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THE UNIQUE FLAVOURS OF WILD FOOD

WITH DAVE HAMILTON

There was no single event, no road to Damascus moment that got me into wild food. Instead, like a weed, it crept in almost under the radar. By the time I reached my late twenties, it had grown from a passing interest to a near obsessional driving passion. I would go for long walks armed with a copy of ‘Food for Free’ and a wildflower guide with one single question of every tree, weed, berry, nut and shrub I found: can I eat it?

Now, over a quarter of a century later, the reason this passion hasn’t left me is that there are still foods and drinks which are not only best picked fresh and wild, but they can ONLY be found by foraging for them. There are wild spices like hogweed, their seeds a heady mix of citrus and bitter cardamom. It’s still a little early for these but if you do find them, they can be picked green or ripened, just be sure of identification! Or you could try pepper dulse, a tiny seaweed found clinging to rocks along the British shoreline. Packing a punch far greater than their tiny size, these diminutive seaweeds have a peppery truffle-like flavour (hence its alternative name of sea truffle). Then, just coming in there are the seeds of Jack-by-the-Hedge, which can be made into a delicious mustard, giving a fiery kick to a wrap, or an extra dimension to a humble cheese sandwich. The roots have a mild horseradish-like flavour and can be made into a horseradish sauce without the need for a gas mask. Under trees and shrubs, you’ll find a little purple-flowered mint relative called ground ivy. Its leaves have a smoky richness which sets it apart from other members of this family. It can be used as a culinary herb, giving an edge to all kinds of dishes, or steeped in hot water and drunk as a comforting evening tea to wind down after a long day.

One of my favourite late spring and early summer treats is to harvest the leaves of rosebay willowherb and make a delicious tea known as Koporye or Ivan’s tea. It’s a poignant reminder of more peaceful times that this traditional Russian tea is also drunk in neighbouring Ukraine, where it is still prepared in the shadow of the Carpathian Mountains.

IVAN’S TEA

Ivan’s tea has a flavour closer to green tea than traditional herbal teas like nettle or peppermint. Naturally caffeine-free, it can be drunk at any time of day.

• Remove the leaves by pulling your hand down the stem, gathering fistfuls as you go – this can be done at home or with the plant in-situ to ensure it still goes to seed. • Wash the leaves, then pat dry and lay them out on a sheet (or similar) to wilt for 4-5 hours if sunny, or 12 hours if cloudy. • Roll the leaves 2 - 4 at a time into little balls then put them into a ceramic bowl. • Cover the bowl with a tea-towel or saucer and leave to ferment for at least 6 hours or as much as1 to 4 days. Longer ferments produce a more complex flavour – I prefer a 3-day ferment as on the rare occasion it can attract mould after 4 days. • Once fermented, it will have a floral smell and will have lost the grass-like scent. • Dry in a dehydrator or on the lowest heat in a conventional oven for 4 -12 hours, checking until it feels dry. • Store as you would black tea. Drink with or without a milk of your choice.

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Wild Food Courses

Summer to Winter 2022

29 June | Nesta Campsite (near Frome) Forage and Feast - Includes Buffet of delicious seasonal food and a drink

17th September | Woodland Forage (near Frome) A lovely autumnal walk to find plants and mushrooms of the season.

18 September | Family Woodland Forage Groups of 2 adult and up to 3 children are welcome.

1 October | Nesta Campsite (Near Frome) Forage and Feast - Includes Buffet of delicious seasonal food and a drink

10 December | Wild Spicy Rum Workshop Forage for wild spices before returning back to the warm to make your spiced rum. The perfect course for someone wanting to make their own Christmas presents.

All courses led by Guardian Masterclass Forager and The Daily Express’s ‘Forager to the Stars’ Dave Hamilton

davehamilton.co.uk @Davewildish

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