What's for Lunch? - 'Wild' Weeds!

Lavender and Lovage Blog - Herbs on Saturday

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Over at Allotment 2 Kitchen Shaheen has made a delicious looking 'Wild Weed and Potato Tortilla'.   I mentioned Wild Garlic in a post a couple of weeks ago and leaving it in situ, but I couldn't resist.  So while I was out on my 11385 steps, 4.71 miles, 5 Activity Points (walk), I had a little 'forage' along the way.  I like the word 'forage' it rhymes with porridge.  There is something incredibly primitive about foraging, the dog thought it was great fun.  I gathered some Wild Garlic, leaves and buds.

I gathered a bunch of nice young Dandelion leaves:

 A bunch of Young Nettle tips.

Youch!  Just when I was feeling smug at not stinging myself, I got about three stings on one thumb!  Gah 'Pride comes before a fall'.  I have read about the health benefits of Nettles and Dandelions, both are iron rich, blood tonics and Dandelion is a great diuretic.  It eases water retention.  My Mom used to tell me not to pick Dandelions when I was little,  as a 'folk' name for them is 'Wet the beds'!  I sure hope I don't!
            I came home with my 'rich' pickings and popped them straight in the sink for a good wash.  Now as you know I am back on a 'Healthy Regime'.  I am in week 4 of Weight Watchers, so far I have lost 9.5 lbs.  You will also know you don't get at all hungry on these diets healthy eating plans, nope, no siree, not one bit hungry!  Who is anyone trying to kid?  I was so starving I could have gnawed my own legs!  Wild weeds rinsed, then a looksey in the fridge!  Ham needed to be used, why did I buy a largish packet of ham?  Remind me not to buy ham for a while please.  I found some nice little cherry tomatoes, 30% reduced fat Cheese, which to my surprise and delight tasted great.  Usually 30% reduced anything means you have lost 30% of its niceness.  Straight to the frying pan.  2tsp of Olive oil, it's ok healthy oil is allowed.  In went the chopped ham and halved cherry tomatoes.  I shredded the Wild Garlic and Dandelion and put that in the pan, I put the nettles in as they were.  Do you seriously think I am going to try and shred nettles?   They would shred me first!

I have made Nettle Soup before and know it cooks and tastes very much like Spinach, maybe even better than spinach.  I beat three eggs from my bestest chicken buddies and added them to the pan.  I like a nice ometlette but I don't like them too eggy!  The French have soft almost runny omelettes that you fold in half and let the heat finish off cooking the egg, I don't.  Under the Grill goes my omelette, I like it cooked all the way through.  The verdict:

The Wild Garlic gave a lovely mild hint of Garlic and the buds added a nice texture too.
The Nettles were delicious.  I have made a mental not to myself to use more nettles.  I don't like nettle tea but I love the taste and texture of the leaves.  They cook very quickly too.  They were definitely worth the stings.  My sons's are both desperate to try eating nettles so I may be 'Hunter Gathering' again soon.
Dandelion, seriously who would have thought Dandelion and Cheese would be a flavour match made in heaven?  Move over Cheese and Onion, here comes Cheese and Dandelion.
Wild Weed, Ham, Cheese and Tomato Omelette:  Delicious.  If I owned a Cafe, this would be my current lunchtime 'Special'.  I would serve it with Some delicious warm, crusty bread, French Fries and Mayonnaise a Crisp Green Salad!
My plant identification skills are somewhat lacking, so my foraging skills are limited, I definitely would not forage for mushrooms or fungi, knowing my luck I would not live to tell the tale.  As a child I used to love to pick Blackberries until I discovered grubs.  We used to have family outings to gather Chestnuts, delicious toasted when you get back home.  My favourite used to be gathering Hazel Nuts I used to gather them on the way to school from about the age of five.  I would crack them with my teeth and munch them on the way.  My little eyes got well trained and I could find more nuts than anyone I knew!  Let me tell you my Mom looks ladylike, but nobody can shake a Hazel branch with the same gusto as my Mother, in the Autumn when the nuts are just ready, they rain down if the branches are shook vigorously.  I have always been a bit nutty!  I have also gathered Damsons in the past to make wine, I nearly came to a nasty end on a wet fence!  That is another story.  One year I gathered enough young Oak Leaves to make 'Oak leaf Wine'.  The recipe I have has a warning about the strength of the wine, never underestimate 'The Power of the Mighty Oak'.  My brother can add testimony to that!  Not a traditional 'Country Wine' to give the Vicar when he popped in!  I bet many a great party has been had, drinking 'Oak Leaf' wine, followed by many a stinking hangover!   I am wondering if any of you forage, if you do what do find and what do you do with it?