Wild Garlic Season
The sun has returned to Devon after what has felt like months of rain. Spring has come late to the county, but the fertile ground has come alive with this long awaited warmth. Alongside the profusion of wild blooms, there are edible delights to uncover.
For foragers, this season offers an abundance of wild foods, from tender green nettles to fragrant elderflower.
Among the treasures waiting to be discovered in the now verdant landscape, wild garlic stands out as a foraging prize. Although offering a potential three month long harvest, wild garlic has a brief season to capture the leaves at their best, so is not to be missed.
Wild garlic, also known as ramsons, is instantly recognisable with its lush green leaves, white flowers and pungent aroma. Make sure not to mistake it for the similar looking Arum Maculatum (sometimes called Lords and Ladies or Cuckoo Pint) which is poisonous. If in doubt, crush a leaf between your fingers and check for that unmistakable garlic smell.
When foraging, take only what you need and avoid over picking from the same spot, and to ensure a harvest next year, leave plenty of intact plants. Always ask permission from the landowner before foraging and never eat any foraged plant unless it has been correctly identified as edible - remember, we have many poisonous plants in the UK.
Wild garlic boasts an array of health benefits. Rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, this humble herb is believed to possess immune-boosting properties and may aid in detoxification and digestion. Moreover, wild garlic is purported to have antibacterial and antiviral properties.
All this and it tastes delicious too.
Cooking With Wild Garlic
From soups and salads to pesto and sauces, cooking with wild garlic is limited only by your imagination. The flavour of wild garlic is milder than bulb garlic, but still, a little goes a long way. It lends itself beautifully to a variety of dishes, imparting a subtle yet distinctive garlic taste to any recipe.
Wild Garlic Pesto
For a simple yet satisfying springtime meal, consider whipping up a batch of wild garlic pesto, combining freshly foraged leaves with toasted nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil.
150g wild garlic leaves
75g pine nuts, toasted
50g grated parmesan
Olive oil
Lemon
Pulse the washed wild garlic leaves and pine nuts in a food processor until roughly chopped.
Add the parmesan.
With the food processor running, trickle in the olive oil until your pesto reaches the desired consistency.
Add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste.
Wild Garlic Pesto Tart
Add a handful of wild garlic pesto to spring greens, feta and pine nuts on puff pastry for an easy spring tart that bursts with fresh colours and flavours.
1 roll ready made puff pastry
2 tbsp wild garlic pesto
2 white onions, thinly sliced
2 large handfuls spring greens, shredded
100g feta cheese
50 pine nuts
Salt and black pepper
1 egg, beaten
Saute the onions in olive oil until starting to brown, then add the shredded greens and cook for a further 2 minutes until the greens have wilted but are still bright green.
Remove from the heat and season.
Preheat the oven to 170c.
Roll out the pastry sheet onto a baking tray lined with parchment.
Score a 2 inch border around the edge of the pastry sheet using a sharp knife, taking care not to cut right through.
Spread the wild garlic pesto evenly onto the pastry up to the border, then add your wilted greens and onions. Crumble the feta over the greens and scatter the pine nuts on top.
Brush the beaten egg over the pastry border.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden and cooked through.
Serve hot or cold.
Wild Garlic Chicken Kiev
Try a seasonal take on a family favourite by adding wild garlic butter to your chicken kiev
2 skinless organic chicken breasts
250g unsalted butter, softened
50g wild garlic, finely chopped
2 large eggs, beaten
75g dried breadcrumbs
Sunflower oil
Sea salt
Make your garlic butter by mashing together the softened butter, wild garlic and a pinch of sea salt. Add more salt to taste
Create a pocket in the chicken breasts by inserting a sharp knife into the thickest end and gently pushing the knife about halfway into the fillet taking care not to pierce through the other side.
Fill the pocket with 25g of your wild garlic butter, pressing it deep inside. Repeat this method with the remaining chicken breast.
You can freeze the remaining wild garlic butter for another recipe.
Arrange three shallow bowls: place flour in the first, beaten eggs in the second, and breadcrumbs in the third.
Coat each chicken breast in flour, then dip in the beaten egg, and finally coat with breadcrumbs. Double coat by dipping again in eggs and another layer of breadcrumbs. Place each prepared breast on a plate and repeat with the rest.
Cover the plate and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180c.
Pour 2cm sunflower oil into a frying pan and heat over medium-high. Fry the kievs for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown, then transfer to a baking tray.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.