sauce that I would also add a big dollop of a light crème fraiche to. A great salad dressing or topping to a piece of toasted sourdough, a wonderful garnish to a mushroom soup and a tasty dip for peppers and carrots. Have a look at the recipes for those!
As I arranged the leaves in a vase, I stood back and realized that the sight of these fresh, vibrant, natural forming leaves with the delicate spray of white flowers, looked far more appealing than any of the tight, forced petals of many roses from the supermarket shelf, that had spent time in that vase over the years (sorry husband). There is something so relaxing and warming about these wild garlic leaves, with their promise of warmer weather and deeply, savoury aroma seeping up from the warming earth around their roots. Found on the ground under trees that are entwined with ivy with the back drop of emerging bluebells, these leaves are so easy to find, fun to pick and satisfying to cook or eat raw.
So the benefits? Oh yes, there are many! If you suffer from high blood pressure forget the usual white bulb of garlic found at the shop, the wild garlic leaves have far more power with helping high blood pressure. They can assist with reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke too. Being full of antibacterial, antibiotic and antiseptic properties, they really can be a helping hand in keeping you fit and healthy.
Fancy having a go? It's a great way to encourage your children on a walk, with the "who can find this?" carrot to dangle? There are other names for this lovely bulb - bear's garlic (that's a good one for the younger children), broad leaved garlic, ramsons, buckrams and bear leek. Beware of its slight similarity to the poisonous Lily Of The Valley though! A couple of ways to check this would be ensure the leaves are stemming from bright green shoots and not purple in any way. Also, pick a leaf and rub it between your fingers, you should smell the garlic immediately which would definitely say you've hit the jackpot. You can find it flowering between April and June and can quite commonly be found growing close to bluebells, in deciduous woodlands with moist soil.
There you go, equipped with knowledge and inspiration, get your walking shoes on and explore. You don't have to turn in to a foraging fanatic with safari shorts, beards and baskets, but you can have some fun in the spring sunshine and the forever developing seasonal kitchen. The more we understand about our surroundings and natural environment, the more our planet can be protected and the healthier we will be.
