When we first went into lockdown,
We talked about different ways we could continue to engage with the Pendle landscape
We knew we couldn’t go to Pendle Hill
So, thinking about the peat pie, and food connected to the environment
We thought it would be great to do weekly, wild forage recipe blogs
Lockdown tightened and we were told to stay home.
So we couldn’t blog about wild food and where to find it as we didn’t want to be encouraging, in any way whatsoever, people leaving their homes to find wild food for free.
But now lockdown is slowly lifting and we have freedom to roam again. Even to drive and then roam.
Pendle hill is no longer closed,
However, PHLP and the Forest of Bowland strongly recommend following social distancing guidelines and advice
We are still in the midst of a Pandemic
We are not out of the woods
We still need to Stay Alert
And in a state of alertness
We can now
Go out and forage for food
Summer is fast approaching
Wild flora are growing like ‘weeds’
All over
And one of the most common and most tasty
And most versatile
Is the humble stinging nettle
The nettle can replace any recipe that calls for fresh spinach
Now, don’t be alarmed
When cooked the nettle looses its sting
Instead of a sting it is an explosion of flavour. The flavour of green
Rich, dark, green
You’ll need to be quick with this forage food, as nettles do get tough and stringy with age
But moreover, when older, and in flower, they have a mild laxative effect
So best to not use them after the month of June
Best to pick them now, before they flower
When picking, pinch out the tender, top four leaves only
The leaves grow in pairs, opposite one another,
Be sure to wear gloves – I use my washing up rubber gloves
When you get home
Give them a rinse in cold water
Pat them dry
And remove the laves from the stalk
With gloved hands
(Often I don’t bother with this, as I quite like eating the stalk too)
Then your nettle is ready to cook
Either as a straight forwards green veg, lightly sauté in oil or butter
Or in a ‘dish’
And this dish comes highly recommended
Nettle Dumplings
Or
Nettle Gnocchi
It’s all about size and choice of accompaniment
You’ll need
800gms potato – peeled, cooked and mashed
3 handfuls of nettle leaves – chopped
2 eggs – beaten
150gms plain flour
Salt, pepper and ground nutmeg to taste
When the potatoes are mashed, allow to cool and then add all the other ingredients
Mix well
With wet hands, take small amounts of the mix and make into balls
If you make small balls, you’ll have gnocchi
Larger balls will be dumplings
Drop the balls into boiling water
Gnocchi – cook for about 5 mins. The gnocchi is ready when they rise to the surface
Dumplings – cook for 20 minutes
Drain and serve
When I make the dumplings, a eat them with poached eggs and salad
When I make the gnocchi, I cover them in sauce, for example, a rich mushroom or tomato sauce
Alternatively, a simple sage butter
Fresh sage leaves fried until crispy in butter with a bit of olive oil and salt.
Delicious!
Enjoy!
For weeks so many of us have sacrificed our liberty for the good of others and ourselves
We have gone against so many of our natural instincts in order to protect one another, and the NHS
Many have lost work
Many have lost incomes
And many have lost loved ones.
Our heart and thoughts go out them
I am so proud that so many of us have held together in solidarity
Kerry Morrison
