Free Grub

The new shoots of Hop plants are very tasty lightly boiled, but that was last month. They are too tough now.

Young Nettle plants, lightly boiled, keep a dark green colour and look good on the plate. Eat them now, and get your own back on the blighters.

And Samphire, which grows all round the Norfolk coast, will soon be pickable, but best later this month and into July, depending on the season. Again lightly boiled after washing off the sand and mud. Nice with any fish, or by itself with butter as a starter. This too keeps a lovely dark green colour after cooking, and is best served off the sprig, or keep the root on as a handle.

Any other wild grub ideas?

Nik

[ 01. June 2006, 09:44 AM: Message edited by: Nik ]

 

Nik: Very interesting, I know that stinging nettle is very good for water retention but what on earth does it taste like? Replacement for spinach maybe?

[ 01. June 2006, 01:46 PM: Message edited by: DAG ]

 

The Latin name is Urtica and as David Bellamy once said, its called Urtica because it 'urts :D



The formic acid in stinging nettles is destroyed by cooking. However, the nettles have to be harvested before the beginning of June when they become too tough. After the main stems have been removed they can be cooked with a little butter like spinach. Samuel Pepys enjoyed nettle porridge in 1661 and there are recipes for nettle soup and even nettle haggis. Young nettle leaves can also be used to make beer and herbal tea.
They also have been used like flax to make cloth and during the last war, hundreds of tons were gathered to extract chlorophyl.

More recipes in Richard Mabey's book: "Food for Free" 1972.

 

Did you know that you can eat Broad Bean tops?
they are delicious as are beet root leaves...
chop roughly lighty boil drain serve with a knob of butter. Yummie. :D

 

Just found this recipe that uses broad bean pods --interesting (?).


"Follow the recipe below exactly... it is no ordinary Broad Bean soup recipe...this special one includes the pods. This is critical because the study which proved the broad beans contain pharmacologically active L-dopa used a Broad Bean Pod mixture...not just the beans. In fact the pods contain the highest concentration of l-dopa compared to the actual bean.

Also make sure that the Broad Beans you select are young...because the young ones contain the greatest amount of l-dopa. Don't skimp on the cream either...the hormones which we are going to boost will be aided by the animal fat of the cream. (the body manufactures the hormone testosterone from Cholesterol) So on the surface it may look like an ordinary soup recipe...but behind the scenes a bit of clever pharmacology is taking place.

So don't change the Recipe!

Ingredients for "Youth Soup" or "B2 Broth"!
32 ozs fresh young Broadbeans
1 small Onion, peeled and chopped
4 cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped
6 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 quart water (approx)
6 tablespoons Whipping Cream
1 small bunch of Mint, picked and sliced

Method

- Pod the broad beans, keeping their pods. Wash these well then chop them into small pieces.
- Sweat the Chopped onion and garlic in the olive oil for about 2 minutes.
- Add the shells of the beans then sweat for a further 3 minutes until soft.
- Cover with the water then bring to the boil.
- Simmer rapidly for about 5 minutes then add half of the beans
- Boil for a further five minutes then purÃ?Æ?Ã?©e and strain through a fine sieve.
- Blanch the remainder of the beans for 1 minutes then add to the purÃ?Æ?Ã?©ed soup along with the cream.
- Reboil, add the sliced mint and serve.

Serves 4"

 

Nettle is full of iron and vitamin C Don't do what I did though... first time, blanched the nettels too much so they went soggy, second time didn't blanch them enough and stung my mouth!! DOH! Third time I got it right!

We used to pick samphire when I lived in West Wales, also wild spinach, lavabread (seaweed) which is gorgeous, and gorse flowers for our salad.

 

I found a lot of interesting information on dandelions. Superfood. Leaves etc One person swears by eating three flowers a day so I am trying that. Not risked nettles yet but there are plenty here.

And I think I will mix them with kale and maybe dandelion leaves.. all of which I have in abundance,

And waiting for the chickweed plantation to erupt. Really lovely wild food