Wonderful Scents Down in the Woods Today

A walk in the woods yesterday had me sniffing around under trees. No, I wasn't looking for truffles, but the distinctive aroma of wild garlic which is now in season. Ramsons, as wild garlic is also known, can usually be smelt from quite a distance but you will be surprised that despite the aroma what a lovely soft taste it has. You will find this wonderful free food in damp woods or hedgerows often in large, spreading carpets from now right through to late May, early June.

The leaves of wild garlic can be eaten raw or cooked. They make a useful addition to bland foods such as a cream, cottage cheese or used in a mayonnaise for a background hint of garlic. My favorite way is to add it finely chopped to mashed potato and served with roast lamb or other meats. It is also delicious added to a bowl of salad. The bulbs can be used in a similar way to garlic cloves but the flavor is less pronounced. Though the wild garlic isn't quite in flower yet, when it is the flowers are also delicious and the flavor intensifies as the seeds ripen.

If like me you love 'wild food' then check out the Wild Cook's Blog from chefs and managers at Rudding Park Hotel in North Yorkshire. Or, a great reference book, Wild Food for Free by Jonathan Hilton. Both are stacked with great information for the forager.

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