Hello!
A big, sunshiney welcome to today’s newsletter.
I’ve been working on issue 125, our joy edition, which will come with an extensive guide to a summer of fun, with a festival guide and your chance to win tickets! Bag your copy here (will be sent out next month!).
Iris and I have been mainly outdoors in the sun this week. She’s very into sunscreen this year – we’ve found one that’s easy for her to apply herself, by Child’s Farm. I’m more of a cover-up when it’s really hot type person, seek shade in the middle of the day; a bit of sun exposure is good for you. But she loves wearing fewer clothes, and the whole ritual of applying sun lotion, so…
Oh, we were at Nymans earlier in the week and the magnolias are amazing right now – we collected some petals to make pickles. It’s the first time I’ve eaten them – they have a bitter, sweet taste, a little like ginger. Here’s a recipe for pickled magnolia petals.
It’s my sister’s birthday today and we’ve had some lush celebrations this week. Yesterday a women’s wild spa experience, and today a picnic on the rolling banks at Wakehurst Place, complete with two types of cake! Read on for more…
What We’ve Been Up To This Week
Foraging for Wild Garlic
How delicious is the wild garlic right now? The young leaves are so potent!
Here’s how to make your own wild garlic bread:
Pick some leaves, give them a good wash and leave to dry. You want around 50g of leaves to a pat of butter. Place the butter in a warm pot to soften. Chop the wild garlic really finely. Beat into the butter. Add a pinch of salt (even if butter is salted I find I want a little extra saltiness, but I love salt). Taste and add more wild garlic if you want a stronger flavour. Thinly slice a baguette almost all the way through so that the loaf retains its shape and you have slits all the way along. Add a knob of butter inside each slit. Wrap in silver foil and pop in a hot oven for 15 minutes (around 200ºC). Pull out, unwrap and savour the delicious smell. Makes a yummy addition to pasta and salad dinner. Enjoy!
Here’s what Fi and Kaz of the Seed Sistas have to say about Wild Garlic. “Allium ursinum is packed with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and heart-supporting properties. Like its cultivated cousin, garlic, it contains allicin, a sulphur-rich compound known for boosting immunity, reducing blood pressure, and supporting circulation. But unlike regular garlic, it offers a milder, greener flavour.” Find their recipe for wild garlic pesto here.
Oh, and check out Paul Robinson’s wild garlic kimchi recipe here - so good!
