Surrey Homes | SH30 | April 2017 |Gardens supplement inside

WT Garden Supplement
hairy bittercress
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have you wetting the bed if you eat it. Try using the
young shoots sparingly to add a little chicory-esque
piquancy to a warm salad of duck confit - the results
are stunning! Also the effort taken in digging out the
long roots will be well rewarded if, after a quick scrub
they are baked until black and brittle, then ground
to make a caffeine free alternative to fresh coffee.
Though there are many more to choose from, hairy
bittercress cardamine hirsuta (the name belies its edible
qualities) completes my gourmet trinity of spring weeds.
They pop up just about anywhere on bare ground and
produce distinctive florets of cress shaped leaves. The
young growth has a wonderfully peppery tang, almost
identical to the cultivated cress of windowsill fame.
Fresh or cooked, bittercress will give a wild kick to all
sorts of dishes including salads, tarts and pasta dishes.
Welcome then to the enlightened world of
weeding, where with the prospect of a good meal
every pull is a pleasure, every dig delight!
Please remember that the correct identification
of edible plants is vital! Use a decent field guide,
or search the web using a plant’s Latin name, for
information and images from reputable web sites.
Michael White is a foraging and self sufficiency
expert who heads the business ‘Rural Courses’.
To contact him, or to find out more about the
courses he runs please visit ruralcourses.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
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