Blackberry Leaf Salad

The Guardian recently reported in an article on hedgerow foraging that blackberry leaves "taste just like blackberries and can be added to fruit salad". Ian and Suzie recently tested this theory out by sampling leaves straight from the bush, and can report that blackberry leaves taste absolutely nothing like blackberries, but actually taste like chewy bitter leaves, and will not be gracing our dinner tables in an unusual fruit salad.

Fancy an Oyster?

We're doing quite a bit of botanical and other ecological survey work at the moment through one of our trading subsidiaries - Arc (this is how we fund parts of our organization and work). Amongst the many other interesting things to spring up on a particular bit of old and abandoned arable farmland currently awaiting development were dozens of plants of this beautiful thing: Tragopogon porrifolius or Salsify. It's just a big dandelion in many ways but with striking purple flowers that open and close during the course of the day. It's a naturalized Mediterranean species and widely cultivated and eaten as a delicacy elsewhere. It's also called the Oysterplant because the root apparently has just that taste. These scrawny feral ones wouldn't taste much of anything I shouldn't think, but the big fat pampered ones have fleshy white roots that can be prepared and cooked in all manner of ways in all manner of dishes. It is also said to ' splendidly deosbtruent ' (a word that means exactly what you think it means) so don't say I didn't warn you.

National Be Nice to Nettles Week - 16th to 27th May

Nettles have got a bad reputation known in the main for their formidable sting! However did you know that the nettle is one of the most important plants for wildlife in the UK?

Recent research has revealed the cause of the sting to be from three chemicals – a histamine that irritates the skin, acetylcholine which causes a burning sensation and serotonin, that encourages the other two chemicals.

The power of the sting actually makes the nettle’s leaves a haven for over forty species of insect, defending them against grazing animals. Nettle patches are also host to swarms of aphids a great source of food for ladybirds and birds in early spring.

Stinging nettle leaves are tasty and full of nutrients - lovely in tea and soup. Hooray for the humble, yet ferocious nettle. For more info on all things nettle-y see www.nettles.org.uk.
Be nice to nettles - we are.

Lady Ridley's Nettle Soup

Why not try Lady Ridley's nettle soup recipe? Let us know what you think or tell us your own favourite nettle recipe.

Ingredients:

1 lb potatoes
½ lb young nettles
2 oz butter
1½ pts chicken or vegetable stock
sea salt & black pepper
4 tablespoons sour cream

Method:

Cook the peeled, chopped potatoes for 10 mins in salted water. Drain.

Wash & chop coarsely the nettles (Only pick the new, young tops,using gloves!)

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the nettles and stew gently for a few minutes. Add the potatoes and heated stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until tender.

When all is soft, cool slightly & purée in a blender, adding seasoning and the sour cream.

I hope you enjoy the nettle soup. The hardest work is picking the nettles. Half a pound is a lot of small leaves, but it is fun to do, in season, once a year.

THE VISCOUNTESS RIDLEY