All posts tagged: wild food

Scones and Rose-hip Jam

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All week, I have been foraging for wild food. Mushrooms, brambles and rose-hips have been picked, prepared and stored for winter. I am off down to the sun kissed shores of Portugal tomorrow, so I have been in a whirlwind mode to gather and store all that this bountiful season has to offer before I fly off. I am away to unwind, eat, hike, swim and gather a diary full of colourful inspiration from my trip. I will no doubt have a few recipes to share on my return. In the meantime, I will leave you with two delicious recipes for Rose-hip jam and scones. Rose-hips are not used to a great extent in the UK, but in Denmark, they are widely eaten and used both at home and also commercially. So don’t be a stranger to this beautiful fruit! _____________________________________________________ Makes 8 scones 175 g self raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 50g butter 125g porridge oats 150g whole milk 1 egg beaten ____________________________________________________ Sift flour and baking powder in a large bowl, rub …

Wild Garlicky Mushroom Toast & Wild Mushroom Foraging

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With autumn comes a whole range of new foraging opportunities, including bramble picking, rose hip picking and mushroom foraging. I have in fact never foraged for mushrooms before, largely due to my fear of picking something poisonous as I think a lot of mushrooms look like all the other mushrooms! But ever since I met my good friend Helle, who’s husband happens to be a Mycologist, that’s a fungi specialist to you and me, I have been interested in trying my hand at scouting out those little fungi’s. Helles husband, Nevil Kilkenny is at the centre for Scottish fungi research and runs mushroom forays at Shepherds Cottage each year teaching people how and where to forage, and most importantly- how to do so safely. Please do not use my limited knowledge as a guide to identify mushrooms, rather get a good book and go on a course if you are keen on experiencing how fun finding mushrooms really is. On our little outing we managed to find, Hedgehog Mushrooms, Chanterelles, and Purple Deceivers, all of …

September Lagkage – Danish September Birthday Cake

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  The brambles are thriving this year in the woodlands by our house, a lovely sight reminding us that there is still food to be found during the seasonal change from summer to autumn. And so, for the birthday cake I made last week, brambles seemed a fitting ingredient, providing tangy notes to an otherwise very sweet Danish cake. Lagkage translates as Layer Cake, and consists of 3 thin sponges, layered up with either a whipped cream filling or a custard filling. In addition to that, fruit and jam are added to make this cake a special occasion cake, not only for the time involved in making it, but for the sheer number of calories! No birthday in Denmark will usually go without a Lagkage, and neither does a birthday in our house. _____________________________________________________ Ingredients 150g plain flour 150g butter, softened 150g sugar 3 eggs 1 tsp baking powder Filling 700 ml whipping cream 250 g amaretto biscuits, crushed 3 tbsp brandy 1 mango, diced 100g brambles 4 tbsp icing sugar For the top 75g …

Wild Elderflower Cordial

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Elderflowers equals summer for me. I love them. They are both pretty flowers to look at, as they cluster together on branches, as well as having one of the most delicious aromas and flavours around.  They combine hardy and veracious stems with the most delicate of flowers, enabling them to thrive almost anywhere. But the lovely ivory flowers are quick to come and go, so for that reason, you have to quick to make a batch of this summer drink once you spot a ripe tree. And do remember to leave some of the flowers on the shrub, as they will ripen to glorious elderberries that are splendid to harvest later on in the year.   ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Makes about 1.5 litres 20-30 elderflower heads 2 organic lemons 2 tbsp citric acid 650 organic caster sugar 1 litre of water ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Shake the elderflowers to free any unwanted bugs, and put them in a large pot or similar container with a lid. Wash the lemons and cut them into slices, then add to the pot. Mix …

Beech and Wild Garlic Canapés

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Walking my dog this morning, I was greeted by the beautiful sight of the beech tress bursting into leaf. Finally! Growing up in Denmark, I have come to associate the mark of spring with the sight of fresh beech leaves lightly decorating the tall trees in the forests. I was also thrilled to see that the entire forest flour was covered by the beautiful snow white flowers of the wild garlic. They are extremely pretty incorporated into a salad, or stuck in a vase at home, if you dont mind the faint smell of garlic..Or make them into this great recipe I have adapted a super simple recipe from Anette Eckman’s ‘Naturens Spisekammer’ that uses new beech leaves filled with cheese, as a little spring snack. ____________________________________________________________________________________ 24 new beech leaves 200g soft cream cheese 4 wild garlic leaves 1 tsp cayenne pepper or chilli oil a pinch of salt and pepper ____________________________________________________________________________________ Pick your beech leaves and wild garlic leaves the day you intend to eat them. Wash and pat them dry. Finly chop …

Wild Nettle Bread

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With the little bit of heat we have greatly received over the last couple of days, all sorts of wild green plants have sprung to life, including stinging nettles. What was lying dormant as small shoots, have all at once shot up 30 cm in just a few days. I find springtime incredible, and if you are lucky enough to have a garden to view every day, you can really notice the fast pace at which the vegetation grows. Instead of mowing down your nettle patch, try using them in your cooking! Here I have created a recipe using a few handfuls of nettles added to bread dough. Its delicious, and nutritious! ____________________________________________________________________________________   Makes 6 large sandwich rolls 1 tsp easy bake yeast 500g organic shipton mill strong white flour 1 tbsp honey 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp salt a big handful of scolded and chopped nettles 350ml luke warm water 6 extra big nettle leaves for the top 1 egg ____________________________________________________________________________________ Start by harvesting your stinging nettles, with gloves on. Once home, …