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
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| Fig.1 L. Moore 'Jack by the Hedge' in a path |
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| Fig.2 L. Moore 'Jack ready for chopping' |
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| Fig. 3. L Moore 'Jack' chopped up |
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| Fig. 4. L Moore 'Jack' in cheese salad |
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| Fig. 5. L Moore. close up of 'Jack salad' |
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| 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/
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