WILD GARLIC & BLOSSOM!

It was great to be out walking again.  Conditions not ideal - chilly and showery, but we didn't really notice as we had plenty to talk about!  We went on one of our favourite walks on footpaths near the Charlton Viaduct.  One of the first things we noticed was this tree (top left) with its beautiful blossom.  No, Jenny isn't trying to eat it - just looking!

Something that you can eat is wild garlic, and there is plenty around this time of year, in woodland areas.  The lush, fresh, green leaves (see left), are the easiest thing to forage, as you cannot mistake it for something poisonous! There is the overall garlicky smell and if you still have doubts crush the edge of a leaf in your fingers to get a big hit of garlic!  We noticed the flowers - pretty, white, and star-like are starting to come out. They are also edible, but the leaves are at their best for flavour, before too many blooms appear.  There is a short window to pick wild garlic - by June it has disappeared...

Wash the wild garlic leaves before eating and they can be used raw in salads, sandwiches or as an omelette filling, (it goes really well with eggs). It can also be added to soups, stews and stir fries at the end of cooking.  There are plenty of recipes on the internet - try Riverford. I still get a veg box from them every week - and this season they will sometimes include some wild garlic in the box, with recipes.  A wild garlic risotto or pesto sounds good - I picked some today so may well try to make them later in the week.  I am also going to give some of the leaves to a friend to see whether his tortoises appreciate their pungent taste!