Foodie lovers from around the world will be familiar with the famous truffles that we find featured on luxury menus of high end restaurants. Both black and white truffles are highly sought after in the culinary world and considered a rare treat when brought from the land to the table.
Truffles are a type of fungus that grow on or alongside the roots of trees like beech and oak trees. If we didn’t need anymore reasons to start planting more trees, now we have another one. Expert Foragers in Europe hold onto the tradition of hunting for truffles with pigs and dogs who are trained as expert truffle hunters. In Italy, they have banned pigs from hunting for these delicies as they have a tendancy to eat them.
Truffle Hunting Experiences
We offer two amazing truffle hunting experiences, hunting for burgundy truffles in the french countryside and hunting for the famous white truffles in Northern Italy. These unique experiences will give you a chance to learn from the experts, explore the regions and taste this wild produce from the ground around us.
What does a truffle taste like?
Having tasted a few different versions I can report that truffles have a pungent smell and flavour. Enjoy the earthy aroma, perfectly paired with the burgundy full bodied reds and adding an extra punch to the fresh pasta of Italy. If you have tried and liked the taste of black olives than you may appreciate the humble truffle.
Easy Truffle Pasta Recipe
Fresh Linguine Pasta
Lemon
Parmasen Cheese
White wine
Salt
Pepper
Butter
To get a taste for Truffle Hunting in Europe please feel free to contact one of our travel specialists.
This week we will take you to our stories by the seaside and do some coastal foraging. Before the rise of agriculture as we know it today, our ancestors were foraging for their daily meals. Many of the vegetables, spices, seaweeds and shellfish we find by the sea today will have been harvested by our ancestors in the past.
Historically people have always chosen to live by the sea as the shorelines offer plenty of nutrients for our diets. From the cliffs and sand dunes to the rock pools when the tides go out, there are food sources everywhere you look. Today, this tradition isn’t as popular as we have got used of the age of convenience where our local supermarket offers everything we need for our daily meals.
For those of you who haven’t tried it, please give it a go or join us for a unique experience outdoors.
There are treasures to be found in unexpected places and it is the ideal way to spend an afternoon by the beach. Our coastal foraging treks take place in Ireland with the clean Atlantic coastline and predictable tides. Let’s start with the weather. The weather in Ireland is always a good way to start a conversation. Sunshine, rain, wind and changeable weather patterns make Irish people fascinated by the weather. I should know, I’m Irish. My friends and family could spend hours just discussing the forecast for the days ahead.
You are never guaranteed to get warm weather when walking by the shore in Ireland. Raindrops comes in all shapes and sizes, tiny drops that sprinkle the ground, sideways rain that catches you off guard, warm drizzling rain that soaks you to the bone but all of these weather conditions combine to make it extra rewarding with you stumble upon some unique culinary treats.
From fresh muscles to pools of winkles, you will find everything you need for a warm cup of seafood chowder along the Irish coastline. My first coastal foraging excursion was fruitful. As a child my mother would buy us small plastic buckets and short fishing rods to scoop out the seaweed from the giant rockpools all along the Co.Clare coastlines. Picking was part of every stage of growing up. From child to adolescent I made the transition from bucket to bag and back again when picking along the shore.
My grandfather would take the whole family to a nearby beach and we would eagerly wait until the tide had gone fully out, revealing the rockpools, seaweed and most importantly the shellfish hiding underneath. The art of picking was simple, patience was the only real skill required. Myself and my sister would spend hours scanning the shallow pools of water for the biggest winkles, crabs and mussels. Although all of the shellfish that we scoured for were easily identifiable, not all were easy to find.
Winkles were the easiest to collect. They tend to roll with the tide so it was not a matter of searching for them but more time was spent deciding on which ones to collect. I never tool the baby ones. This was my one rule for collecting winkles. Once you have avoiding the baby shells you can enjoy scooping out large handfuls of winkles alons most shorelines.
When it came to crabs I was always a little nervous to pick them up. Their claws would reach right out to stab pinch you if you were too quick. Sometimes we would just play with them for awhile before placing them carefully back in were they belonged. Laughing as they scrambled off to find their pals. Mussels were always considered the biggest treat. They clung tightly to the edges of rocks, making it more difficult to pull them off. Nothing can beat a pot of fresh mussels cooked in garlic and tomato juices. Give it a try. Believe me you won’t be disappointed.
Why not try a spot of razor clam hunting while you are by the shore. Simply bring some salt on your journey and seek out the small holes in the beach. Pour in the salt and watch in awe as the razor clams come to life.
Other favourites of mine include kelp and seaweed. These make delicious additions to salads. You can also use them to enhance the flavour of any seafood dish.
Let’s talk through how we spend an average day by the sea, foraging for some coastal treasures. We rise early to greet the sun. After choosing a meeting point we take some time to make sure we have all the utensils we need. Bucket or basket, check, pair of scissors, check, seaweed guidebook, check, hat and gloves, check. We prepare a picnic, stuffed with local ingrediants to give you a taste of the land. Fresh nettle pesto, brown soda bread, a flask full of tea and some fruit are the basics we need.
We are ready to rock in the rockpools by the wild Atlantic sea. It is always best to go with a guide who has experience identifying the goods. After meeting up with our local guide we walk towards the sea, taking time to talk to fellow foragers and enjoy the fresh air along the way. We spend some time scouring the seaside to find the ideal place to perch. This can take some time but we have timed the tides so we know that the rockpools will be visible from the edge. FYI, always check the tides to ensure the tide is out before you get ready for your trip.
With our cups in hand we pour a hot cuppa while our guide gives us the lowdown on the items we will collect for the day. Mussles, peri-winkles, seaweed and seabeet are a must, everything else is a welcome bonus. We spend the next few blissful hours scouring the rocks, learning about the sea, picking shellfish and enjoying the sun shining down on us to provide us with a welcome bit of Vitamin D.
Once we have found our pickings for the day it is off to our local guides house to create some tasty wild dishes where we will use our recently found treasure to whip up some well deserved dinner. A glass of guinness in hand and a bowl of seafood chowder in the other, what more could we want. This is our perfect day by the seaside.
HERE ARE A FEW COASTAL FORAGING TIPS FOR YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE:
DON’T let the weather prevent you from your next adventure. Remember that a little rain never hurt anyone. If you happen to get a sunny day then take advantage of it, spending a few hours by the shore.
LEAVE enough for others. Everyday we hear warnings of over fishing so be mindful of this when you are foraging by the sea. Only pick enough for one days pickings, giving the shores time to replenish its goods over time.
WEAR suitable clothing. This is key to any foraging adventure. Waterproof shoes comes in handy when you playing in rockpools. Also, bring a spare pair of socks to keep your feet dry.
KNOW the tides. Most countries will offer websites that give you the times of the tidal currents. Keep a close eye on these. You don’t want to venture all the way to the beach to find that you have to wait five hours until the tide recedes.
DON’T be afraid of seaweed or crabs. The waves may look rough but the sea is gentle with many varieties of produce to try. You never know what treasures you will find.
Being near the sea, watching the tides, creatures, and plant life of the ocean can be a wonderful experience, away from screens and connecting with nature.
Enjoy every moment of your coastal foraging trip. If you need any more information on our fruit and foraging tours please contact us at Orchardsnearme.com
If you take a stroll to the woodland or keep your eyes peeled in your local park you may discover some delicious wild garlic. Spring and Summer months are perfect for foraging this wild herb. It usually grows at the edge of woodlands, around damp soil.
If you have just begun your foraging adventures than this herb is a flavorful find for beginners. You will smell them before you see them and they usually hang around in big bunches.
The wild garlic flowers and leaves can be used in many recipes and salads but for today’s recipe we will focus on how to make wild garlic pesto which is perfectly paired with fresh pasta or toasted breads.
Picking and Preparation Don’t pick from the roots, leave some for others and be sure to wash the leaves thoroughly before you use them.
If you are out foraging for wild garlic follow these simple tips: Never pick plants from the root, always use a scissors.
Make sure to wear gloves at all times.
Wild garlic is most commonly found from March to July.
Pick healthy leaves that are long and bright in colour! Try and pick the leaves from an area that’s less likely to have been crossed by animals.
The best way to check that what you’ve picked is wild garlic is to smell it. The smell is strong.
Here is a great and simple recipe for wild garlic pesto!
How to make wild garlic pesto
INGREDIENTS
100g wild garlic leaves (a big bunch or a basket full will do)
50g nettle leaves
50g parmesan cheese
50g toasted pine nuts or walnuts are a nice alternative
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Lemon juice (at least half a lemon is needed)
A pinch or salt and a pinch of pepper
METHOD
Wash wild garlic leaves and nettles thoroughly. Be sure to always wear gloves when cooking with fresh nettles. They sting until they are boiled.
Place the nettle leaves in a pot of cold water, make sure the nettles are covered and allow to boil. This should only take ten minutes.
Drain the water and squeeze the leaves in a dry cloth to get rid of all excess water and juice. Place the galic leaves, nettles, parmesan, and nuts into a food processor and blitz. Slowly add two tablespoons of olive oil.
Add an extra spoon of olive oil if the mixture is too dry.
Add in your salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.
Once you have your wild garlic pesto prepared you can use it with pasta, as a dip or add to sandwiches for extra flavour. You can store fresh pesto in the fridge for up to one week. If you want to keep it longer, freezing it will hold the taste for 9 months.
If you are interested in embarking on a foraging adventure or learning more about the wild foods we work with contact our team anytime. Join us on any of foraging adventures in Ireland.
