Wild Garlic Recipes

With Wild Garlic now in season we've had some delicious recipes shared with us.  You'll find it in woodlands, fields and roadsides. It is best eaten in early spring  - whilst it is at its most tender!

I hope you get a chance to do some foraging - it's great fun!!

Wild Spring Risotto

By Chris Westgate

Heavenly Hedgerows

2 large handfuls of nettle (spring tips are best)

20g Wild garlic 

100g butter

1 red onion

4C chicken or veg stock

100g grated Parmesan

1/2C white wine

2C risotto rice

1/4C mint

Finely chop the mint, nettles and garlic, put to one side.

Finely chop and fry the onion. Add the rice and gradually (1/2 a cup at a time until absorbed) add the stock (stirring constantly) When there is 1 cup of stock left, add the wine, nettles, garlic and mint. Finally at the end of cooking add the Parmesan and stir.  Serve immediately.

White beans with wild Garlic sauce

By Sue Currie

Netherton Foundry

400g cooked white beans (cannelini, haricot, butter beans - whatever you've got!)

200ml white wine

200ml chicken or vegetable stock

1 onion, sliced

1 dstsp grain mustard

100ml single cream

1 large handful Wild garlic, washed and chopped finely

Salt and pepper

Put the wine and stock in a pan and bring to the boil.  Simmer until reduced by half.

Gently fry the onion in rapeseed oil, with a knob of butter, until translucent and soft

Add the onions and mustard to the reduced stock mixture and stir well.  Add the cream and warm through.

Toss in the Wild garlic, season with salt and pepper.

Serve - with crusty bread, sausages, lamb chops or a nice piece of fish........... or any other combination that takes your fancy!

Nettle and Wild Garlic soup.

By Catherine

Cyril's Soap

Large knob butter
1 onion, chopped
1 medium potato (optional, but I think it thickens the soup up a bit) chopped
200g young nettle leaves, chopped
Couple handfuls Wild garlic , chopped
1 litre stock.
Melt butter and soften onion. Add potato, nettle and Wild garlic . Sweat for about 3 or 4 mins add stock and cook until all soft. About 30/40 mins. Allow to cool slightly and then whiz up in blender! Serve with crusty bread!

Wild herb dumplings

By Catherine

Cyril's Soap

100g flour
50g suet
Nettle leaves
May leaves
Dandelion leaves
Dock leaves
Cleavers (sticky grass)
Wild sorrel
Water

Use a couple handfuls of the above mixed herbs. Finely chop. Mix flour and suet and add herbs. Add water to make a dumpling mixture. Form into balls and add to spring/summer stews!