Top foraging!
Wild garlic, of the Ramsons variety, is in season in the springtime and can be found throughout the country – just follow your nose!
Ramsbottom in Lincolnshire and Ramsey in Essex both take
their name from having prolific amounts of this delicious plant. I can't guarantee they still do, but if you are looking for some then head for some damp woods, as it is a plant that likes the damp and shade.
It is a member of the onion family and like its relatives, the wild garlic has a bulb, a wrap-around stem and lily –like leaf. They have a
rather delicate white and star shaped flower.
The Ramsons’ bulb is much smaller than its commercially-grown cousin
and you do not want to be digging this up. Instead harvest the leaves for a
tasty addition to your forager’s larder. If kept in a sealed container they
should last for about a week.
Whilst the smell is certainly rather potent, it is because wild
garlic grows in very large clumps and the taste is actually rather milder than
its cultivated relative.
Chopped wild garlic leaves make a very tasty addition to any
salad, can be mixed into butter, sour cream or mayonnaise.
Below are some recipes featuring wild garlic:
Wild Garlic Pesto
Ingredients
200g wild garlic
200g other fresh herbs (eg parsley or chives)
200g hard cheese (eg parmesan)
200g hazelnuts
Olive oil for drizzling
Method
Place all of the leaves and herbs into a bowl and blend using
a stick blender. Strain off any juices, before adding the cheese, nuts and a
good pinch of salt.
Mix well to combine, then drizzle the olive oil to taste
Wild Garlic Pasta Sauce (serves 3)
Ingredients
150g wild garlic shoots (sliced and chopped)
1 tin tomatoes
1 onion (chopped)
2 tbsps Dijon mustard
½ tsp clear honey
2 tbsp clear honey
2 tbsp tomato puree
Parmesan cheese
Oil
Cracked black pepper
Method
Wash the wild garlic, drain and dry
Fry the onion until soft and translucent
Add the tomatoes, 100g of wild garlic, the Dijon mustard, tomato
puree and honey.
Stir well, then simmer until reduced, about 15 – 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 50g of wild
garlic, stir and serve with grated Parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper
Wild garlic has a long history of being used for its healing
benefits. The Native Americans believed it helped treat asthma and respiratory
disorders and during the Middle Ages it was a key part of the fight against
cholera and the plague. The juice of the bulb is known to help heal wounds, a
fact that field doctors in World War One made use of, with many soldiers being
saved by the use of wild garlic bandages.
Even today, medics are looking to wild and cultivated garlic
in the battle against super bugs and resistant strains of bacteria. Allicins,
the substances which give the garlic flavour has been found to reduce blood
pressure and improve health.
There are two other types of wild garlic in the UK, both of which are found in pasture land, rather than the woods. Crow garlic can reach 1.2m in height (Ramsons will grow up to 20cms) and farmers will be delighted if you can remove this from their fields, as it can infiltrate the grain crop, affecting its value; or add an ‘interesting’ odour to cows milk. Three-cornered garlic is a non-native variety which can be found in the South West.
One word of warning - if you are heading out to find some
wild garlic you need to be aware that the leaves resemble those of the
poisonous lily-of-the-valley. However, if you crush the leaves and they smell
of garlic, then it is garlic!
