The Elder the Better – these perfumed beauties will drive you wild!

Whilst driving to Rudding Park this morning I was struck by the beautiful elderflowers in full bloom outside the front gates and thought it was time to get snap happy and capture the moment.

Elderflower in all its glory

Let me tell you, there is no better way to start work than with the smell of sweet elderflower in your system! So let’s get jiggy with it and bounce these floral power houses into a dish to dazzle and delight the family.

I’m pretty sure everyone loves elderflower cordial, in fact I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who doesn’t! So how is it made? Please view my recipe here.

However it is not all perfume and flowers Wild Cooks, the perfect accompaniment with a lovely glass of iced cordial is a piece of mint shortbread. I have had to walk over hot coals for this recipe and it is definitely the best shortbread I have ever eaten, with a secret and very unexpected ingredient. Click here for the recipe.

The two together make a refreshing snack ideal for a very hot day- lets hope we get chance to use it hey?! But if not the cordial keeps well in the fridge when opened and the biscuits keep for a week or two in an airtight container.

The flower power is here, alive and well in the grounds of Rudding Park!

Peace and love!

Steph x

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That Raspberry Blower!

Dear Wild Cooks

Yippee I have just seen a wonderous amount of wild raspberries in the golf course woods here at Rudding Park. I filled my basket to the brim to bring you a quick and easy summery recipe to set those taste buds tingling with red fruit summer joy.

You know it makes sense to pay homage to the brilliant raspberry. For me there is nothing quite like finding some wild raspberries and making a quick raspberry pie. Pietastic!  

Follow this easy recipe for the best pie pastry . You can then fill your pie with whatever you like, raspberries, rhubarb, peaches, nectarines…you name your favourite!

Simply brush the pasty lid with with a beaten egg and cook at a moderate heat for 30 minutes for a golden ‘melt in the mouth’ pastry. If you have not already, why not take a look at our pie chart  to discover ‘what is good when’ in the world of fruit pies.

Who ate all the pies?!

Steph x

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Bloomin’ Marvellous Time at the Harrogate Flower Show!

Dear Wild Cooks,
 
Taking time to smell the roses is always a good thing in my book, so when I was approached to M.C and do a cooking demonstration at the Harrogate Flower Show I was delighted…roses, chefs and all!!

Rob gets me involved in his demo!

Robert Ramsden was as passionate as ever about Yorkshire food and brought some wonderful local and international produce along for his demonstration.

My Great British Menu compatriot, Tim Bilton, showed us how to cook John Dory in a lovely springtime recipe packed with flavour, and even used his own brand of olive oil and wine! 

Tim prepares his fennel and pea shoot salad

I found some great foraging finds in a fresh patch of woods at Rudding Park which went down really well at the show.

Have you ever tried edible flowers? There are some great ones around at the moment, such as borage flowers, chamomile, and chives. Remember to always check before eating that they are edible and not a protected species.

Flower power…!!

Steph x

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The 100th Blog! A Springtime Spiral Bowl of Forager’s Pasta

Wow, can you believe it is the 100th entry on The Wild Cooks’ Blog?

To celebrate this momentous milestone, here is a quick, easy and fun way to pack a forager’s punch into a bowl of springtime pasta. This meal is quick, vibrant, wild and an understated tasty dish!

Knaresborough is a small market town only a few miles from Rudding Park.  Down by the river there is an abundance of  nettles, ground ivy, dandelion, sticky weed and wild garlic and I also managed to source hawthorn “bread and cheese” leaves which will add a sharp twist to our springtime spirals of pasta.

I went for a walk (avoiding the paths less travelled by our four legged friends!) and look what I came up with… 

Searching for my ingredients

 

Me picking the wild garlic

So, hot footing it back to the kitchen and a ½ hour of cooking produced a simple, lovely, springtime meal.

Lots of wild food finds!

Foraged finds and tips:

Nettles – ouch! Remember they still have their sting until cooked!
Wild garlic
Hawthorn leaves (otherwise known as ‘bread and cheese’)
Sticky weed (known as Goose Grass – remember as a kid throwing it on your friends’ jumpers and watching it stick!)
Dandelion
Ground ivy (this is not to be mixed up with ivy which is not edible – look for the tiny purple flowers and the hoof like leaves for ground ivy)

“Bread and Cheese” – Hawthorn Leaves

Please have a look at our recipe.

Wild food is brilliant fun – always remember to make sure you know what you are picking, some wild food can be dangerous to eat.

Happy Foraging!

Steph x 

Foraged Pasta Delight!

 

 

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