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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| A beginner’s guide to spring foraging | A beginner’s guide to spring foraging |
| (6 days later) | |
| I love to eat from the wild and I've done it from my earliest years. | I love to eat from the wild and I've done it from my earliest years. |
| The flavours, textures and nutrients are elemental and vital; they bring | The flavours, textures and nutrients are elemental and vital; they bring |
| a new dimension to your cooking. I cherish the intimate connection I | a new dimension to your cooking. I cherish the intimate connection I |
| get with the environment, and the ebb and flow of the seasons and | get with the environment, and the ebb and flow of the seasons and |
| weather. It's fun to search for your own food. | weather. It's fun to search for your own food. |
| If you take | If you take |
| responsibly, your bounty is sustainable and free. Please only harvest | responsibly, your bounty is sustainable and free. Please only harvest |
| what you are confident you can positively identify: if in doubt, leave | what you are confident you can positively identify: if in doubt, leave |
| it out. Use a good guide to help you such as Alys Fowler's The Thrifty | it out. Use a good guide to help you such as Alys Fowler's The Thrifty |
| Forager, or the Collins Gem version of Richard Mabey's Food For Free. | Forager, or the Collins Gem version of Richard Mabey's Food For Free. |
| Only pick what you can comfortably use without waste or harm to the | Only pick what you can comfortably use without waste or harm to the |
| plant – leave some for others. Wash your bounty and check for bugs | plant – leave some for others. Wash your bounty and check for bugs |
| lurking in flowers. | lurking in flowers. |
| Spring is ideal to collect wild food if you've | Spring is ideal to collect wild food if you've |
| never foraged before. The lush growth of summer hasn't begun and there | never foraged before. The lush growth of summer hasn't begun and there |
| are a few easily identified plants about to get you started. | are a few easily identified plants about to get you started. |
| Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) | |
| These | These |
| have jagged, heart-shaped leaves with stinging hairs on the leaves and | have jagged, heart-shaped leaves with stinging hairs on the leaves and |
| stems and grow to about 1.5m tall. You'll find them in disturbed and | stems and grow to about 1.5m tall. You'll find them in disturbed and |
| waste ground, woodland, pasture and on hedge banks. They're incredibly | waste ground, woodland, pasture and on hedge banks. They're incredibly |
| nutritious and tasty. | nutritious and tasty. |
| Pick the top four to six leaves of young | Pick the top four to six leaves of young |
| nettles up to about June. They get harsh and gritty after this and when | nettles up to about June. They get harsh and gritty after this and when |
| they flower. Use gloves unless you're trying to prove something. | they flower. Use gloves unless you're trying to prove something. |
| To | To |
| cook, wilt them in a little boiling water, drain and squeeze well and | cook, wilt them in a little boiling water, drain and squeeze well and |
| chop. Or sauté in olive oil or butter for three to six minutes. Use them | chop. Or sauté in olive oil or butter for three to six minutes. Use them |
| in a similar way to spinach in curries and stews. They also are great | in a similar way to spinach in curries and stews. They also are great |
| in risotto, baked omelettes, gnocchi and pies and on pizza. | in risotto, baked omelettes, gnocchi and pies and on pizza. |
| Goosegrass/cleavers (Galium aparine) | |
| These | These |
| stick to your clothes like Velcro because of the hook-like hairs on the | stick to your clothes like Velcro because of the hook-like hairs on the |
| leaves, stems and round, pellet-like seeds. They’re straggling plants | leaves, stems and round, pellet-like seeds. They’re straggling plants |
| with six to eight narrow, pointed leaves set at intervals up a square | with six to eight narrow, pointed leaves set at intervals up a square |
| stem. They like gardens, hedges, woods and roadsides. | stem. They like gardens, hedges, woods and roadsides. |
| It's | It's |
| essential to only take the young stems, which are tasty and not stringy. | essential to only take the young stems, which are tasty and not stringy. |
| Look for stems that are 10cm long or less with leaves 1-2cm long. | Look for stems that are 10cm long or less with leaves 1-2cm long. |
| They | They |
| are great steamed and buttered as a side veg. Add them to soups or | are great steamed and buttered as a side veg. Add them to soups or |
| sauté quickly with garlic and butter and add to spaghetti, scrambled | sauté quickly with garlic and butter and add to spaghetti, scrambled |
| eggs or omelettes. | eggs or omelettes. |
| Primrose (Primula vulgaris) | |
| This striking spring flower is widespread in the UK and self-seeds | This striking spring flower is widespread in the UK and self-seeds |
| easily in gardens. The flowers are 2-3cm across and have five petals; | easily in gardens. The flowers are 2-3cm across and have five petals; |
| the oval leaves taper to the stalk. Use the flowers and leaves as pretty | the oval leaves taper to the stalk. Use the flowers and leaves as pretty |
| garnish for salads. Use the flowers raw and fry the leaves in olive oil | garnish for salads. Use the flowers raw and fry the leaves in olive oil |
| until just crisp but still green. | until just crisp but still green. |
| Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) | |
| You can find these nearly everywhere grassy and in waste places. They exude a milky sap from all parts when cut, so wear gloves when you pick to avoid stained hands. The leaves grow from the base of the plant in a rosette and the flower comes out on a hollow stalk. | You can find these nearly everywhere grassy and in waste places. They exude a milky sap from all parts when cut, so wear gloves when you pick to avoid stained hands. The leaves grow from the base of the plant in a rosette and the flower comes out on a hollow stalk. |
| The leaves are quite bitter, like chicory. Very young spring leaves are less bitter. Use them like salad leaves or spinach (soak older leaves in water for a few hours). You can make great fritters with the flower buds: coat them in a light batter and fry. Or use the petals in leaf or potato salads or with pasta. | The leaves are quite bitter, like chicory. Very young spring leaves are less bitter. Use them like salad leaves or spinach (soak older leaves in water for a few hours). You can make great fritters with the flower buds: coat them in a light batter and fry. Or use the petals in leaf or potato salads or with pasta. |
| Elder (Sumbucus nigra) | |
| Look forward to these in early summer, when the flowers appear in generous white umbels. The elder is widespread in woods, hedgerows and waste places in towns and cities. It's a shrub with a long stems that have cracked greeny-grey bark and dark grey pores on them. The leaves are made up of three to nine leaflets in opposites along a stem. Only use the flowers or berries: the rest is poisonous. | Look forward to these in early summer, when the flowers appear in generous white umbels. The elder is widespread in woods, hedgerows and waste places in towns and cities. It's a shrub with a long stems that have cracked greeny-grey bark and dark grey pores on them. The leaves are made up of three to nine leaflets in opposites along a stem. Only use the flowers or berries: the rest is poisonous. |
| Use the beautifully scented flowers to make sparkling wine, cordial, vinegar or fritters. The flowers also are magical with strawberries to make strawberry jam. | Use the beautifully scented flowers to make sparkling wine, cordial, vinegar or fritters. The flowers also are magical with strawberries to make strawberry jam. |
| Nettle pizza recipe | Nettle pizza recipe |
| Take two to four big handfuls of well-washed nettles. Drain and squeeze dry, chop roughly, pat dry in a tea towel. | Take two to four big handfuls of well-washed nettles. Drain and squeeze dry, chop roughly, pat dry in a tea towel. |
| Heat your oven to as hot as it will go, shelf in the middle. | Heat your oven to as hot as it will go, shelf in the middle. |
| Put your nettles in a bowl, season well with salt and pepper, and add some chilli flakes and two or three finely chopped cloves of garlic. Moisten with extra virgin olive oil and mix well. | Put your nettles in a bowl, season well with salt and pepper, and add some chilli flakes and two or three finely chopped cloves of garlic. Moisten with extra virgin olive oil and mix well. |
| Cover your pizza base with 1-2cm cubes of brie, stilton or other cheese. Pile the nettle mix on top. | Cover your pizza base with 1-2cm cubes of brie, stilton or other cheese. Pile the nettle mix on top. |
| Pop into your hot oven for 10-15 minutes until the dough is brown and crisp on the edges, the greens have wilted and the cheese has melted and started to brown. | Pop into your hot oven for 10-15 minutes until the dough is brown and crisp on the edges, the greens have wilted and the cheese has melted and started to brown. |
| Carl blogs here and tweets here. His book – The Permaculture Kitchen – is published by Permanent Publications and is available now. | Carl blogs here and tweets here. His book – The Permaculture Kitchen – is published by Permanent Publications and is available now. |
| Interested in finding out more about how you can live better? Take a look at this month's Live Better Challenge here. | Interested in finding out more about how you can live better? Take a look at this month's Live Better Challenge here. |
| The | The |
| Live Better Challenge is funded by Unilever; its focus is sustainable | Live Better Challenge is funded by Unilever; its focus is sustainable |
| living. All content is editorially independent except for pieces | living. All content is editorially independent except for pieces |
| labelled advertisement feature. Find out more here. | labelled advertisement feature. Find out more here. |