Topic: Wild Food

[cambourne7]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5339440.stm

Just popped up on bbc.

[Trixiebelle]

Thanks for that link Cambourne  :) I love anything like this! My FIL looks at me like I'm an idiot when I take home baskets of dandelions in the spring!

[saddad]

If you get into Wild foods get a starter book like Wild Food by Roger Phillips ISBN 0 330 28069-4
Macmillan 1983.

Jack by the Hedge or Garlic Mustard is great...

[bennettsleg]

Or Richard Mayby's (sp) classic that my parents raised us on: "Food for Free". It's in the kitchen behind everything so I can't reach it.  The title is correct, not sure about the spelling of his surname.

Recently started eating Fat Hen as I manage to grow it quite sucessfully... ::)

[silly billy]

Or Richard Mayby's (sp) classic that my parents raised us on: "Food for Free". It's in the kitchen behind everything so I can't reach it.  The title is correct, not sure about the spelling of his surname.

Recently started eating Fat Hen as I manage to grow it quite sucessfully... ::)

;D ;D I never knew you could eat fat hen.
How do you prepare it?

[bennettsleg]

strip the leaves off it in the same manner as you would thyme, use the leaves as you would spinach.  I had to persuade OH that it wouldn't kill him so we mixed it with e meat sauce for spag bol and he's a convert.  It's a bit peppery, too. 

I seriously advise that you get hold of an accurate picture and hold it next to the alledged fat hen plant - or any other wild food - to make sure that you're not going to eat something awful.

[Trixiebelle]

I was brought up on Richard Mabey's food For Free book as well  :) I've got an old copy with illustrations by Marjorie Blamey (one of my fave illustrators).  I'm always a bit disappointed with it though because not all the plants etc. are colour plated which maked I.D. a bit difficult. I notice it's been re-released (Amazon) though so there might be more illustrations in it?

[telboy]

Lovely Book 'Food for Free'.
Noted a previous thread on 'Rogers Mushrooms' which enhances Richard Mabey's Book.

[valmarg]

Never eaten fat hen, but have it's first cousin growing in the garden, ie Good King Henry, aka chaenipodium henricus bonum (or words to that effect).

It's a hardy perennial, the early growth (earthed up) can be used as asparagus, and the leaves are a substitute for spinach.

A very useful plant.

valmarg

[Trixiebelle]

I don't think I can Google 'Roger's Mushrooms' without falling off my chair  ;D

But yes ... seriously ... food for free is fantastic! It saves on supermarket bills. And it's quite a good way to not spend money. And it's tasty! Yes it is!

I'M SORRY! ROGER'S MUSHROOMS HAVE GOT ME!