So foraging is not only trendy but is big business, The Guardian reports and you cannot turn the TV or open the newspaper without someone extolling the virtues of wild garlic or by their other name Ransoms. Wild Garlic has always been one of my favourite wild foods but moving
up to Derbyshire from the South West though I have lost all my old
foraging spots so it seems to have taken me way to long to find Wild
Garlic leaves this season which last from April til Early June .
Finally I found some good patches growing on the grass verges around
Tissington easily recognisable by its broad leaves and there is no other way of saying it smell of garlic
Once picked these peppery leaves will keep for a few days in the fridge or you can mixed the chopped leaves with butter which will keep in the freezer and stays a brilliant green perfect for fish or vegetables. You can simply sautee it the leaves and serve it as a side vegetable like spinach, added to soups they add a great garlic herb flavour , I have made a pesto before with walnuts and lemon
The dish above is great because it uses another one of my seasonal favourites purple sprouting brocolli which I have made before with an anchovy butter . Ferous vegetables like broccoli and kale can carry a lot of strong flavours so this packed a punch with lemon chilli and anchovies the pungent wild garlic was not lost. A speedy but flavoursome midweek dish also delicious cold.
Pasta with wild garlic , purple sprouting broccoli , chilli and anchovies
200g of dried pasta
1 handful of fresh wild garlic leaves
2 handfuls of purple sprouting broccoli
2 tbsp anchovies roughly chopped
Juice and zest of half a lemon
1 tbsp of chilli flakes
2 tbsp of olive oil
- Boil the pasta until al dente,
- Meanwhile , mx together finely chopped garlic leaves , anchoives chilli flakes and oil
- Steam the purple sprouting and while the pasta and brocolli are still warm mix over the garlic mix.
- Serve in a large bowl
Click on the images below for previous posts.
Well done on finding a spot! This sounds like a lovely combination 🙂
Waw, looks excellent! I love the flavours!
So green & lovely!
Pasta with brocolli, chilli and anchovies is one of my all time favourite pasta dishes. Adding the wild garlic to it is a brilliant idea.
Oooh, this looks lovely. I wish I could find wild garlic, I can’t even seem to find any to buy 😦