Last Saturday, I decided to see what I could find forage-able at this time of year. I wanted to make a wild food buffet salad for Kat who was returning after being abroad 3 weeks. I thought it'd be nice to present her local foods, to help her quickly feel 'at home' here, and maybe reduce jet-lag etc. However, when I went to the market to see what locally produced fruit and veg they had, I only ended up getting some carrots, potatoes and onion. Now is a rather slack period for gardening in the west of Ireland, but I thought I'd be able to find some winter cabbage or Brussels sprouts.
Anyway, I was quite surprised with some of the wild foods I found for foraging:
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| Wild 'Buffet' Salad |
Plate 1:
- Blackberries - at this time of the year! I never expected this, however their almost complete lack of taste kills the excitement.
- Heather (Ling) - this was more for decoration, but can be used for an infusion.
- Daisy - not only looks nice, but is good to eat too.
- Gorse flowers - removing the outer sepals, the tender flower is nice to eat with a beany taste (like vanilla to some).
- Snowberries - not very edible. These give you an upset stomach if you eat too much (toxins include sopanoids), but are ok to try one or two. The name really fits, I find, as not only are these found into the winter, but the inside flesh resembles for all the world like snow in appearance and texture. Be sure to research these before you risk trying them (See PFAF entry: Snowberry).
- Hawthorn Berries - I only found two and they seemed in quite a pathetic state - but it surprised me to find them at all this time of year!
- Dandelion - leaves, flower and root - all good to eat. See my post on dandelions for more.
- Wild garlic bulbs - these are best used with something else due to their strong flavour, but can be used just as normal garlic cloves. Be careful harvesting as they look like toxic plants (such as Lilly of the Valley) when in flower.
- Plantain - Excellent medicinally and also good to eat - especially the smaller/younger leaves, which I placed on top.
- Wild Strawberry leaves (lower right) - these are better when younger, and not to be confused with barren strawberry with which it often grows. The leaves are also good as an infusion.
- Primrose leaves (upper right) - another great evergreen herb, but again the leaves are best younger. Also I find that dirt easily sticks to the leaf underside amongst all the veins.
- Wood Sage (middle) - Actually this doesn't taste or smell like sage, and its habitat is not restricted to woodlands. It is one of those plants not toxic but not edible either for its extreme bitter taste. I added it just to try. Apparently it is used as a hopps substitute (see PFAF entry: Wood Sage)
- Clover (lower left) - similar tasting to the Gorse flower, but more edible I think. It grows in most meadows and waste places - available all year around (if not grazed!).
- Sorrel (upper left) - this one is great to forage and have in salads all year around. Sadly I found but 3 leaves.
Plate 4: Some herbs from my garden: Thyme, Sage, Rosemary and Mint.
Plate 5: Carrot and onion locally grown (from market)
In the centre, in my Morter&Pestle, I have hazel nuts which I collected in September.
I had hoped to get more sorrel, and also some nettle, but the latter is kind of dying back at the moment.
Conclusion: It is not easy to offer a (nearly) complete wild meal such as this to someone not wont of eating wilds. I guess some of the tastes are a bit strange, and it is true that nowadays we are not often used to eating bitters (such as dandelion). I was asked several times: "But are you sure one can eat that?"
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