Shropshire Salad

I spent the weekend in a wood in Shropshire (as you do) – lucky me!  Its an ancient woodland on a South facing slope with mighty oaks and a seeming infinate number of lichens.

OK, I’ll come clean I didn’t exactly make a salad, there wasn’t really enough to have done so, but there was lots of wild foods coming through.  I saw Sheep Sorrel, Dandelion, Nettles, Comfrey and Cow Parsley (though to be honest I would not recommend raw nettles)  give them a week or two and there will be plenty for soup or for pop.

Try this, its ready in a just a couple of days and tastes great (possibly wierd or unfamiliar, but still great!)

Take 1 carrier bag of nettel tops, a sliced lemon, 10oz sugar and 1tsp ginger and 1/4 oz cream of tartar.  Pour over 2 1/2 pints boikling water, when it cools to blood temperature, stir in 1/2 oz crumbled yeast.  Cover with cloth and leave in a warm place for 2 days.  Bottle in old lemonade bottles and its ready to drink the next day.  Enjoy!

 

Spring!!

Well having had to wait until mid April last year, I was very pleased to see signs of spring and edible plants coming to life!

I saw my first snowdrops last week and another bunch today (don’t eat snowdrops!) but as the herald of the changing season they are unmistakble.

This morning there was a single sheltered dandelion in flower and a quick search revealed a few brave plants coming up with new leaves, I also checked out y favourite patch of sorrel for a couple of tasty leaves. Not quite enough for a salad, but enough for a promise!