I escaped London and went up to the lake district with my parents and brother for a long Easter weekend, the hustle and bustle and many, many people of London can be fun and exciting but can also get quite overwhelming so I like to get out and into the countryside as much as I can. I feel more balanced in the countryside (although time of work probably helped with that too).
There is a very lovely walk in the Eden Valley that my mum and I did on Good Friday, it has lots to see on the way and very conveniently a lovely little mill café half way around. For a couple of months in spring the woods you walk through along the bank of the River Eden are filled with wild garlic at this time of year the leaves are young and fresh but as the warmer weather comes and they become more established the wood is filled with the heady scent of garlic that can totally overwhelm your nose.
Wild Garlic is only around for a couple of months of the year (Late March to Early May) and grows mainly in shady wooded areas. It can be eaten raw, added to salads, pesto, generally replace garlic in quick cook dishes. I would recommend wiping the leaves down with a damp piece of kitchen roll before use, just in case.
When I’m not at home with all of my kitchen equipment and store cupboard I like to keep things simple and the below recipe is a miracle for me – only 3 ingredients! It really allows the garlic to shine through, is really quick and easy to make with no real equipment required and a perfect snack post walk, side dish or salad accompaniment.
Wild Garlic and Goats Cheese Patties
Makes 6 small patties – enough for a snack for 2.
- A handful of wild garlic (7 leaves ish)
- 100g of soft goats cheese of your choosing
- 6 boiled new potatoes
Slice the new potatoes and add to a bowl along with the crumbled goats cheese and chopped leaves (its easiest to chop them with scissors) and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roughly mash it all together and shape into 6 small patties. Add to a frying pan on a medium high heat with a small knob of butter or a teaspoon of oil. Fry on each side for 2 mins until golden and crispy.
The Lake District and Eden Valley are as beautiful as ever but the horrendous floods they experienced in December are still having a huge impact of communities, there are many houses that families still cant move back in to, many businesses that are fighting with insurance companies in order to be able to fund repair work. As so much of the areas income is dependent on tourism the best thing you can do to help is go and visit this beautiful area (with all its amazing food and producers) but there is also a flood recovery appeal you can donate to if you would like to help.
http://www.cumbriafoundation.org/ways-to-give-new/cumbria-flood-appeal-2015
Fruits, Roots & Shoots 