Garden Butter

Winter Garden Butter

Delicious

Well what can I say!

Don't go out and buy your butter. Instead wait until you see double cream going cheap at your local supermarket (when it needs to be purchased that day) and you have bagged yourself a winner. I eat butter all the time and it costs me ...hmm 20 pence. I have such an exciting time creating my own butters and adding seasonal herbs for many culinary uses. This adorable butter has been made from the winter herbs hanging around my garden. This is ridiculously easy and so so cheap. Give it a go. Honest you will love it.

Fig.1.L.Moore Garden Butter

All you need is:

A  pot of double cream
Salt to taste (and preserve)
Dried Herbs of your choice (I used Sage, Marjoram, Thyme, approx 1-2 TBS)
A whisk
A bowl
A Spatula

In a bowl pour in your double cream and start to whisk. Keep whisking for approximately 15 mins. Don't give up... keep going. It will go through a few stages. First it will start to change colour (turning a yellow colour) and then it will begin to separate... keep whisking until the solids and the liquids separate. This is where you get the buttermilk. In your bowl you should end up with a sticky yellow clump of butter and the buttermilk should be at the bottom of the bowl.

Now you need to squeeze the buttermilk out of the lump of butter. Don't do it with your hands as it's best to keep the butter cold so I used two wooden spoons to squash it together. You could use muslin and squeeze if you wanted to. When you have all the buttermilk out of the butter then place it on board (I used a bread board) and add your dry chopped herbs. Use a spatula if you like and mix in the herbs on the board turning the butter over with your knife or spatula. Now add your salt (the amount is up to you). If you like salty butter you might like to use rock salt so it crunches when you spread it or any other kind of salt you fancy.

I then rolled mine in grease-proof paper to make a nice sausage shape. You can chop your butter into slices and freeze it for future cooking or you can put it in the fridge and use as and when you need it. This is great for cooking fish and risottos. There are so many ways you can make this super tasty. You could add garlic and chilli or anything else that teases your taste buds. I have used this many times for cooking and also spreading on fresh bread, yum! It last as good couple of weeks refrigerated.

Fig.2. L.Moore Whisking double cream   

Fug.3.L.Moore Double cream getting thick

Fig.4. L.Moore Buttermilk oozing out

Fig.5. L.Moore Drained butter and add herbs/salt

Fig.6. L.Moore Wrapped and ready to eat

Don't use single cream you will be there all day whisking. Be patient with the whisking it does take a little while but it's worth it. I also make soft cheese so look out for that post.

So next time you are cruising the aisles in your supermarket and you see double cream going cheap then buy it and try it.

Enjoy ... Ta Dah!

Thirsty Rose Face Cream moisturiser

                                                         Thirsty Rose Face Cream

Whoa this is truly amazing and great fun to make once you get the hang of it. I can't tell you how wonderful this cream is. After many experiments this is a great recipe for  both the face and the body. This moisturizer is much richer than my body creams and sinks into your face like a breeze. It smells divine and it's packed full of wonderful goodness.

Fig.1. L.Moore. Homemade Thirsty Rose Face Cream 

Fig.2. L.Moore. Red Rose 

Recipe

1 oz Emulsifying wax
90 ml coconut oil
90 ml Avocado oil
150 ml Rose water
50 drops Rose Otto essential oil
2 drops vitamin E oil

Create two bain marie's (a glass bowl placed on top of a pan of water) on your stove. In one bowl measure in your oils (emulsifying wax, coconut oil, avocado oil) and in the other bowl add your measured rose water. In order to get your coconut oil from hard to soft before you pour it in the bain marie melt it in the microwave for a dew seconds and then you can measure it. Heat both bowls to approx 70-75 C until your oils have melted. When both the oils and water are the same temperatures take the water bowl out of the pan (with an oven glove or tea-towel and place on kitchen surface. This is really important now ... add the melted oils to your water slowly while you whisk at the same time. Keep whisking and adding your oils slowly until all the solutions are mixed together. Then wait for the mixture to cool down. As it is cooling down if your mixture looks like it is separating then whisk again until it binds together. When it has cooled down a little more then add 50 drops of rose essential oil and 2 drops of vitamin E oil and mix together. When it is cold spoon into clean sterilized jars or pots. Ta Dah...

I have tried many recipes and oils and variations on oil/water mixes and I find this one works the best for me. If you reverse the process and add water to the oils your  mixture is a lot more greasy.I find this consistency works really well for me. The avocado oil is amazing for the skin. It is high in vitamins, amino acids and fatty acids and exceptionally good for dry mature skin (I am a 110 years old really LOL). The coconut oil is also packed with fatty acids which is fantastic for the skin. I have been making this cream for a while now and it lasts me for about a year. I do tend to keep my main supply in the fridge. I pot what I need and go back to the fridge when my little pot is empty. My friends love it.

You can experiment with all kinds of oils and waters for different skin types to explore. Hey you can even use cooking oil, olive oil, carrot seed oil (also fab for the skin) and lots and lots more... herbal tea waters also work well that can change the color of your creams to delicious pinks and lemons for the body. Now what more can I say about rose essential oil ... it is absolutely invincible for the skin. It has been a popular oil for the skin in all kinds of skin products which are really expensive so why not make your own. I use the Bulgarian rose otto oil and it is just divine. When you put this cream on your skin your skin drinks it. It glides across your face like silk and the smell lifts you from one realm to another. Just pure heavenly pleasure.

I feel the luxury of this wonderful rose twice a day. First thing in the morning and last thing at night I immerse myself in the luxury of this amazing flower. In one action I get the pleasure of smelling summer in through my breath and out through my nose...ah now that's something to put a smile on your face while you sleep or start your day (such a small pleasure to brighten up your day).

Fig.3. L.Moore. Bain Marie's of oils and waters 

Fig 4. L. Moore. Mixed oil/water with electric whisk

Fig 5. L.Moore. Coconut oil

Fig 6. L.Moore. Rose Otto Essential Oil

Fig.7. L.Moore. Avocado oil (and other equipment)

I use the coconut oil you see in the picture. I have been using this coconut oil for many years which is much cheaper than the extra virgin coconut oil.  Also I use this in cooking and I am well aware of the debate on whether this brand is hydrogenated or not. There is lots of debate about virgin verses refined which you may want to do your own research on and decide for yourself.


Source material

http://www.bulgarianroseotto.com/
http://veganheath.info/ktc-coconut-oil-review

Goosegrass/sticky-willy Pesto

                                                 Goosegrass/sticky-willy pesto

Fig.1. L. Moore Goosegrass Pesto

Who would have thought that green stuff that sticks to your clothes like Velcro could be amazing for the body and above all free and edible. Well it's about right now in our towns and cities, gardens, waste-ground etc... it's young and at it's best so get plucking. This plant is also known as 'sticky-willy', 'cleavers' and 'scratch tongue' (I know it doesn't sound great but believe me it's not bad at all). The young shoots can be used in salads and all of the plant can be used in soups, ointments for the skin and juicing. Eat the stems while young before the plant sets seed and become tough. There is no time like the present so give it a go. Let's go and get some 'sticky-willy' and be creative. If your bored and need a reason to get out and about then 'go-seek and find' ... YaY.

Honestly there is nothing better than finding a free edible and rushing home and experimenting with it. I came home with a small bag of the stuff and made this lovely pesto ...Ta Dah. Then my entire meal was designed around my new creation. As it was pancake Tuesday this week my partner and I went overboard with making pancake mix and we have had pancakes all week. Needless to say I had my pesto spread onto a pancake with oven baked chicken breast and lashings of cheddar cheese ...oh yes it was yummy. Terrible for the midriff but hey ho it's only once a year (the pancakes that is). I can think of many ways of using this pesto with the obvious pasta, on toast with a variety of toppings, adding it to risottos and perhaps toppings for soup with a bit of cream. mmmm... My only criticism of my recipe was I put too much salt in it so I had to use it sparingly. But we all live and learn and I'll know better next time.

Goosegrass/sticky-willy Pesto

4 cups of goosegrass (or half carrier bag)
4 cloves of garlic
1 tbs pine nuts
3 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp lime juice
salt to taste
add olive oil as you mix ingredients

Wash your goosegrass in the sink with a little salt to get rid of any bugs and/or dog bacteria. Pat the goosegrass dry and place in a bowl or blender. Add the remaining ingredients and blend all together. Add the olive oil  bit by bit until it is the right consistency and enjoy. You need quite a lot of goosegrass. The image I have put on this blog is half a jar made from 3 cupful's of goosegrass. As with all my recipes experiment and explore with your new wild edibles and have fun. Also if you are unsure about what you have picked remember 'if in doubt then leave it out'. Be certain of what you have.

Fig.2. L.Moore Goosegrass/sticky-willy pesto

Fig.3. L. Moore goosegrass growing down a path

Fig.4. L. Moore A close up of goosegrass

According to the book Hedgerow Medicine, Harvest and Make Your Own Herbal Remedies, by Julie Bruton & Mathew Seal (2008) cleavers (goosegrass) 'promotes the lymphatic flow and helps rid the lymphatic system of metabolic waste. In effect, it is like a pipe cleaner for our lymph vessels' (2008, p.31). Cleavers are understood as a useful remedy for swollen glands, tonsillitis, and adenoid problems and earache. Because of it's effect on the lymph system cleavers enjoy a reputation for helping to shrink tumors, both benign and cancerous, and for removing nodular growths on the skin. Other benefits include promoting the flow of urine and soothes irritation of the urinary tract. It relives the scalding pain on urination associated with cystitis and used as a remedy for kidney inflammation and irritable bladder. It is also effective in clearing grit, gravel or calcium deposits in the urinary tract.    

Description
'Very common native annual. Stems are made sticky by downwardly curved prickles. Leaves, in whorls of 6-8, are up to 50 mm long, pale green and thin, with sticky, prickly edges. Young shoots grow upright; the layers of whorls quite geometric and ordered but they sprawl out as they grow, eventually forming a thick, tangled mess. Tiny greenish white flowers grow in loose clusters from the axil of the upper leaves; the fruits are the familiar sticky burs.'. This text is taken from the forager handbook by Miles Irving, (2009)  p 51-52 A similar species is the 'Sweet Woodruff' which has smooth stems and leaves and white flowers (also edible).

References/useful resources
Bruton-Seal, J & M. (2008) Hedgerow Medicine, Harvest and Make Your Own Herbal Remedies, Merlin Unwin Books, pp 30-33
Irving, M. (2009) The Forager Handbook: A Guide To The Edible Plants Of Britain, Ebury Publishing, pp 50-51
http://www.herbalextractsplus.com/goose-grass.html
http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/woodland-flowers/white-flowers/bedstraws-and-cleavers/



   

Guelder Rose Cramp Bark Decoction

Guelder rose Cramp Bark Concoction (viburnum opulus)

L.Moore.Fig 3. Cramp Bark Decoction 

L.Moore. Fig 1&2 dried bark crushed & put in a jar

This is a wonderful drink. It is a bright red soothing drink and it is taken from the bark of the Guelder rose tree. Most books suggest taking the bark in April/May but I have been taking mine in Jan/Feb and it is truly wonderful. I can't tell you how incredible this tree is. It has the most outstanding scarlet berries in late summer and wonderful flowers in the spring and of course the tree bark. All of these can be used in all sorts of delicious exciting ways which I will introduce in new posts (i.e jellies, cordials, jams etc.). What is extraordinary about the bark is the many medicinal qualities it offers the body. The bark has been used as an anti-spasmodic, a sedative and an astringent.

Cramp Bark has a reputation as a relaxer of muscular tension and spasm and it has two main areas of use. 'Firstly in muscular cramps and secondly in ovarian and uterine muscle problems'. (Hoffman 1990, p 194).  According to David Hoffman, in his book Holistic Herbal: a safe and Practical Guide to Making and Using Herbal Remedies (1990) Cramp Bark will relax the uterus and so relieve painful cramps associated with periods (dysmenorrhoea). It may also be used 'to protect from threatened miscarriage. Its astringent action gives it a role in the treatment of excessive blood loss in periods and especially bleeding associated with the menopause.' I have also read it  has been used for arthritis, muscle tension in skeletal muscles, back pain, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and high blood pressure. In the book Hedgerow Medicine Harvest and Make Your Own Herbal Remedies (2008) Julie Bruton-Seal  & Mathew Seal cramp bark helps in rheumatic conditions where the pain is from tension rather than inflammation, easing the pain and improving blood flow to the affected area.    

Reference
Bruton-Seal, J&M. (2008) Hedgerow Medicine:Harvest and Make Your Own Herbal Remedies, Merlin Unwin Books, (p. 62).
Hoffman, D. (1990) Holistic Herbal: A safe and Practical Guide to Making and Using Herbal Remedies, Harper Collins Publishers, (p. 194)

Cramp Bark Decoction

Method
Use a small knife to remove the bark in short strips, taking care not to take too much from any branch. Do not ring the limb or it will die. The bark can be used dried or fresh. I dried mine out on a clean sheet of paper in my kitchen which took about four days. The bark begins to dry with a lovely orange tinge to it. When it dried out I placed it in a plastic bag and bashed it with a rolling pin to break it up into tiny pieces and placed them in a dry glass jar.

Making your decoction
Put about 1-2 tablespoons of bark in a pan and cover with water (enough for about a large cup of tea). Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 10-15 minutes. You will notice the water turn  a lovely red/orange color. Turn off the heat and sieve into a glass or cup and drink with honey if desired. It is an acquired taste but not unpleasant. You can take this twice a day if needed.

I have had this many times and I really find it soothing on the stomach. I read somewhere it acts like an aspirin on the stomach. I am not sure if you are allergic to aspirin whether it would affect you so I would probably stay away from cramp bark.  It is always best to be safe. However I find it a good relaxant for the stomach. Below are two images of the Guelder rose tree taken in October 2015 with the berries on. I took my bark in January 2016.

L.Moore Fig.4. Guelder Rose Tree taken in Oct

L.Moore Fig. 5. Berries on the tree (Oct 2015)

Jack (garlic mustard) Salsa Verde

Jack Salsa Verde

Oh my goodness this is to die for... it is much lighter than my 'nettle verde' (see other posts). This truly is a taste sensation and I had it with my homemade bread and my scrumptious nettle soup. What is most amazing about this little gem of a dip is the fact one cannot buy it in the supermarket and I feel rather pleased with myself. Whenever I come across jack-by-the-hedge or it's other name (garlic mustard) I can't resit picking it. I pick a little from each patch and gather in different locations to keep it going and leave plenty for other gatherers. There is nothing quite like picking your own food and experimenting with it.

All my recipes are intended to be exploratory. I document my experience as a forager and like to share what I can do with these wonderful wild edibles. I always know when a experiment is successful because the food is scooped up immediately and I have my partner and friends to thank for that and their wonderful honest comments. I will continue adding 'Jack' to my food creations so keep an eye out for new taste sensations.

I made my 'Nettle & Jack Salsa Verde' a few weeks ago and it was very powerful indeed. It packed a punch with it's taste and the colour was truly amazing. From that 'Jack Verde' was born ... and boy am I glad I made this ... I love it. Here is the recipe and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Spread it all over a homemade bread, have it with cheese or plonk it on top of a good fish ... the list is endless ... just try it ... yum!

Fig. 1. L. Moore 'Jack Salsa Verde' 

Fig .2. L.Moore A Detail of 'Jack Salsa Verde' 

Fig.3. L.Moore 'Jack Verde' with my homemade tomato bread

Jack Salsa Verde

1 decent sized bowl of jack-by-the-hedge
2 handfuls of pine nuts
2 anchovies
1 large tbs mascapone
4 good sized cloves of garlic
1 handful of capers
1-2 tbs lime juice
A good glug of olive oil
Salt & black pepper

Wash your jack in a bowl of tepid water. I add a little salt (to get rid of any nasties) and give it a good wash and then sieve and rinse under the tap to get rid of the salt. Add your jack and all the other ingredients into a bowl and wiz up with a hand blender (or put them all in a blender) until it is a nice consistency. Ta Dah it's done. Spoon it into a nice dish and eat ... Yummy.  Oh for decoration add a touch of olive oil on the top and a few Jack leaves.

This recipe can be altered in any way you wish. If you like it a little thinner add more oil etc and less mascapone ... just explore and enjoy.



 

Spicy Green Nettle Soup

Spicy Green Nettle Soup

Without doubt we have all heard of nettle soup but I'm guessing not many of us have tried it. I for one am guilty of this so I thought it was time to try it. I even managed to talk my partner into nettle hunting with me. What better way to bond as a couple than to go foraging (especially when your other half is no way as near interested as you are about foraging). So together we had our carrier bags, hardy gardening gloves (for the sting), camera and scissors. We had fun comparing notes and looking for the best crop of nettles. We found some dead nettles and some stinging nettles on a walking path near our home. The location is popular with dog walkers so try and pick those as far away from the 'dog leg arching' as possible and give them a good wash in tepid water and a bit of salt.

I enjoyed identifying some other edible weeds on the way which created a great discussion for us. Hey I was even taken to a location not too far from us to identify a horseradish my partner had seen a few days earlier (so he does listen LOL). My constant chatter about edible weeds and plants has rubbed off on him. Anyway it wasn't a horseradish but I did appreciate the observation and interest so for that a gold star for my man.

We found an abundant amount of both stinging and dead nettles. We only picked the young leave tops as they are apparently nicer to eat. I should own up at this point that my partner was allocated to gather the nettles whilst I gathered and dug up some dandelion roots and leaves which I will discuss in another post. However we had a really pleasant morning discussing weeds and how we were going to make a fab nettle soup which neither of us had ever had. With almost a bag full of nettles the rain began to descend on us and we headed home.  

My partner looked up some recipes and he settled on Hugh Fearnley's nettle soup recipe from the TV series River Cottage. So I adapted his recipe to create and make an amazing super soup with a punch.

Fig. 1. L. Moore Spicy Green Nettle Soup 

Fig.2. L. Moore A detail of Spicy Green Nettle Soup 

Fig.3. L.Moore. Ready to Eat Spicy Green Nettle Soup ... Yum!

Ingredients (for about 4 people ... though we had it between us)

1 tbs butter (or coconut oil)
1 nearly full carrier bag of nettles
1 large onion
1 large carrot
1 large potato
Parmesan cheese for grating
A half to a litre of vegetable stock (or chicken). The amount depends on how thick you like your soup so I add half and then top up until I have the desired thickness
Season with salt and pepper
3 small dried red chillies (optional as we love chillies)
3 cloves of garlic (optional as we love garlic)
Creme fraiche
Olive oil

Method

Wash your nettles in a sink of tepid water (wear gloves) and then put in colander and rinse again
Melt butter/coconut oil in a large pan
Add your finely chopped onions and garlic and chillies and cook until nice and soft
Add your chopped carrots and potato and stir. Then add half a litre of stock and simmer with lid on for ten mins.
Then add your nettles and simmer with lid on for 5 or 10 mins until vegetables are just soft.
See if you need more stock and if you do add more and stir. When ready turn off the heat.
Then blitz with a blender until smooth
Add seasoning
Pour into your lovely bowls and add some creme fraiche, and top with  grated Parmesan and a glug of olive oil.

Hey presto slurp it down with a good home made bread ... yum.


Some information on nettles

The stinging nettle is a course upright perennial, covered in fine hairs and their leaves are toothed and heart shaped. They are packed with high levels of vitamin A and C, and also contain iron and protein. The dead nettle is very similar to stinging only they don't sting when touched. Their leaves are in pairs, triangular , pointed and coarsely toothed.

Sources
https://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/nettle-soup
Richard Mabey (2012) Food For Free Harper Collins Publishers, London. p, 63 &104

Nettle & Jack (garlic mustard) Salsa Verde

Nettle & Jack (garlic mustard) Salsa Verde

Wow what a way to use your fresh foraged wild green weeds than to make a salsa verde. This certainly does live up to it's name (green sauce). This is packed with a punch of vitamins. When I was eating this I felt like I was taken back in time during my ancestral period but without the trimmings. The colour takes your breath away ... it is very dense and moss like. "Stinging nettles are one of the best plants for human health, both as food and medicine ... a complete, ready-packaged natural vitamin and mineral supplement" (Bruton - Seal J & Seal, M, 2008, p 114). We can find stinging nettles everywhere in out hedgerows packed with protein, calcium, vitamin c, beta-carotene and chlorophyll.

Jack by the hedge known as garlic mustard or (Alliaria petiolata) is found in shady hedgerows and woodland edges and it contains glucosinolates and apigenin flavonoids, both known to have anti-tumour effects and high in vitamin A. "The leaves also contain cancer preventing chemicals typical of both garlics (allyl sulphides) and mustards (isothiocyanates)" (Irving, M. 2009, p 77).

So no wonder this green sauce is such a winner. I would experiment with this recipe as I have based it on my own palette where I like a lot of garlic and chilli and the anchovies add a strong salty taste. I made this to go with my salmon steak with a wild mushroom risotto. You may decide to omit some ingredients and add more olive oil and make it more fluid. However I would always  recommend experimenting with my recipes to make them to your own liking. I see my recipes as a starting point to explore wild foods and alter them to your own taste buds. It is the sheer  'act' of gathering these wild weeds that makes this such a wonderful experience and journey of discovery.

Get yourself outdoors on a brisk January day and experience the thrill of looking, finding and exploring. It really is worth it. I forget myself when I am absorbed in looking for these weeds. I feel a real balance between mind and body in a state of complete absorption, it's a great feeling ... . so go and try it. As I have said in all my blogs 'if in doubt leave it out'.

When your new to foraging always make sure you know what you have and check it with diagrams and pictures and a number of sources (not just the internet) and having another pair of eyes to help you identify your find is always useful so bring someone with you. It is fun doing the research and when you feel sure always try a little first. Tasting small amounts is always wise just in case you don't agree with it. Remember you have never eaten these foods before.

Fig 1. L. Moore Nettle & Jack Salsa Verde 

Fig. 2. L. Moore. Nettles washed and ready for simmering

Fig.3. L.Moore. A detail of Salsa Verde topped with Jack leaf

                                      Fig.4. Salmon Fillet with Nettle/Jack Verde & wild mushroom risotto                          

Ingredients

Half a carrier bag of stinging nettle tops (or non stinging nettles)
1 cup of jack by the hedge
3-4 anchovies
6-8 cloves of garlic
2 tbs mascapone soft cheese
2 tbs (or handfuls) of pine nuts
2 tbs olive oil
2 small dried red chillies
1 tbs lime juice (or lemon)
salt and black pepper to taste

• Wash the nettles in lukewarm water and salt and strain (then rinse again to get rid of the salt)
• Boil the nettles for approx 3 mins until soft and then plunge them into ice cold water
• When cool squeeze the water out of the nettles
• Add the squeeded nettles into a bowl with all the other ingredients and blitz with a blender
• Put into a nice bowl and add a glug of olive oil on top and serve

Ta dah its ready (it should keep in the fridge for a couple of days)

I really enjoyed mine with my salmon steak however it did feel a bit thick for me so next time I would add more olive oil and perhaps think about roasting my garlic in the oven first and then squeeze this sweet garlic into my Verde and then blitz. I will also be trying pure Jack by the hedge (garlic mustard) salsa verde... yum.

References

Bruton-Seal, J & Seal, M. (2008) Hedgerow Medicine: Harvest and Make Your Own Herbal Remedies, Merlin Unwin Books  Ltd, London. p, 114.
Irving, M. (2009) The Forager Handbook: A Guide To The Edible Plants Of Britain, Ebury Press Publishing, p, 77.













 

Sloe and Apple Jewel Jelly

Sloe and Apple Jewel Jelly ... Yum

It's sunny and brisk so get your boots on, a waterproof, plastic carrier bags, scissors, gardening gloves and let's go and get some sloes and crab apples ... ah bliss. What else do you have to do? Feel the chill on your face, the breeze through your hair and get searching. I'm on one of my favorite walks through the Downes and the only one without a dog. My eyes are keen to find some apples so I follow some well established pathways (big mistake) it's a mud ring so I deviate off the beaten path and scan the trees. Ah just ahead I see a dappling of yellow dots. I crunch myself through the long grass and follow those yellow beauties and come to a stop. Above me stands a vision of loveliness-
a crab apple tree... yey. I am only 5 feet tall so I manage to bag a few low hanging handfuls of apples and the rest dance in the breeze above me. I am satisfied with my find and I move on to scouring the sloes.

L.Moore Sloes

L.Moore A close up of sloes

I continue across the Downes passing lots of dogs who come over and say hello curious and cute. Not too far away I see some baron looking shrubs. As I move closer I can see their spikes and when I look deeper into the wild mass I see those dark rustic jewels tough as old boots swaying in the wind. It's time for the gardening gloves so I don't get any nasty thorns/scratches. I start by picking one at a time and quickly upgrade to three or four at a time. The gloves are a life saver. These little gems cling on like suckers. Before I know it I have enough to make an incredible jelly. You forget about time when your absorbed in the daily life of our ancestors. My hands are numb so I put them under my arm to thaw out and head home bathed in the wildness. On my way I eye up the fattest rose hips that catch my eye. I will be returning for these after the first frost so they are soft to the touch and bursting with goodness ...yum.            

This jelly is delicious with cheese and/or with meats. Experiment and see what you think. I add just a little more sugar than the jam making rule of equal amounts of sugar to the juice as sloes are bitter. This recipe works well for me and I love the zing of lime with the chillies in it ... superb. It's such a beautiful rich color and there is no reason why you can't experiment with adding more exotic ingredients to your jelly to make it seasonal. What a wonderful life it is to seek, find, make and enjoy.    

Sloe & Apple Jewel Jelly

Fig 1. L. Moore Sloes

Fig 2. L. Moore Apples

Fig 3. L. Moore Sloes and Apples yum!

Fig 4. L. Moore Cooking sloes and apples

Fig 5. L. Moore sieved juice from jelly bag

Fig 6. L. Moore Ta Dah Jewel Jelly with cheese superb

Ingredients

1 pound of sloes
1 pound of wild apples
2 TBS lime juice
dried chillies (as many as you see fit for human consumption)
Sugar (the same amount of sieved juice and half again)
Black pepper and salt (to taste)

Method
put a saucer in the fridge to get cold (for your plate test later on)
Wash fruit and place in a pan (don't peel apples or core them just chop them up a bit)
Fill the pan about half way up with water
Cook fruit until soft and then mash with a masher
Sieve your fruit and capture the juice in a bowl
Measure the same amount of sugar to the amount of juice sieved. Then add about half again of sugar.
Place the juice and all the sugar into a clean saucepan
Bring to the boil and stir constantly until sugar has dissolved (as you would for any jam making)
Add your lime juice and salt and pepper and chillies and stir
Keep stirring for about 20/40 mins
When it begins to feel like the consistency is getting a bit heavier as you stir do a plate test.
when it's ready pour into sterilized jars, label and enjoy ... yum

Plate test
turn heat off
add about a tablespoon of mixture to your previously chilled saucer you had in the fridge
place back in the fridge and wait until it gets cold
once cold push your finger across the mixture and if it wrinkles up your jelly is ready
if it has not wrinkled up heat up your mixture for a bit longer and try again

Sterilizing jars
I put my oven on at gas number 4
then wash my collected jars
then I place a piece of ovenproof paper (or greaseproof) onto a baking tray and put my jars on top with lids off
put in the oven for about 15 minutes along with my pyrex jug for pouring into my jars
then I boil my lids in a pan on the cooker for the same amount of time
I time it right so my jelly/jam is ready at the same time as my jars and pour jelly into jars, put lids on and wait to cool.
Then I label and date my jars and give away as presents hooray!

Garlic Mustard (jack by the hedge) Salad

Jack salad


What better way to start a dismal December morning than to go out and get foraging. I decided on 'jack by the hedge' (also known as garlic mustard) as it would make a fab salad to go with my sea bass in the fridge. Let's bring a bit of summer back into a winter kitchen ...yum. Put your boots on, a waterproof, scissors, plastic bags, gardening gloves and a camera. I always document where I get my wild edibles from as it's useful to remember so you can return during the seasons and identify your weeds changing. I know you probably read this everywhere but it is true ... if your not sure what your picking either leave it out and/or consult a friend or friends to help you confirm your find. Another tip is to try only a little bit of each find you collect to see if it is agreeable to you. Though these wild foods are fantastically fresh, free and rich in all kinds of vitamins you/we have not tried them before so best be safe. Oh and one last thing when you do cook with your amazing weeds always leave a tiny bit over so if there was any kind of reaction to it you can show it to whoever. Enough of the health and safety and lets get grazing.  

Come and walk with me now and smell the fresh air. Feel the damp moisture of the December breeze against your face ... how cool is that (it certainly beats sitting at home). We are having a reason to be outside and we are connecting with something so basic we have forgotten how to do it ... to gather the land. I feel the gravel under my feet and I hear the crunch of the ground and the birds are silently singing in the background (ah bliss) and then I spot 'Jack'.

Low and behold five minutes into my walk and there is Jack at the edge of a local path begging to be picked (it certainly does depict it's namesake) . It's such a buzz to find such an amazing weed. I pick a leaf and crush it between my bare fingers and instantly I am hit with the incredible aroma of mustard and a subtle whiff of garlic that is heavenly. I am a garlic freak and just adore it in most of my food so for me this is an incredible moment of reward that flirts with my appetite. I see a lovely salad with fish coming ... yum.  I bagged a third of a carrier bag and I will be chomping on this later today and tomorrow. The leaves are a bit spicy and hot and bitter but are delicious with a salad dressing so go careful with your amount of 'Jack' leaves. I got a bit carried away with my big bag of leaves. I washed them dried them and put in a bag in the fridge and they lasted until the next day. These leaves are rich in vitamin C and A.

Jack Salad with cow's cheese

Fig.1 L. Moore 'Jack by the Hedge' in a path 

Fig.2 L. Moore 'Jack ready for chopping'

Fig. 3. L Moore 'Jack' chopped up 

                               

Fig. 4. L Moore 'Jack' in cheese salad 

                                   

Fig. 5. L Moore. close up of 'Jack salad'

Fig.6. L. Moore 'Jack salad'

                                                   
                 
Ingredients

Small handful of 'Jack by the hedge' leaves
2-3 tomatoes
A handful of chopped cucumber
As much as you like of any cheese ( I used a lovely fresh soft salted cow's cheese I bought from my local Romanian shop but feta or any other cheese would be good)
Any salad leaves (I had some crispy lettuce in the fridge)
Grated lemon
Dry roasted sunflower seeds
1-2 spring onions

Salad dressing

2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs honey
1 tsp mustard (french mustard is nice but if you want it hot go for English)
Add grated garlic if your a garlic freak (optional)

Wash and pat dry your 'Jack' then chop into small strips. Roughly chop all your other ingredients and rip your lettuce into nice chunks. Add your dry roasted sunflowers (using a dry heavy pan) to your salad. Mix together your salad dressing with a pinch of salt/pepper. I usually put the salad dressing into a small jar with a lid on and then shake to mix it well and then pour over my luscious salad. Lastly I grate some lemon on the top and then turn salad over until it's nice and glossy. Enjoy and serve with anything. I will be having a go at trying other things with 'jack'. I would like to try it as a sauce sometime over lamb or as a pesto or stuffed inside a ravioli pasta. I believe it is lovely mixed with a balsamic vinegar, mint, a little sugar and some hawthorn buds.

I also managed to bag some more sloes on my rounds, Guelder-rose rose and hawthorns. It's amazing that these fruits are still about on the trees and the birds have not polished them off ... lucky me. I intend to make some amazing cordials for the Xmas season with these beauties (especially the hawthorn with its rich ruby red color). I froze my last batch of sloes, hawthorns and guelder-rose to use for vinegar's when I have time .. slurp.

Some sources to help you identify 'Jack by the hedge'

 http://www.eattheweeds.com/garlic-mustard-jack-by-the-hedge-sauce-alone/ 

http://www.onlyfoods.net/garlic-mustard-alliaria-petiolata.html 

Touching the 'real' through foraging

Touching the 'real' through foraging

Why did I get into foraging?
What was the motivation?
These are interesting questions I ask myself.

To put this blog into a context I want to explain myself a little. I am a interactive video artist who has been exploring digital technologies since 2006. Before then I had been a practicing artist using analogue video for fifteen years. I have always loved 'making' and 'exploring' and art practice has always been a fantastic vehicle to express myself. I am an international artist and I have had work published. At this end of this post I will add my website and as the blog develops I will attach any publications I feel are relevant to my pages. It was in 2008 that I started doing my PhD in practice led research (a research model in which the at practice leads the research). I completed my PhD in 2012 and since then I feel I had lost my creative instincts to 'create & explore'.

My research was about immersing the participant into the artwork via new digital technologies and the need to truly connect participants during the viewing experience. Philosophically the relationship between the 'self' and the art object 'as other' troubled me. The writings of the past always determined that the division between these two modalities was infinite. This was something that I could not agree with. Though based on a belief I believed there was no division between the body and the object but a relationship and a connection that could not be seen but experienced. So I set out on my quest to explore these ideas by making interactive video works. I won't go into too much detail as I cannot summarize my PhD in a few lines but you will get a taster of my research from my website. My most recent explorations were to use heart rate sensors attached to a participants body while experiencing and viewing video images. I was, and still am looking for ways to visualize our art experiences and the impact they have on the physiology of the body. This might be hard to imagine but I was using the human body as if it were a video player and through the participants beats per minute their heart rate could control elements of the video they were watching (so if the heart rate was say, 70+ bpm they could speed up the video or slow it down at -70 bpm). Ok so what does this have to do with foraging? I will be getting to my point. After struggling time and time again with the technologies I was using and finding it almost impossible to get support I was losing all faith in my work and ideas. I had these ideas which I just could not sustain in terms of money and technical expertise. Arts councils were not giving any support along with local and regional councils and local businesses so I am now re-considering how I work, what I create, and the way I create it. I had lost my intuitive way of working and felt I was merely a slave to the technology which was crippling my energy and enthusiasm. I began to question how I could continue with these ideas and maintain my creative integrity.

My main purpose of making these artworks was to 'touch the participant' in some way. To give participants something basic back - a real experience. To feel connected to the artwork. However while I was going through the struggle of trying to realize these ideas I was feeling more and more disconnected. When I am making and exploring I feel alive. When I am participating in my own art experience I also feel something more of myself. A lot of my research explored 'real experiences' and challenged what we mean by reality and the real. I realized I was looking for a deep 'real experience' to connect me as both the maker and the participant of my own artwork. I wanted to connect participants to a really real experience - a hypperreal. Struggling with the technology so much interrupted my flow, my reality and my experience.

I began to think about what makes me most happy. Foraging, exploring and making has always been a hobby I have loved over the years. I have been making face creams, lotions and potions for ever. Something my mother taught me many years ago. I decided to expand on my knowledge and get out weekly to learn more and more about what our ancestors gathered and ate. I am going back to basics and loving every minute of it. Foraging is enabling me to be creative and discover new things, raise new questions and touch a reality that I have been seeking in my artwork. The 'real' is a concept that french psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan articulates as a way to understand the human condition. In short Lacan sees the real as something that cannot be articulated in language. It is imperceptible and indescribable which can only be accessed when we die. The way Lacan sees things is glum but also astute. When we use language to communicate (be it written or visual) it is a secondary source of communication through it's symbolic representation as a language. Language is what we use to communicate and it is not always a direct interpretation of what we mean or how we feel. Lacan goes back to the child during it's pre-language stage of development and locates this as a experience of the real. So when the child enters into language it loses the real. The only way to go back to this stage of development would be a re-birth and start the process all over again (in death). Though Lacan's ideas may sound desperate I see some truth in his observations. I cannot discuss in too much detail Lacan and his work (see his mirror stage) but I draw on some of his thinking to make sense of my own observations and experiences.

From my own research I see the hidden world of experience as the 'real'. These are experiences we cannot articulate in language and once it is said it has gone. This is why I turned to heart rate sensors in an attempt to visualize the hidden world of experience. To see the 'real'. Though it is a dichotomy to translate the physiology of the body into data (real-time heart beats on a screen) we are seeing something of human experience in another form of language that is getting us closer to the real - something I call an In[bodiment]were we are in the moment in the other (the artwork). I see this as being caught up between the 'self and other' understood as place that enables us to touch something more of ourselves in the other - a hyper-real experience.  This is were foraging comes in. I get a hyper-real experience when I am outdoors looking, gathering, exploring, and making. There is nothing complicated about these weekly ventures ... it feels natural and uncomplicated. I am focused on my task and I am truly absorbed in the landscape. I think and I feel and I am in the moment. I cannot express my reality but the feeling is truly wonderful. My reality is translated into the recipies that I make ... they are works of art packed with my hidden world of experience. The process is much more important then the product. Perhaps there will be a merger between my foraging and my art practice into something new and exciting. I expect these two worlds to collide because we are our experience.

As much as I find my interactive art practice exciting I am loving the foraging which will undoubtedly inform my artwork. I am so looking forward to developing my art practice in new and exciting ways that does not cripple my creativity and integrity and enable me to be much more autonomous. This is what foraging does for me it allows me to be creative, explore and heighten my connection with myself and the world around me ... were the body and the land crossover. It is through this blog I can share those experiences and give something back.

Go on have a go at foraging ... it's worth it. Immerse yourself in the fabric of the landscape.


Maurice Merelau-Ponty is an interesting read on the cross overs between the body and the world and also Zizek and his work on the 'Real'. For Zizek the real is what we experience through fiction.

References

http://lornam77.wix.com/lornamooreartist

Homer, S. (2005) Jacques Lacan, Routledge.

Zizek, S. (2002) Welcome To The Dessert Of The Real, Verso, London.

Merleau-Ponty, M. (1968) The Intertwining-The Chiasm: In Lefort, C. (ed) The Visible and the Invisible: Philosophical Interrogation.  Lingis, A. (trans), Evanston IL: Northwestern University Press. pp 130-155. 

 

Introduction

Hello reader ... I hope you get a lot of pleasure from this blog...enjoy.

The purpose of my blog is to share my creative journey with you. I am exploring and experimenting with wild edibles to discover their uses, their health benefits and culinary explorations. I love to create something new out of the everyday so I am finding ways to use these free wild gems as a food source to create fascinating recipes, and health treatments including concoctions and teas, skin preparations and natural affordable body lotions, potions and pampering.

I get such a buzz from discovering new things so I want to take you on that experimental and creative journey with me so we can discover, create and find exciting methods to use that involve using wild edibles that are free, safe and amazing. Learning new techniques and knowledge of these edibles is both freeing and empowering ...

There is nothing quite like wandering the land and the coastlines and coming across 'jack by the hedge' a 'rowan berry tree', 'dulse seaweed' 'passion flowers' etc that become know to you and all of a sudden we see and experience a new window to the world. We wonder through these landscapes absorbed in our daily lives while these wild gems go unnoticed and recede into the background. However when we know what we are looking for and we come across a horseradish plant at a roadside or some wild rocket  down an urban path this world comes into the foreground and we are on our way to a magical journey of explosive discovery and excitement.

In an instant your connected to things you come across on a daily basis and suddenly the land (urban or rural) speaks to you. You begin to see the everyday in a whole new light and its truly awesome. It's the process of collecting, looking, researching, making and gathering that creates the missing link between us and the land. What is it about wild food that attracts us? What impact does grazing the land have on our psychological, physiological and physical well being both inside and outside? and how does color, touch and smells affect us? When we are foraging we forget the physical body and we become immersed in an action that is truly absorbing ... we are in the 'zone' or 'the moment' which has an extraordinary influence on our well being and happiness.

The process of these actions are translated into things as recipes, lotions, potions, creams etc. these things are just evidence of our process and our connection between the physical body and the world. A state of being in the world that is more a noun than a verb. So lets get connecting, making and exploring ... Yey!.  

I am sure you will get something out of my experiences as all my recipes are intended to be viewed as starting points for anyone to develop into something else. I have learnt from all my explorations which are worth sharing with you and are truly amazing. So get out there and give it a go.

I won't be going into all the technical terms for weeds, plants, flowers etc but use more local names that I am familiar with. I am sharing the knowledge and experience as I 'create' so if you want a lot of information about a particular wild edible I will always leave a source for you to research in your own time.

Just a word of caution if you in any way in doubt of what you have foraged then my mantra is
'if in doubt leave it out'

Also when you cook your new creation try small portions at first and always leave a little so you know what you have eaten if you respond badly to a particular weed or plant. These edibles will be new to the palette to most people so ingest small amounts.

So let's get creating Ta dah...