Foraging for wild garlic
african vanielje on May 14 2008 at 1:02 pm | Filed under: 30 second suppers, Pasta, food blogging event, seasonal cooking
In winter our morning walk to school is not my favourite thing and I generally try and convince Dakota that a less eco-friendly door - to - door chauffeur approach is warranted. But in spring and summer we park in the neighboring village and walk across the fields. This morning it feels like we are wading knee deep in sunshine as the buttercups pay homage en-masse to the short but sweet British leg of Sol’s world tour.
The path then meanders, rickety as the old wooden fence it follows, through a small wood. Here the sunshine sneaks playful fingers through the leafy canopy while the trees dip their toes in a foaming sea of wild garlic.
The heady scent never fails to send a surging hunger message to both my stomach and my brain. Technicolor pictures dance wildly in front of my mind’s eye - of hot omelettes made with local free range eggs and somerset cheddar, grilled tomatoes and pasta with Parmesan butter, all liberally flavoured with the pungent wild garlic leaves currently doing their clamouring best to draw themselves to my attention. As if I could miss them.
We promise the children that we will stop and pick some on the way home, and for once I remember to bring my camera. In fact once I start snapping I can’t stop, everything is so beautiful. My neighbour remarks that in Italy everyone would be out foraging, but despite the fact that other children cannot resist the pungent lure, we are the only ones actually collecting young leaves for supper.
We leave behind any that are damaged or looking slightly yellow or past their best. There is so much that we can afford to pick and choose the sweetest looking young shoots. A handful each is enough. My neighbour is going to add hers to pizza toppings and I am going to make Farfalle pasta with Parmesan and Wild Garlic butter, and roasted tomatoes.
This is my entry to Ruth’s ongoing Presto Pasta night, which I always mean to enter but am usually too late with my Friday night dish. For the recipe click the link above or go to vkcb in the sidebar.
And don’t forget to come back tomorrow for more foraged wild garlic recipes. My mouth is already watering at the thought.
Look at all those beautiful wild flower heads under the canopy. This reminds me of living in Ontario, but what would be on the forest floors this time of year would be prolific amounts of white headed trilliums:D
Hey nice to see back on line. Are those really wild garlic in bloom. I have never seen such a sight. Lovely…..
Valli & Pasticcera, nice to see you two as well. The short but intense wild garlic season is upon us a little early this year, but the smell is so utterly enticing that after my school walk every morning I spend the day thinking up dishes to showcase it.
What a stunning post…breath-taking pictures, and so well written, I can actually smell and taste the garlic. Thanks for sharing a great dish with Presto Pasta Nights. Now if only I could come and visit and walk through those woods with you
Wow - that’s a sea of garlic! You are so lucky to have such a treasure trove close by. If you don’t mind I think I will link to your posts from my post on wild garlic risotto (something else to add to your “to make” list! The pasta looks marvellous - a womderful way to show off tip-top ingredients.
Thank you Ruth, and you are welcome any time
YOu too, Jeanne. And of course I don’t mind. In fact , I’ve just added wild garlic risotto to my list of must make ramson dishes.