The wildfood season is really kicking off big time this year, at the moment we have on offer: Wild Leek Baubles, Sea Beet/Spinach, Rock Samphire, Wild Pennywort, Hogweed, Ground Elder, Nettles & Wild Garlic which is a record for this time of year and it’s great to see some of the more obscure ones being taken up by places I would not have expected to even take the usual ones. This week we are happy to start our seaweed season with Sea Grass, Mermaids Hair, Sea Spaghetti & Sea Purslane (none of it picked by myself as it’s a cold, wet and boring job and I would likely fall into the sea to a watery grave given my track record in the wild). If you would like to know more or would like some recipe ideas please give me a call (don’t worry they will not be my recipes, I will have stolen them from another chef). After the first week of May the sweet cicely and spruce shoots should be on the go.
The mushroom section got a bit of a lift this week with the arrival of some Scottish St. Georges mushrooms albeit only 14kg of them! However we can expect to get more in and I can’t wait for the first of the Chicken of the Woods to appear. It is incredible to think we will probably have the first of the Scottish Girolles around mid June! We still have super expensive morels, pied de mouton and trompette for those of you with deep pockets.
Other produce currently available: Samphire, Purple Frizzy Leaf, Mescalin Mix, Broad beans, Peas in Pod, Sea Lettuce, Oca Tuber, Baby Artichokes, Jerusalem Artichokes, Parsley Root, Chestnuts, Golden Turnip, Small golden turnips, Wet Garlic, Purple, White and Yellow Carrots, Heritage Tomatoes, White Asparagus, Salsify, Ratte Potatoes, Highland Burgundy, Yukon Gold, Purple pots, Cevenne Onions, Grelot Onions, Roscoff Onions, Romanesco, Swiss Chard, Golden and Candy Beetroot.
The fruit section however is much more interesting with four world class products in it -Green Figs (Back to Brazil for the season), Alphonso Mango, Rhubarb , Amalfi Lemons, Seasonal Pea, Moscatel Grapes. I have decided this year not to stock the Gariguette strawberry, I have stocked this every year and lost money on it every year due to the shocking shelf life. Also, it always smells better than it tastes. That being said if you would like some I would be more than happy to order it in for you.
Take care
Andy
(Our Scottish Wild foods & foraging guru )