Foraging - Natures Food

tiff

Yeah, I have been learning, Downsizer forum often has pics of mushrooms for identification. Think I will give it a go this year.

S1976

Hiya, I agree with Geordie Joe here, as a frugal type person myself, my husband and I are lucky in respect we have a good idea which mushrooms are safe to eat - but although we are 99.9% sure, we still double check before ever eating any mushroom. Our most valuable find last year was some nice healthy chicken in the wood. (bright yellow or orange growing from a tree trunk) and it really did live up to it's name!

If you are in doubt at all then perhaps leave mushrooms all together and try making some burdock wine for instance or elderflower? Or even a nettle haggis? Things that are easily to identify

Gigervamp

Nettle haggis? That sounds interesting! Do you have a recipe?

S1976

Gigervamp wrote: »

Nettle haggis? That sounds interesting! Do you have a recipe?

Hi

Have a look --> here <-- I have this book so just did a quick search for you, the haggis is in the 23.Nettle pudding section. Maybe even try the nettle toast! hehe let me know if they are nice. I'm planning on trying the haggis myself this year along with a few others

Gigervamp

Oh cool! Thanks!

Trinny

There is a nettle soup recipe by Hugh Fearnley - which i found online with some other recipes for nettle and hedgerow dumplings - suitable for use with stew and nettle tagliatelle - but i think you need a pasta making machines (unfortunatelly i dont)

Nettle puree - which is the base of all these recipes - tastes a little like pea pods. I made the nettle soup recipe this week - you only need half a carrier bag of nettles to make it. the OH went back for seconds - even though he wont join in any foraging expeditions and is more than a little sceptical about "eating weeds" as he puts it.

As i am not a whizz at the PC and have no idea how to link to the Hugh FW pages- if you want the recipes - let me know.

Trin

S1976

Hi,

You can do the pasta without a machine, just takes longer and more work. Is this the Hugh link you were looking after for the pasta? I love watching him on TV, have most the dvd's and the river cottage cook book too (Yes I'm an addict to all this type of thing!)

phizzimum

Tried nettle soup out on my guests - they were with me when I foraged it and I was very impressed that they were game enough to try it, so no subtefuge needed!

found lots of wild garlic too. I'd been carefully looking for it as I've never tried it before - was overjoyed when I found a clump, then realised it was everywhere!

I'm infusing some in olive oil for future use, and going to use the rest in some savoury pancakes tomorrow. I guess it would work in anything that you would normally use garlic or spring onion.

any other recommendations for wild garlic?

Trinny

S1976 wrote: »

Hi,

You can do the pasta without a machine, just takes longer and more work. Is the Hugh link you were looking after for the pasta? I love watching him on TV, have most the dvd's and the river cottage cook book too (Yes I'm an addict to all this type of thing!)

Thanks S1976

Exactly what i was looking for - HFW is an inspiration - i am a cautious yet enthusiastic newbie forager - (started last year) Hoping to catch a foraging day course this year - as its tough learning from scratch using books all the time

Trin

Trinny

phizzimum wrote: »

Tried nettle soup out on my guests - they were with me when I foraged it and I was very impressed that they were game enough to try it, so no subtefuge needed!

found lots of wild garlic too. I'd been carefully looking for it as I've never tried it before - was overjoyed when I found a clump, then realised it was everywhere!

I'm infusing some in olive oil for future use, and going to use the rest in some savoury pancakes tomorrow. I guess it would work in anything that you would normally use garlic or spring onion.

any other recommendations for wild garlic?

Hoping to find Ramsons this year ( wild garlic).

Its a bit early to find them where we live - but hoping to strike lucky like you did.

Trin