DON'T STEP ON THE RAMSONS!!!!!
Actually DO, the smell is divine.
For those of you who don't know about this wonderful plant, it is in fact 'Wild garlic' and it is growing in abundance in woodlands now.
I didn't photograph the garlic growing so I shall have to describe it. The leaves are about 25cm long, soft, smooth and shiny and tapered to a point. Later in their season they develop starry white flowers. Identifying these delicious plants is simple, go with your nose, it's all in the scent!
Medicinal uses:-
Wild garlic has all the same medicinal uses as cultivated varieties , (i.e. it's an insecticide, has antioxidant properties, and boosts the immune system (isn't it incredible how nature provides everything we need in season)), with wild garlic you use the leaves instead of the bulb of the plant (although the bulbs can be used, they are just very small).
Culinary uses:-
With a little creativity, wild garlic can be used in a variety of dishes. Try putting it into soups, lasagne's, Spanish omelette's, salads and my favourite......pesto!
'Wild garlic pesto'
Ingredients:
A large handful of wild garlic
A cup of pine nuts (if you don't have these try experimenting with other nuts and seeds, I used sunflower seeds and they were perfect!).
Olive oil
Lemon juice
A pinch of Himalayan rock salt
1 cup of grated cheese
You have to experiment with the quantities, I rarely measure out anything so can't be specific. Pop all your ingredients into a food processor and whizz until the desired consistency and then serve on pasta or sandwiched between two floured tortilla's and grilled (now that was delicious!!).
I love this, and make it to a similaer recipe.
ReplyDeleteHi Kim,
ReplyDeleteWe love ramsons too, we haven't found any growing this year though, so I am very jealous of your lovely find!
I have really enjoyed discovering your blog, we met once a few years at The Mother magazine camp, you know the stormy, rainy, gale force winds weekend! You stood out for me that weekend as an inspiration, as you were on your own with three small children, and yet you were always smiling, no mean feat when camping in a storm! It is lovely to see how much your children have grown, time flies by. I have a blog too, it is private, but I'd be happy to send you an invite as I would very much like to keep reading yours :) If you'd like me to, just send me your email address to ash.castree@aol.co.uk.
Hope you have been enjoying this lovely spring day
Georgina (Mum to Mia, Tarka, Willow and Jahara - although Willow was only a baby when we met and Jahara hadn't been born!)
We made some of this last year, so much that we are still eating it now! We froze most of it.
ReplyDeleteHi Kim,
ReplyDeleteI have sommehow managed to delete the email you sent me, could you send me your email address again so that I can send you a blog invite :) It may take me a couple of weeks, as we are moving house on monday and we'll be offline until we get set up!
Best Wishes
Georgina x