We have a selection of wild, foraged spring greens available this week, hand-picked by Adam. With the mild winter this year, spring is already underway and many plants are coming through earlier than usual.
We have 3 cornered wild garlic (£3.50), Sea Beet and Miner’s Lettuce (£2.50) available in punnets, which can be used in the following ways:
Wild garlic – can be cooked or eaten raw.
The vibrant green colour is spectacular and can be used to flavour and colour mayonnaise, butter or as a pesto base. You can use wild garlic as a direct replacement for garlic and leeks in cooking, such as in salads, soups and stews. Here’s a link to our wild garlic pesto recipe, or you can find other great recipes here…
Sea Beet – Found all along the south coast shoreline, sea beet can be used as a direct alternative to spinach. It’s abundant, easily identifiable and delicious. Try it stir-fried with some wild garlic and chilli.
Miner’s Lettuce (aka winter purslane) – These delicate leaves can be used in salad, and we have been garnishing dishes in the kitchen with them. You can grow Miner’s lettuce if you enjoy winter salads but is also easy to forage.
Now why would you choose foraged spring greens over the cultivated alternatives?
- Firstly they have not been sprayed with fertilizer, insecticide, chlorine or weed killer.
- Secondly, wild plants are regularly described as superfoods (think hedgerow blackberries and elderberries) due to their high levels of nutrients, vitamins, anti-oxidants and Omega 3 fatty acids. I reckon that most plants were once “superfoods”, but with modern industrial food methods, have had the benefits bred out of them in favour of shelf life and appearance.
- Finally, as we learn more about our gut biome and how it affects our health, we are being encouraged to broaden the range of foods in our diet, and this is the perfect start.
It’s only the start of the year and we are looking forward to introducing you to a whole range of wild foods thanks to Adam’s foraging. We will be adding a woodland foraging course and a coastal foraging course shortly and we’ll let you know the dates soon.