A year in the life of a forager....

[The Big Lebowski]

I thought people where getting sun tans... It appears to be in fact, rust

Me mushroom friend is hoping it will be a good year for the ceps if the rain continues. Always a positive I guess!

 

[The Big Lebowski]

Finally managed to get out for a stroll today, man, this weathers lousy

I seem to be in a constant battle with mowers lately. My second growth of horse mushrooms where kindly shredded half an hour before I got there then the EA decided to mow my fennel/wild carrot patch,
middle of nowhere, no real public access so no reason to be 'pruned'. It does make you wonder sometimes where they get them from, and how much the remote control robot mower was.

Anyhoo~ Found some nice new chanterelle mushrooms- Cantharellus cibarius.

There where also signs of a few other bits and bob's growing such as the odd penny bun/cep ect,
so it should pick up again over the next few weeks

We had some friends over for my daughters 5'th Birthday, so I knocked up a basic salt marsh salad to introduce them to wild foods.
I now have a few converts!

 

[The Big Lebowski]

Two nice days in a row. Bonkers!

Lime flowers- Tilia Europoea. The lime tree produces edible leaves for a few weeks of the year, and then a month or two after,
the flowers make a great infusion in hot water. Its really worth trying and hugely popular in France. Limes pretty wide spread.

Bladder campion- Silene vulgaris. The young buds can be eaten, along with the leaves on more developed plants.
Tastes like mange tout. Taken in meadows.

Sandwurt- genus Arenaria (several in group). Tried this recently after someone pointing it out. Blanched and buttered it tastes like
young spring greens. Would go superbly with a few lamb cutlets or a small rack. Really nice, now in my top 5 Seashore.

Was supposed to be shrooming today, but the fair weathers returned and the tree's are sideways

 

[lannyman8]

i have been away for a while but as always thanks for all the hard work gents and ladies......

hope to have a shore forage this weekend, heading just over the border to the north east, should be a gooden....

regards.

chris.

 

[The Big Lebowski]

Arm yourself with a copy of edible seashore

You should find sea beet, asters, sand-wort, samphire (inc rock) and several other bits and bobs. Let us know how you get on!

 

[lannyman8]

Arm yourself with a copy of edible seashore

You should find sea beet, asters, sand-wort, samphire (inc rock) and several other bits and bobs. Let us know how you get on!

its with Andy by sea so i think he will give me a quick heads up as to whats about to eat, plan on getting some shore foods seaweed and critters, depending on how cold it is dive for some shell fish maybe, crabs and lobster..... never been to the area before so dont know what shell fish / fish are around.

will try and take some pics for the forum, and just incase i die....

 

[The Big Lebowski]

Another nice day! Anyone would think it was summer

Found these beauty's today, happy forager As posted above- Cantharellus cibarius.

The wild strawberry's (Fragaria vesca) are nearly ripe

Back out on Monday. Have a good weekend!

 

[Harvestman]

Wild thyme, Thymus polytrichus found on the old spoil heaps above Blaenavon

 

[The Big Lebowski]

Off to the moot in the morning, so I'll update this on return with some new edibles

 

[Russell96]

Only a few posts from me but can I say what a fantastic thread. I have really enjoyed reading from the start. Thank you for all the effort.
Russ

 

[The Big Lebowski]

Your welcome Russ, on behalf of the posters.
Weather seems to have it in for me, but as soon as it breaks I'll be back out. Managed a few additions yesterday.

Marsh samphire or glasswort depending on your region- Salicornia europaea.
Known as sea asparagus and tastes great uncooked in salads or pan fried in butter,
or with lardons of smoked bacon, black pudding and a poached duck egg.

Sea blight- Sueda maritima. Similar to samphire, but less succulent. Go's great in salads.
I think it has a slight floral/lavender taste.

Himalayan balsam- impatiens glandulifera. An edible plant with seeds that taste like a cross between cashew nuts and hazel.
As with knotweed, be cautious about transporting.
The seeds go great in salads, risottos or just eaten as-are. The plant also produces a sweet edible nectar.

 

[Night Phoenix]

What a fantastic thread!

 

[Filterhoose]

Al, I enjoyed our wee stravaig down the estuary at Merthyr Maw. Was the corriander flavoured plant called arran grass? Also the wee tasty morsel that looked like mini cactus plant. I thats the last lci Marsh Samphire? Seriously yummy.

Oh aye, and I caught a fish

1-0 to the Windy

 

[The Big Lebowski]

LoL, yep, you whipped me Next year I'll take you out on the bass

The coriander tasting stuff was sea arrow grass, the cactus looking stuff marsh samphire. Was a good day out, despite some hard fishing!

 

[crosslandkelly]

I tried the Himalayan balsam at the moot, the seeds were really tasty, but did;nt try the rest of the plant. Brilliant thread.

 

[S.C.M.]

umm...why do you have to be careful about transporting Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam?

 

[mereside]

i think its because its a prolific grower and will rapidly get out of hand. also not native so it doesnt want spreading
atb wayne

 

[The Big Lebowski]

Correct... They are both highly invasive, non native and can quickly dominate an environment. Merthyr Mawr is a prime example for Himalayan balsam.

al.

 

[S.C.M.]

ah, so it has the capacity to grow back from a severed part? nasty.

 

[The Big Lebowski]

Been kind-of quiet on the foraging front due to poor local weather and a lack of mushrooms so far.

Decided to head down the coast for a fun family day (despite the weather) and do some rock pooling for prawns and seaweed to knock up a risotto inspired by Frazer of the Coastal Survival fame
My daughter was fascinated with the whole concept and managed to bag biggest prawn of the day! The dish consisted of prawns poached in sea water, sea lettuce, laver and saffron.

The finished dish. I would highly recommend having a go next time you are
near a rock pool. Both the praws and seaweed where superb!

I'm back down the coast next weekend, so I'll add some piccy's of the seaweeds ect.