Wildedges
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

wildflowers of ireland - wild garlic

4/27/2018

0 Comments

 
Wiild garlic - Allium ursinum, also known as ramsons or bear's garlic is a widespread perennial bulb that carpets damp woodlands in April, May and early June.
Picture
A native bulb, a member of the Liliaceae family it can often become highly invasive given the right conditions. Preferring moist, well-drained, base-rich soils it can also be found on hedge banks, river and streamsides and even rock crevices. In common with other woodland specialists, ramsons puts on all its growth early in the year thereby avoiding the deep shade cast by the tree canopy in late spring and summer.
Picture
Spherical clusters of white, star shaped flowers and broad, long, pointed leaves, the individual flowers are held on a slender stem with, usually only two basal leaves. Once this perennial is picked or bruised it gives off a very strong smell of garlic. It reproducuses vegetatively as well as by seed which can be produced in large numbers under suitable conditions. When conditions are right ramsons will form a pure stand of foliage and flowers, out-competing all other ground cover herbs of the area.
Picture
In Irish folklore: the second half of this plant’s Latin name, ursinum, refers to the fact that brown bears would, supposedly, eat wild garlic as the first plant after they emerge from hibernation. Brown bears haven't been in Ireland for c15,000 years, so this must be a legend that has travelled from the European mainland, which still has brown bears.
Picture
While not as medicinally potent as the bulb garlic, wild garlic still has many health benefits, high levels of folic acid, an essential B vitamin, and its positive benefits on the digestive system. Wild garlic acts as a prebiotic, encouraging the growth of friendly bacteria and also has mild antibacterial properties to ward off spring coughs and sniffles.

Wild garlic leaves are edible and are used as a salad, a herb to flavour other dishes, boiled as a vegetable, in soup, or as an ingredient for pesto in lieu of basil. The delicate white flowers and the seeds are also edible raw, the flowers are stronger in flavour than the leaves and the buds can be used to make substitute capers
Picture
Wild garlic can be used simply in pesto or as a substitute for bulb garlic but I thought you might like a couple of easy recipes to tempt you to grow, collect and use the wild form.

Wild Garlic Soup with Mozzarella
200g wild garlic
300g floury potatoes
1 large onion
3tbsp oil
some whipped cream
salt & pepper
Bread for toasting
mozzarella
Wash garlic and chop it roughly. Chop onion finely and cut potatoes in small pieces. Heat oil and fry onion until translucent, add garlic and potatoes, add 1ltr of water and cook covered for 15 minutes. Mix it in the mixer, add cream, salt and seasoning. Cut small circles of the bread and mozzarella with the help of biscuit cutters. Put mozzarella on the bread circles and bake them quickly in the oven at 200°C. Before serving, put them carefully into the soup.
Picture
and a simple, fresh tasting salad

Pea and white garlic flower Salad
225g Goats cheese
600g garden peas – defrosted if frozen
Six mint leaves
The zest of a lemon plus its juice
Eight wild garlic flowers
50ml extra virgin rapeseed or olive oil
Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Place the wild garlic flowers into a large mixing bowl, along with the peas and the mint leaves, once torn into pieces. Crumble the goats cheese and add to the bowl along with the lemon zest, a couple of pinches of sea salt, some black pepper and a good dash of rapeseed or olive oil. Add a few drops of lemon juice and toss the salad gently and serve in chilled bowls.
Picture
Do try them and, enjoy.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    WildEdges

    A haven of quiet countryside highlighting issues affecting the natural world.

    Categories

    All
    Ahead Of The Storm
    A Morning Of Snowdrops
    And The Leaves That Were Green
    A Quarrel Of Sparrows
    Are There Emeralds In The Emerald Isle
    Autumn Angst
    Be Nice To Nettles
    Birds Of A Feather
    Birds Of Ireland - Goldfinches
    By The Light Of The Silvery Moon
    Failte Romhat Gach Ein
    First Flowers
    Five Spring Plants For The Pollinators In Your Garden
    Food Foraging - Elderflower
    Food Foraging Hedgerows
    Hedgerow Harvest
    Heralds Of Spring
    In Appreciation Of Bats
    In The Bleak Midwinter
    In The Clover
    Ireland's Gemstones - Aquamarine
    Irish-hare
    Irish Wild Birds
    Let's Talk About Jam
    Life In The World Aquatic
    Location
    Magpie
    Magpie In My Garden
    Meanders In Wildflower Meadows
    Moth Night
    National Bird Day
    National Nestbox Week
    National Tree Week
    Natural Born Killers
    Robin Builds Nest
    Robin's Perch
    Snowdrop Week
    Snowdrop-wwek
    Snow Food
    The Importance Of Wetland Habitats
    The Long Way Home
    There's A Buzz About Bumblebees
    The Tears Of Tress
    The Trees @ Wildedges
    To Tidy Or Not To Tidy
    What's In A Name?
    When Wild Geese Fly
    Why Dandelions
    Why Do Birds Sing?
    Why Nestboxes Matter
    Wild Bird Winter Survival Manual
    Wildflower Lawns
    Wildflowers Of Ireland - Daisies
    Wildflowers Of Ireland - Foxglove
    Wildflowers Of Ireland - Primroses
    Wildflowers Of Ireland - Snowdrops
    Wildflowers Of Ireland - Wild Garlic
    Wildlife Corridors
    Winter Greenery
    Winter Is Coming....

    RSS Feed

Location

Site Map

HOME
BLOG
ABOUT
CONTACT

Contact Us

  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact