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Wild Recipe: Tempura Battered Dandelions

Dandelion (aka Taraxacum officinale)

Today we are cooking tempura battered dandelions, a real Springtime treat. Famous as a garden weed, this yellow headed plant isn’t often noted for its fantastic healing properties but dandelions are a real gift from nature.

They are a natural anti-inflammatory, used in skincare to treat anti-aging and has a long history as a medicinal plant since the 11th century. Dandelions can provide a welcome boost to your immune system in Springtime. All parts of this special weed are edible. Today the root is used as a trendy substitute for coffee.springtime-foraging-wild-garlic-and-dandelions

Try this delicious recipe to add some freshly washed dandelions to your diet.

Tempura Battered Dandelions

What you will need: Freshly Foraged Dandelion heads (aim for between 15 – 20).

Batter Ingredients

  • 1 Large Egg
  • 125 g Plain Flour
  • 250 ml/1 Cup of very cold water or sparkling water

Aioli Dipping Sauce

  • 2 Egg yolks
  • 4 Tablespoons of White wine vinegar
  • 120 ml Olive oil
  • 3 Cloves of Garlic
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 2 teaspoons of sea salt

STEP 1
Prepare the batter. The key here is making sure that the water is very cold. Leave it in the freezer for a 2 or 3 minutes if you want. Add the egg to the water, now gently mix in the flour with a spoon until smooth.Heat the vegetable oil in a wok, deep saucepan or deep fat fryer to 180’c.

STEP 2tempura-battered-dandelions
Prepare the Dandelion heads by gently washing them, removing the stem and leaves. Pat them dry before using them.

STEP 3
Before you start cooking your flowers, prepare your aioli sauce. Mince the garlic, mix the egg yolk and vinegar, whisk in the olive oil, add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

STEP 4
Now is the exciting part. Heat a large portion of vegetable oil in a pot or wok. (Note: Never leave a pan of oil heating alone. Stay with the cooker until you are finished). Sprinkle your dandelion heads with flower, dip into the batter and drop into the hot oil for 2 minutes until they are golden brown. Only do a handful each time.

STEP 5
Sit back and enjoy this super weed snack.

To start planning your foraging adventures you can download a copy of our Foraging Workbook Planner here.

If you have any recipe tips or foraging knowledge to share we would love to hear from you.

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March 30, 2020 orchardsnearme Blog, fruit-recipe, wild recipe , ,
alexander-spring-rolls-wild-food-recip

Wild Food Recipe: Alexander Spring Rolls

These delicious snacks are a super healthy way to use your recently foraged treats and some of your staple fridge vegetables.

Alexanders are ripe for picking from April to June. These wonderful wild edible plants pop up everywhere. You will find them growing in park edges, forest edges and near coastal regions. It tastes like a mixture of celery and parsley, making it the perfect pairing for stir-fry’s and a lot of Asian dishes. If you are a vegetarian then you will welcome this addition to your vegetable list.spring-rolls-foraging

Try boiling the stems and leaves and making a substitute for pepper from the flower heads. The seeds are spicy acting as a healthy addition to your spice rack. You will see that many chefs use the roots, roasting them with a little olive oil and salt (as you would normally do with roasted carrots and parsnips).

Here is our little Alexander recipe for you to try out at home.

Alexander Spring Rolls

Spring Roll Wraps
2 cups of flour
2 tablespoons of corn starch
3/4 cup of very cold water
1 heaped teaspoon of salt
Tip: Once you have combined the ingrediants to form your dough leave it to the side for 20 minutes while you prepare your filling.

Spring Roll Fillingspring-roll-filling-orchards-near-me
Finely Chopped Alexender Leave
Finely chopped Alexander stems (about a handful)
1 bunch of wild garlic leaves
Red Chilli
Finely chopped yellow onion
Yellow pepper sliced finely
Diced cucumber
3 Tablespoons of Oyster Sauce
Salt and Pepper

To Prepare

  • Gently saute the filling ingredients in a hot pan for 10 minutes.
  • In a small bowl beat an egg.
  • Now make 8 dough balls from your wrapping mixture. Spend time rolling out each ball until it is as thin as you can get it.
  • Add the filling to the centre of your wrap.
  • Brush the rest of the inside with egg to help stick the wrap together and roll them up.

We hope that you have fun trying this wild recipe and sharing your Alexander Spring Rolls with friends.

To start planning your foraging adventures you can download a copy of our Foraging Workbook Planner here.

If you have been experimenting with foraged foods we would love to hear from you.

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March 26, 2020 orchardsnearme Blog, wild recipe ,
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Wild Food Recipe: Forest Pho

Do you want a taste of the forest? The fresh air, the wild garlic, the scent of pine, everything about the forest shouts discover and explore. This is exactly what we do when we cook with wild foods and embark on a foraging adventure.forest-pho-wild-food-recipe-orchards

Today we went to the woods and found the most delicious wild greens, fiddleheads, wild garlic, scarlet elf cups and jelly ears. Now we are ready to whip up a tasty bowl of pho to warm us up for the evening.

INGREDIENTS

foraging-for-wild-herbs

    • 1 bunch of Wild Garlic Leaves
    • A few leaves of wild mustard
    • Cleavers aka Sticky Willies
    • Fresh Ginger
    • Fiddleheads
    • Mushrooms (any kind will do but we used Jelly ears and Elf cups because we had some freshly picked)

 

  • 1 large onion
  • Peppercorns
  • Cloves
  • Chili Flakes
  • A pinch of cinnamon
  • Beef Stock
  • Noodleswild-herb-noodle-soup-foraging
  • Mint to garnish

Now you are ready to put your dish together and this couldn’t be easier. Saute the onion in a tablespoon of butter, add the wild garlic leaves

for two minutes. Now add the ginger, wild mustard and Fiddleheads. Stir gently for 1 minute. Add chili flakes, peppercorns and cinnamon. After another two minutes frying add the mushrooms. Now gently ladle the beef stock over the mixture, stirring as you pour. When your soup mix has boiled add the noodles.

I always have a few crackers on the side.

Now you are ready to serve and enjoy!

If you enjoyed this wild food recipes then you might also like to give our wild garlic pesto a try.

To start planning your foraging adventures you can download a copy of our Foraging Workbook Planner here.

Happy Foraging!

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March 19, 2020 orchardsnearme Blog, wild recipe , , ,
christmas-side-dishes-foraging-wild-food

3 Wild Christmas Dinner Side Dishes

‘Tis the season to be merry and wild. We are always experimenting with wild produce in the kitchen and Christmas dinner side dishes are a fun way to use some of your favourite winter greens.

Roasted Pine & Garlic Croquettes

homemade-croquettes-christmas-side-dish-orchards-near-me

Roasties and Christmas dinner go hand in hand. In Ireland we have every kind of potato imaginable on the plate. From mash to roasties to boiled to everything in between but by far my favourite are the fluffy potato croquettes. This delicious side dish takes a little bit of extra prep but it is worth every minute. Why not give roast potatoes on a bed of pine or spruce needles a try. This is an easy recipe that has all the smells of the holiday season and the tastes of the forest.

  • Ingredients: Potatoes, Freshly cut Pine tips, Breadcrumbs, 1 Egg, Flour, Oil, Butter and Sea Salt
  • Instructions: Wash and Par boil your chopped up potato squares. Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees. Melt two large spoons of butter in a pan and toss your potatoes into the pan. Lay your pine needles onto the tray. Cover the whole tray if you can. Now carefully place your boiled, buttery potatoes on top. Sprinkle salt and drizzle oil over the top. Enjoy!

Wild Winter Greens

Christmas dinner can often be heavy with stunning, potatoes and all of those carb filled treats. For a light, refreshing side try a wild green salad.

  • Ingredients: Ground Ivy leaves, Seabeat, Sloe Berries, Hairy Bittercress, Sorrel, Gorse Flowers, Dandelion leaves, dandelion roots, lemon and olive oil.
  • Instructions: Collect your edible winter greens fresh from the land around you. Wash the ground ivy leaves, bittercress, sorrel and dandelion leaves carefully. To prepare the dandelion roots scrub off the dirt and slice into small cubes. Oven bake the roots for 15 minutes. Remove all thorns from your gorse and only use the bright yellow petals. Mix your leaves together, sprinkle the berries, roasted roots and flowers. Add a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil.

Pickled Sea Radish and Red Cabbage

pickled-red-cabbage-cheese-board-side-dish

If you live near the coast than you will be spoilt for choice with wild green edibles. Sea Radish is one of our favourites as it is available throughout the year. This simple little recipe provides a tangy taste that goes well with your less fragrant vegetables. It takes a few days to pickle so be sure to prepare this one in advance.

  • Ingredients: Sea Radish pods, curly dock seeds, red cabbage, peppercorns and white wine vinegar.
  • Instructions: Wash all of the ingredients gently under warm water. Thinly slice up a 1/4 of the red cabbage in strips. Add all of the ingredients to a large jar and cover completely with the white wine vinegar. Close the jar tight and place in the fridge. Allow the pickling to work its magic for a few days. When you have chosen your cheese and wine, take out your wild pickle mix to go with them. This is a super easy, tasty treat to have as a snack at Christmas time. Surprise your guests and add an extra punch of flavour to your cheese board after dinner.

You will be ready for a true festive feast with these delicious Christmas side dishes. For more wild food inspiration you can find more recipes here.

To start planning your foraging adventures you can download a copy of our Foraging Workbook Planner here.

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December 18, 2019 orchardsnearme Blog, wild recipe , ,
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Wild Recipe: 3 Cosy Wild Tea Recipes for Winter

Nothing warms the heart like a hot cup of tea in the winter months. Sitting by the fire with a mug of your favourite wild tea will bring a smile to your evening. We love to forage for wild tea ingredients. From calming chamomile to energy boosting dandelions, there is inspiration everywhere in nature. Here are three of our favourite wild tea recipes to try out at home.

Sweet Rosehip Tea

Rosehips are a ripe winter fruit that contain large amounts of Vitamin C.

rosehip-tea-recipe

Dandelion Delights

This little yellow weed never fails to surprise us. We use the flower heads for tea, starter snacks and additions to our pies. The leaves and root can also be used in your wild dishes. Dandelions contain anti-oxidants and are said to reduce cholesterol and inflammation.

dandelion-tea-recipe

Soothing Yarrow Tea

Yarrow is a relaxing herb. It helps your muscles and improves blood circulation. Note: do not use this herb if you are on other medication or pregnant.

yarrow-tea-recipe

To learn more about Wild herbal teas and make some delicious blends you can download your own Wild Herbal Tea Recipe Collection.

For more information about foraging for wild tea ingredients contact the team or join us on one of our foraging experiences.

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December 4, 2019 Lisa Long Blog, foraging, wild recipe , ,
pickled-plantain-seeds-foraging-wild-food-orchards-near-me

Wild Recipe: Pickled Plantain Seeds

Ever thought about cooking with plantain? This common weed is full of nutrients and so versatile. We are having a lot of fun experimenting with this wild weed and cooking up some tasty wild recipes.

WHAT IS PLANTAIN?

Broadleaf Plantain (aka Plantago Major) is a common weed, medicinal plant and natural herb. It can now be found growing in most parts of the world. It contains vitamins A, C and K. The oval shaped leaves can be eaten raw and the seeds are packed full of nutritious benefits.

HOW TO PREPARE AND USE PLANTAIN

Leaves can be added to salads and all parts of the plant can be mixed in with your homemade vegetable soups. Plantain seeds can be used in salads, stir-fry’s and curries. Today we are making pickled plantain seeds.

INGREDIENTS

  • Red Cabbage
  • Coriander
  • White wine vinegar
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Curly dock Seeds
  • Plantain seeds
  • Chilli
  • Garlic

INSTRUCTIONS

Carefully wash all of the ingredients.

Use a pestal and mortar to grin the chili, garlic cloves and sugar together.

Finely chop two handfuls of red cabbage.

Add all of the ingredients to a large jar, throw the seeds on top of the mixture. Add a pinch of salt and pour white wine vinegar over the mixture until it is fully covered.

Leave the closed jar to ferment for two to three days in the fridge.

Enjoy your pickled plantain goodness! If you have more sweet or spicy plantain recipes we would love to hear from you. To start planning your foraging adventures you can download a copy of our Foraging Workbook Planner here.

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November 29, 2019 orchardsnearme Blog, foraging, wild recipe , , ,
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