I am giving a 45 minute talk to the Sid Vale Association on Wednesday, 24th February 2010. Details of the wild food talk can be found here.
Back in the 16th and 17th century Rock Samphire pickle was eaten regularly. These days it’s virtually unheard of thanks to the boring, puritan Victorians who deemed it unworthy as a foodstuff. Personally I love it and eat it mixed into brown rice or millet with a dash of tamari as a nourishing snack. Goes very well with cold meat and cheese, and also pate and toast. [Read more…]
I love this Wild Celery tapenade served with crisp, hot potato wedges. A divine recipe that will have you going back for more… again and again. [Read more…]
This recipe is best made up to an hour before serving so the Black Mustard Leaf sushi is served as fresh as possible. Refrigeration spoils the texture. Many other fillings can be tried. Try experimenting with grated radish, carrot, smoked salmon, fine slices red pepper to name a few. Black mustard leaf offers a brilliant substitute for wasabi with several thousand less food miles! Any left-over black mustard leaf can be added to a vinaigrette for spice and colour. [Read more…]
This Wild Celery soup is an alternative to the traditional one served after sunset during Ramadan in Morocco when food is allowed to be eaten and the daily fast has ended. I think it makes a welcome addition to a bleak rain-swept cold winter’s day offering warmth and comfort. The Mallow adds texture and thickens the soup due to its mucilaginous qualities. [Read more…]
This Hedgerow Jam Recipe is made from seasonal wild fruits foraged from the countryside. A wonderful combination that gives a great boost to your Vitamin C levels. [Read more…]
Sea Aster (Aster tripolium) makes an ideal bedfellow with any line caught white fish. This dish can be made in advance and baked when needed. Serve with a salad or cooked green vegetable. [Read more…]
The stems of the Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) goes really well with the cheese and potato filling. You can either make your own flaky pastry, I use 200g strong plain flour to 150g butter; or buy one ready-made, but do try to ensure it is made with butter. Shaping the pasties this way means there is no wastage, rather than cutting out unnecessary circles. [Read more…]
In Russia Hogweed’s (Heracleum sphondylium) old name was “borschevnic”. The soup was originally made using lacto-fermented hogweed. In Poland both the soup and plant are called “barscz” and by the end of the nineteenth century this had evolved to mean a soup with beetroot as the main ingredient. In Romania the sharp lacto-fermented liquid is called borsch and is used like stock and added to soups. [Read more…]
This Nettle Soup recipe is not set in stone and is a great way of using up leftovers lurking in the fridge. It offers a really easy lunch and brightens up one of those wild windy autumn or winter days with heat and earthy goodness. Another plus side, it is ready in 10 minutes and only uses one pan. [Read more…]
