Foraging - wild garlic (ail des ours)

Common name:  Wild Garlic or ail des ours

Latin name: Allium ursinum

I discovered carpets of wild garlic in a woodland on the edge of Bath .... I have not found any in the area where I am living in Normandy.  So far we have made a fantastic pesto with the leaves and am planning to do a soup ....

Wild garlic covers the woodland floor
 

I harvest the wild garlic leaves

Probably one of my favorite plants-
with its architectural leaves and
white flowers
 

The woodland thick with wild garlic

Wild Garlic leaves and flower buds

Some Wild Garlic Recipes

Wild Garlic Pesto 1 large bunch of wild garlic, washed

1 small bunch of curly parsley, washed

60gms pine nuts, toasted

60gms parmesan cheese

150mls olive oil (I mixed half extra virgin, half normal)

squeeze of lemon juice

salt and pepper

Method

Place all the ingredients into a food processor apart from the olive oil and blitz for a minute or two then slowly pour in the olive oil until blended. Use for pasta, mash, dipping etc etc

 

Wild Garlic Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp oil for frying
• 1 onion, chopped
• 600g potatoes, peeled & diced
• 1.2l veg stock
• 50g wild garlic leaves, shredded
• crème fraîche or double cream, to serve
• wild garlic flowers (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and fry on a low heat for 8 minutes, until softened without colouring.
2. Add the potatoes and stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
3. Add the wild garlic leaves, reserving a few shreds for garnishing the soup.
4. Blitz in a blender or food processor until smooth, with flecks of wild garlic leaves. Reheat in the pan, seasoning to taste.
5. Serve with a swirl of crème fraîche or double cream, a few shreds of wild garlic and a few wild garlic flowers, if you have them.