Wild food

[UKPoacher]

Now is the time to harvest wild garlic from woods and river banks. Put a knife into the soil at the side of the plant and work it round to loosen the earth. Then gently pull the stems to get them all out in one piece. Clean the bulbs in running water, trim the roots and chop them off the stems where white meets green like you would with leeks or spring onions. Put these to one side for stir fries and stews and pare the leaves off the stems to shred and add to salad.

 

Also at this time of year Wood Ear (or Jews Ear) fungi can be found ready dried on dead elder branches. Take it off the wood and store it in a jar ready for use. When you need it just soak it for an hour in water - it swells tofour times the size, rinse well then cut into strips for stir fries or add to casseroles to add body and thickness to the stock.

 

Wild carrots are also coming into season. Just be careful that you don't pick hemlock by mistake

[harv]

I wish i could find a buyer for that wild garlic, there is tons of the stuff

[hendersons]

had a bit of a mooch around this morning i picked,hog weed,three cornered leek,wild garlic,japanese knot weed shoots,wild roquette,st georges mushrooms,oxalis,hairy bitter cress and my first ever morels.

nick

[henry d]

.......japanese knot weed shoots.......

 

Tell me more !!!!!!! as I have lots here !

[harv]

Tell me more !!!!!!! as I have lots here !

 

......japanese knot weed shoots..... SUSPECTED TERRORIST?

[Ozzy Fudd]

had a bit of a mooch around this morning i picked,hog weed,three cornered leek,wild garlic,japanese knot weed shoots,wild roquette,st georges mushrooms,oxalis,hairy bitter cress and my first ever morels.

nick

 

hogweed, as in the giant stuff?

 

 

thought it was poisoness, or is there another type?

[alexr]

hogweed, as in the giant stuff?

 

 

thought it was poisoness, or is there another type?

That stuff is.. or at least it causes severe skin irritation on contact. a kind of allergic reaction.

[hendersons]

japanese knot weed you eat when it first starts to grow. It can only be around 4/5 inches long or it gets bitter. It looks like asparagus in shape but tastes a little like rhubarb (to me anyway) . I fry in a little butter and like it with some fatty belly pork.it is in the fourth picture down on this link http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Knotweed.html.

 

The hog weed is most definitely not giant hog weed as this is poiusonous. It is the variety that has the latin name Heracleum sphondylium. When you are picking it make sure it is definately not hemlock too. I cook and eat this the same as I would spinach. Picture in link below.

 

http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/ancient/...ommon%20Hogweed

 

nick

[UKPoacher]

had a bit of a mooch around this morning i picked,hog weed,three cornered leek,wild garlic,japanese knot weed shoots,wild roquette,st georges mushrooms,oxalis,hairy bitter cress and my first ever morels.

nick

 

We are a bit behind you with the sound of it. The morels might show with the bit of rain we've just had though. What's this 'wild roquette' business? It's 'rocket' man. We're not French!

 

I wish i could find a buyer for that wild garlic, there is tons of the stuff :o

 

Someone already has. You can buy bulbs on the Internet.

 

I've just used the leaves to make a tub of garlic butter. The bulbs are going in a pigeon stir fry tomorrow along with the rehydrated wood ear fungi.

[hendersons]

when i was a apprentice my boss used to tell me that roquette is for a plate and a rocket is what he would put up my **** if i didn't do the roquette fast enough. So it stuck and now i'm a ponce and proud

[Dave 101]

Never plant wild garlic in your garden , it spreads fast and you never seem to get rid of it ,any one want soom .

I have just strimmed the edge of the lawn where it is growing and the garden smells of it from the cut leaves .

Dave

[Doc Holliday]

Jack-by-the-hedge is out and about now. Otherwise known as garlic mustard. A little more subtle than wild garlic, I find.

 

[hendersons]

i'm having a full day on thursday picking lots of things for work. I will be going to the coast aswell as into the fields and woods. I will try and take a few pics of what I find and where I find them if anybody is interested.

 

We also had a bit of a think at work the other day. We thought maybe we could do a kind of cookery school, but make it more outdoors related. If you don't mind i will run it past you all first.

 

a.m. A walk around the local woods and fields collecting edible plants and such like

lunch. a full three course meal where most of the food is wild foods plus a few bits from our local farmers.

p.m. a cookery lesson lasting approx 3hrs or so including some game butchery (depending on how long you took to eat lunch and what time sunset is) in our proffesional restaurant kitchen with one or two of our chefs.

from end of lesson to sunset. A few hours shooting either accompanied deer stalking, roost shooting or rabbit shooting or just accompanying a experienced shot who will do the shooting for you if you prefer (or not had any experience before).

Then back to the restaurant have a couple of beers and then home.

 

So what do you think? does it sound like a good idea or are we barking up the wrong tree. As I said at the moment it is just an idea but would appreciate your views.

 

Many thanks nick

[Stealth Stalker]

Sounds spot on :look:

 

I could be interested in some of that

 

SS

[UKPoacher]

I think that you are onto a winner there. Plenty of interest in wild food at the moment.

[Iaindp]

Count me in for sure - sounds great

[stripey999]

Mr Henderson, this sounds like a great idea, not just for the shooting fraternity but also as a red letter day for people who have never had the chance to shoot. I would be interested when you set up, especially the butchery part.

[pyr8]

hogweed destroys the pigment in your skin that helps stop you getting sunburnt.get in on your skin,instant sunburn.

[UKPoacher]

Dead giant hogweed in autumn and winter is a briliiant fuel for the Kelly Kettle though.

[hendersons]

sorry about not saying what we managed to pick last thursday but im still waiting for the person with the camera to email me the pictures.

 

Thanks for the replies regarding the course we are sitting down next week to have a real think about it.

 

Has anybody else noticed a distinct lack of st georges mushrooms this year I cam hardly find any.

 

nick

[UKPoacher]

Little wife and I searched the local deciduous woods and rides on Sunday morning and not a one to be found. Given that some of the things are around two weeks behind because of the winter and recent cold spell there is still time.

[Iaindp]

Now is the time to harvest wild garlic from woods and river banks. Put a knife into the soil at the side of the plant and work it round to loosen the earth. Then gently pull the stems to get them all out in one piece. Clean the bulbs in running water, trim the roots and chop them off the stems where white meets green like you would with leeks or spring onions. Put these to one side for stir fries and stews and pare the leaves off the stems to shred and add to salad.

 

Also at this time of year Wood Ear (or Jews Ear) fungi can be found ready dried on dead elder branches. Take it off the wood and store it in a jar ready for use. When you need it just soak it for an hour in water - it swells tofour times the size, rinse well then cut into strips for stir fries or add to casseroles to add body and thickness to the stock.

 

Wild carrots are also coming into season. Just be careful that you don't pick hemlock by mistake

 

 

Hi Pocaher, any progress with this?

Cheers

Iain

[UKPoacher]

Hi Pocaher, any progress with this?

Cheers

Iain

 

Well yes. I've eaten the garlic, but we've still got some dried fungus left and are still finding wild carrots.

[Iaindp]

Well yes. I've eaten the garlic, but we've still got some dried fungus left and are still finding wild carrots.

 

 

 

I was referring to the cooking cource etc??

[UKPoacher]

I was referring to the cooking cource etc??

 

You are asking the wrong man mate.