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FORAGING WITHIN THE LAW
By Khrishma Preston, The Alternative Indian
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We are lucky where we live – the foraging season is upon us. However, please do it sustainably and within the law.
Legislation under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) makes it illegal in Britain ‘to uproot any wild plant without permission from the landowner or occupier’. The term ‘uproot’ is defined as ‘to dig up or otherwise remove the plant from the land on which it is growing’. Picking parts of a plant (leaves, flower stems, fruit, and seed) is therefore OK, if you don’t remove or uproot the whole plant.
You are allowed to gather from any wild plant if the following criteria are met:
• You are allowed to be on the land, which includes public ground such as parks and canals, or you have access due to a public right of way or have permission to access the land from whoever owns it. Walking on private land in
England and Wales, without permission implicit or explicit, is trespass; this isn’t a crime but is a civil offence, and you can be sued. • You are not using anything you take for commercial purposes, which includes making and selling your own jam. If what you’re taking is for your own personal use, you can forage as much as you like, with a few exceptions though, such as local limits imposed.
You should not pick any plant on a site designated for its conservation interest, such as National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Britain and Areas of Special Scientific Interest in Northern Ireland. Permission for picking from these sites requires prior consent from the appropriate statutory conservation agencies (English Nature, Natural Resources Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage or the Environment and Heritage Service, Northern Ireland). It is illegal to pick, uproot or remove plants if by-laws are in operation which forbid these activities, for example on Nature Reserves, Ministry of Defence property or National Trust land.
• You are not taking anything protected in any way, such as endangered plants. You aren’t uprooting anything or damaging the plant beyond repair; this does not include cutting mushrooms at their stems as the underground part ensured the revival of the mushroom.
This month I thought I would give you my easy wild garlic butter recipe that’s versatile and can be easily used in a myriad of ways and is freezable. I have also given you my wild garlic butter chicken recipe.
The Mitre Inn
Sandford Orcas Nr Sherborne, DT9 4RU 01963 220271
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Allen and Cheryl welcome you with a cosy bar and great food.
Wed to Fri - Senior Citizens 2 course lunch £12.95 Sunday Roast - £12.95 Adult, £11.75 OAP and £9.50 children 2 En-suite letting rooms and Shepherds Hut
Wild Garlic Butter
INGREDIENTS
• 250g unsalted butter, softened • 1 tsp sea salt flakes • 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper • 1 tsp paprika • 65g wild garlic leaves, chopped
METHOD
In a bowl, soften the butter and then combine in the salt flakes, black pepper, paprika and wild garlic. Shape into a log, wrap well with parchment paper and refrigerate until solid.
Wild Garlic Butter Chicken
Serves - 4
INGREDIENTS
• Approx. 600g boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces Marinade • ½ cup plain yogurt • 2 tbsp garlic, minced • 1 tbsp ginger, minced or finely grated • 2 tsp garam masala • 1 tsp turmeric • 1 tsp ground cumin • 1 tsp red chili powder • 1 tsp salt
Sauce • 1½ tbsp olive oil • 1½ tbsp wild garlic butter • 1 large onion, sliced or chopped • 3 tbsp garlic, minced • 2 tbsp ginger, minced or finely grated • ½ tsp ground coriander • 1½ tsp ground cumin • 1½ tsp garam masala • 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes • 1 tsp red chili powder (adjust to your taste preference) • 1 tsp salt (or to taste) • 1 cup evaporated milk (to save calories) • ½ tbsp sugar • ½ tsp kasoori methi (or dried fenugreek leaves)
METHOD
In a bowl, combine chicken pieces with all the ingredients for the marinade; let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour (or overnight if time allows).
Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.) Heat the wild garlic butter in the same pan. Fry the onions until they start to sweat (about 6 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add ground coriander, cumin and garam masala. Let cook for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, chili powder and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown, red colour. Remove from heat and blend until smooth using a soup blender stick. You may need to add a little water if the sauce is too thick. Return to a low to medium heat. Stir the evaporated milk, sugar and crushed kasoori methi (or fenugreek leaves) or some fresh wild garlic through the sauce. Add the chicken with juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling. Garnish with a little more wild garlic butter and serve with fresh, hot wild garlic butter rice and fresh homemade naan bread!
TALES FROM THE TRADING POST
By Kate Forbes
Spring has sprung and the first hints of summer are hopefully around the corner.
Back in February, during Storm Eunice, I peered out into our garden … only to see our polytunnel beginning to take flight. A fraught ten minutes were spent dramatically clinging on to the plastic cover to stop the whole thing from becoming airborne whilst I assessed what I could possibly do with it in 70mph gusting winds with one already broken hand.
I pretty quickly established that I probably wasn’t going to be able to hang on to a floating polytunnel for 30 minutes while I waited to help to arrive and the simple solution was to rip the roof clean off and hope that the frame wasn’t too damaged.
Like many people, the following day was spent surveying damage. Once Andy had put the garden fence back up, he took a look at the tunnel and far too gleefully announced that it looked like he would need to buy a new one!
I recognise this look in my husband’s eyes … this look means only one thing … he has a new plan! So last month the new polytunnel arrived – somewhat larger than I was expecting but much more sturdy than the admittedly flimsy one we had been using previously, and within a matter of days Andy had erected it with the help of Heathcliff (our 8-year-old son), built a range of benches and shelving to kit it out.
Now, I have never ever professed to being greenfingered – I have always been very comfortable at the purchasing and retailing side of farm-shop life (and gin tasting obviously)! Andy, however, is at his happiest when he is pottering in the garden, surrounded by plants and now with his brand new polytunnel.
Now, this isn’t just a little project to keep him out from under my feet, we are finally beginning to achieve what we set out to when we first took over the Trading Post back in 2017 – being able to grow our own bedding plants, veg plants and creating our own hanging baskets. From the moment the tunnel was erected it’s been a hive of activity during the evenings and at the weekends – our daughter Meredith helping with planting the fiddly flower seeds and Heathcliff helping with the veg, as he knows the end goal is food!
We had trays full of compost all labelled up with promises of tomato, cucumber, squash, aubergine, leeks and sweetcorn, along with a wide range of fuchsias, begonia, lobelia and geranium. As soon as these shoots started appearing, the family were already hard at work planting our assortment of herbs: basil, coriander, mint, thyme, rosemary, parsley and chives. Over the coming months we are going be able to top up our already heaving shelves in our garden centre with lovingly home-grown plants – I might even let Andy and the kids back in the house at some point during the summer …. after they’ve finished working obviously!
CRAB AND ASPARAGUS SALAD
By Mark Hix
Serves 4
This is a great way to get the most out of a bunch of asparagus. The combination of the shaved stems and cooked tips is a great contrast, especially with the fresh, sweet crabmeat. You can also do this salad with lobster or even just the asparagus as a starter. • 200g asparagus, with the woody ends removed • 200g freshly picked white crab meat • 2 tbsp brown crab meat • 2 tbsp mayonnaise • Juice of half a lemon • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil • A handful of a small salad leaves, washed and dried • Salt and freshly ground white pepper Cut the tips off the asparagus to about 4-5cm. With a swivel peeler, shave the stems lengthways into iced water. Cook the tips in boiling, salted water for 2-3 minutes until tender. Drain and refresh in cold water. then drain and pat dry on some kitchen paper. Mix the brown crab with the mayonnaise and spoon onto the centre of four serving plates. Arrange the cooked and shaved asparagus on the mayonnaise with the leaves and scatter the white crab meat on top. Mix the lemon juice with the rapeseed oil and season, then spoon over the salad.
WE ARE A MAIN AGENT FOR HOLIDAYS FROM BRISTOL AIRPORT
By Heather Muir, Manager – Miles Morgan Travel, Yeovil
We are lucky here in the South West to have a regional airport offering such a great choice of destinations. Bristol Airport has grown so much over the years. To think, some of us can remember when they served their one millionth customer in a year – it’s now eight times that! When it comes to holidays, having easyJet holidays, TUI and more recently Jet2holidays all competing for business is fantastic news for holidaymakers. This means choice and prices are kept keen.
We are proud to be a main agent for all these holiday companies, as well as packaging up holidays when needed. This means that we do the work to find the best holiday for you at the best price. Not only that, but you also have the support, if needed. We know there are many people, over the last few years, who have booked directly with holiday companies and who have suffered with lack of information and huge challenges to even get a reply.
Travelling from Bristol Airport couldn’t be any easier and they are committed to doing what they do best – a friendly, seamless customer experience with a great choice of places to eat, drink and relax before you fly. There's a choice of secure on-site parking, from Silver Zone to the multi-storey car park just minutes from the terminal. And if you want to treat yourself before you fly, why not book Fast Track Security and Aspire Lounge. Here at Miles Morgan Travel we offer a seamless service and can add any of these extras to your booking – we even have a foreign exchange bureau offering great rates so we really are a one-stop shop! Since the lifting of restrictions on travel over the last few months, we have seen an increase in demand, especially from customers booking late and travelling in a matter of weeks from booking. We have thousands of offers arriving daily, so whether you are looking for that lastminute getaway or looking to plan into 2023 and beyond, our travel specialists here in Yeovil can help.
Our phone lines are open seven days a week until 10pm for your convenience.
Either call us on 01935 428488, or pop in and see us at 14-16 Middle Street Yeovil. We look forward to seeing you soon.
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