Thursday 20 April 2017

Green and Smelly!

Col's brother helps a friend with clearing dead wood from a small woodland and he happened to mention that he didn't like doing it at this time of year because of the strong smell of garlic. My ears pricked up " Is it  Wild Garlic?" I asked. "I don't know" he said " but it's very Green and Smelly!"
Ramsons/wild garlic doesn't grow in many places in Suffolk, I think on the whole we are too dry.So I was very excited to hear about this place. I asked him if he could dig up a bucket full for me to plant somewhere here and last weekend he remembered to take a spade and arrived with this lot.

I've filled the bucket with water and hope to be able to plant some out later, and  made pesto with some of the leaves too using walnuts rather than pine nuts  as they are so much cheaper and in the cupboard already.

 I love pesto...........Colin doesn't! I Like garlic..........Colin doesn't! Hey Ho!

Back Soon
Sue

15 comments:

  1. It's such a gorgeous colour! We made ours last week and I noticed on our walk yesterday that it is only just beiginning to flower here. I didn't realise it wasn't widely available - there's plenty of damp woodland here. I do hope you manage to plant it out ok and that you enjoy your pesto. X

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  2. Fantastic! I'm so glad you got some. A couple of years down the line and ours is spreading out nicely - the only trouble is that it's about to be hidden beneath the cow parsley now! Enjoy that pesto.

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  3. I have wild garlic grows wild in my garden. I have never thought of using walnuts, and like you we always have them to make the Pesto

    Julie xxxxxx

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  4. I have some wild garlic in the garden that I constantly forget to look at. I love pesto too but I think I would have to use pine nuts as I love those, too.

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  5. we love wild garlic and have transplanted lots of groups around the place, I dehydrated some the other week to use when its not around, hope it takes for you

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  6. Where we are, that looks like our wild leeks or ramps. Is it the same, do you know? We're in the U.P. Of Michigan, USA. Last year was the first year we went scavaging for them and found quite a bit. The woods were full of them. They didn't last long before they were swallowed up by the forest. Our ground is still frozen but maybe in another month we'll be able to dig for them. Enjoy yours!

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    1. I looked them up and it says Ramps are the North American species of wild onion, Ramsons are closer related to Chives. So both Alliums and similar but not the same.

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  7. There is quite a long hill on the edge of some woodland along the road we have to travel to the big town and oh the wild garlic...I always have to open the window to smell it. There is masses of it.
    ....and yet I don't like pesto. Isn't that funny-x-

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  8. love pesto love garlic too, what a great find.

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  9. Here in central Ontario, our ramps are just about ready. You mention that in N.America, they are members of the wild onion family. Either way, they are yummy! We use our pesto as a homemade pizza sauce rather than tomato. When my dad was young, he and his brother would get eating the ramps in their bush, and my grandma would make them sleep in the barn that night, they smelled so strong!
    I really enjoy your blog,
    Marie

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  10. We passed loads of wild garlic on our walk yesterday, but not sure if we can pick it or not.

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  11. Great - glad you got some, and enough to cook with too. I hope they grow well in their new home.

    Keith is like Col - he HATES Garlic. It's been nearly a cause for divorce many a time!!

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  12. What is your recipe Sue? Do you use the leaves or flowers or both? Thanks.

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  13. Lucky you, it's one thing I've not found in our woodland. I'd love to try and get some in one day. In the meantime we know of a source on the way to Llandudno so we pick enough to freeze up a batch of pesto each year. The woods smell delicious as we walk the dogs through them.

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