A first step in wild foods...

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A first step in wild foods...
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Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 05 9:21 am Post subject: A first step in wild foods...

We harvested some nettles from our garden last night. Well, actually Treacodactyl harvested them because I'm a wuss, and I cooked them, standing well back in case they bit me. What an impressive colour they turned the washing up water.

Anyway, according to the word of Roger Phillips' Wild Food I cooked them with a bit of butter and salt and pepper until they collapsed. TD tasted them and said they were like spinach but more..gritty I think, less slimy.

There were only a small harvest so we had decided to use them in little quiches. And I'm still here and actually quite enjoyed them, much less frightening than mushrooms. I can't say they tasted of much but they looked very nice, just like spinach in fact.

So if you haven't tried nettles yet I highly recommend you get doing so. I've now agreed to try them in saag aloo (only of course there won't be any saag...)

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 05 9:45 am Post subject: Re: A first step in wild foods...
Well done Bugs Can I suggest for your next nettle supper, you harvest plenty of soft nettle tops along with several good handfulls of sorrel, and make a soup based on a chicken stock, thickened with spuds, with the wild herbs blanched in the soup before blending? Grate of nutmeg, the tiniest sprinkling of a hard cheese, and serve with bread. One of my favourite soups.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 05 9:59 am Post subject:
Right thats it, I'm off out with the dogs and a basket. Even I can recognise a nettle! Oh bugger - I haven't got a kitchen to cook in. It'll have to wait till the weekend (or whenever the carpenter decides to turn up) I'll go an put towels over the nettles, then.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28235
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 05 10:28 am Post subject:
One i must try We missed the fungi club we were going to go to Sunday Having been out rambling Friday there was rather too much needing doing at home Sunday, and some of the future forages they have organised are closer to home.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 05 10:41 am Post subject: Re: A first step in wild foods...

Bugs wrote:

TD tasted them and said they were like spinach but more..gritty I think, less slimy.

Not gritty, just more texture in a nice way.

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 05 5:46 pm Post subject:
I was a nettle virgin too until last weekend, when I made a variation of HFW's soup. I didn't have any rice or spuds to thicken with, so I shoved in a handful of chestnuts from the freezer, and used a dollop of yoghurt instead of cream. It was luvverly!

hardworkinghippy

Joined: 01 Jan 2005
Posts: 1110
Location: Bourrou South West France

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 05 6:52 pm Post subject:
We're looking for Morilles at the moment. The ground is really appreciating this rainy three or four days. We haven't found any yet, but we're getting closer. HWH

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 05 7:00 pm Post subject:
Morels? We've been looking in all the classic places and not found any yet. Mind you we've not had much rain at all this year.

hardworkinghippy

Joined: 01 Jan 2005
Posts: 1110
Location: Bourrou South West France

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 05 7:09 pm Post subject:
We still have a lot which we dried last year, they're still perfect. We leave them open in a warm place all the time. Last year we put them dry in a jar and they went off. HWH

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 05 8:22 pm Post subject:
Good for you hippy. I hardly ever seem to find morels these days But I've found them way earlier in the year than this; it's early around your parts for them?

hardworkinghippy

Joined: 01 Jan 2005
Posts: 1110
Location: Bourrou South West France

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 05 8:28 pm Post subject:
Last year it was the 5th of April when we found a kilo and a half in one morning! That's worth a lot of money, but they're too good to sell! HWH

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 05 8:39 pm Post subject:

hardworkinghippy wrote:

Last year it was the 5th of April when we found a kilo and a half in one morning!

That's worth a lot of money, but they're too good to sell!

HWH

Never think about how much what you're picking is worth. It'll make you gibber.

Richy Rich

Joined: 24 Mar 2005
Posts: 31
Location: Coventry - Warwickshire....

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 05 12:23 pm Post subject:
hardworkinghippy you GOTTA tell me when you find some... I have been looking hard for about two weeks and nothing yet... Been trying to use proper ground - ie sandy soil - bark chipping etc.... no joy yet... I think we need a good dose of rain followed by a few days of good sunshine.. give all that compost a good rotting... Richy

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 05 12:27 pm Post subject:

Richy Rich wrote:

hardworkinghippy you GOTTA tell me when you find some... I have been looking hard for about two weeks and nothing yet...

Been trying to use proper ground - ie sandy soil - bark chipping etc.... no joy yet...

I think we need a good dose of rain followed by a few days of good sunshine.. give all that compost a good rotting...

Richy

I once came across a whole load of them in Stratford, not far from you. They were on wood chippings all along by a car park. Tons of them. They were late in the season (May, if memory serves).

moogie

Joined: 02 Feb 2005
Posts: 525
Location: Near Bridgend

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 05 12:28 pm Post subject:
I'm a bit nervous of nettles and not in case they sting me. But am I the only one who is scared of dogs having peed on them first ? I don't have nettles in my back garden and all the nettels i see elsewhere always seem to have a dog having a widdle.

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