WIld Garlic & Guinea Fowl Soup....Taste of Spring!

I am trying to think of how I am feeling right now after nearly an entire week of only eating greens from the hedgerows, the back fields, the forest floor and my little garden….

Most of what we have eaten are wild garlic (it’s in season right now) dandelion, nettle and the few little shoots coming up in the garden early in spring. We are getting some kale, sprouting broccoli, lots of fresh herbs such as parsley and lovage as well as some spring onion and a few small leeks.

Overall it is a very green diet! It compliments meat and fish wonderfully though and hardly even needs any other 'tastes' to go along with it. And of course, I am still wondering about all of this eating seasonally…

The starchy vegetables such as carrots, turnip, sweet potatoes and pumpkins are not available this time of year (unless forced to grow in hot houses) and from other places on the planet….so perhaps we might enjoy them later in the year.

Keeping this in mind (eating seasonally) maybe our guts do far better during the spring eating mainly greens as our main type of vegetable and less (or none) of the winter vegetables.

I know I certainly feel lighter in myself.

What is more though, is that I also feel as if I am far more in touch with the earth and her specific energy. What has changed or altered for me a little more is that I simply want to be outside….and it’s as if I am exploring the surroundings for the first time.

Again and again....with each year that passes I am learning or understanding nature more deeply. 

Today I made a Wild Garlic & Guinea Fowl stew….I placed an entire guinea fowl in the slow cooker with some lard from goat meat and water…then added in about 3 cups of chopped wild garlic, sage, salt and pepper.

This was on low for several hours until the meat was falling off the bones and very tender. I removed the meat from the bones and put it all back into the pot. But then added some brown lentils, nettle and a few dandelion leaves….oh and an onion!

This all cooked together for another half an hour…it is so simple – pure flavour and delicious! 

April

Wild Garlic & Guinea Fowl Stew

Spirit Of Nature – Wild Food Foraging

This spring (and most springs) I do my best to use the local, fresh wild foods growing around me – it’s one of the main reasons I choose to live in the country. There is an abundance of clean water as well as lots to harvest at any time of the year.

This weekend is the May Day holiday – for me it has been celebrated already with a fire ceremony on Wednesday – but the weekend will be nice too. The way I am choosing to honour the spirit of this month of Bealtaine this year is to….

Bring more of the Spirit of Nature back into our bodies – and I plan on doing this by completely wild foraging our greens for the next few days. I actually have next to no vegetables in the house right now and will not be buying anything…..

They are over-rated anyway!!! LOL But, I am quite serious here….

So….as you may have guessed, I have been foraging quite a bit already this spring. Finding nearly anything and everything that is edible around me (nettle, dandelion, wild garlic, sorrel) – both in my garden as well as growing wild.

I am now hoping to take this a little bit further afield so to speak – and see what else I can find close by that will fit nicely with our meat or fish over these coming days.

Basically the challenge is to find enough greens (wild) to accompany meals for 4 people, 2 dogs and one ‘I’ll try anything once’ (just once) cat. The rest of the animals are already great at foraging out in the back garden…

Besides, the birds do it – and they manage. You can even raise a fully grown horse on grass and pasture…so at the very least, we should be able to find enough for a few days to supplement our meals, and make a tasty diversion!

Either way… eating like this has got me thinking (once again!) about this entire vegetable growing/eating, get your 5-a-day mentality. If we were eating wild harvest, even some of the time – you don’t need 5-a-day….

These plants are so rich and abundant in minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients, energy and spirit – we hardly need anything else. It’s no wonder we are all so depleted – eating vegetables and fruits grown in hot houses, under plastic, and devoid of nature is not, well, natural.

Our guts are not designed for that kind of lifeless food (it’s not really living is it?) and our tissues are waiting in hope for something real, natural and wild. This leaves a whole lot to consider with regards to this supermarket lifestyle we are encouraged to follow…

April

Does she look like she is smiling to you?? Me too!!

Return of Life - In the Garden

At the end of this week there is a feast - Imbolc - one of our most wonderful celebrations and in many ways the beginning of the season for us. It is the signal of the Celtic spring and a festival of ewe's milk apparently.

It appears to have had it's origins in the return of lambing, milk and the early rites of spring - so, naturally to follow on from that the best foods to enjoy this coming weekend would be lamb, sheeps and goat's cheese and early spring vegetables.

Right now I am busy planning our menu for each day - making this the most fun time of my entire fast! LOL. We are all looking forward to moving on from this fast and can't wait to eat and shift into this next phase.

One of the most important aspects of this time of year has to do with the return of life - both inside and outside of our bodies. As with the earth, our guts' should also be coming back from it's semi-dormant state with gut bacteria flourishing.

Spiritually this is a time of awakening - animals are bred and expecting baby goats and lambs, the earth is expecting new growth and is busy sending up the first shoots towards the lightening sky. The days are growing longer and we can get going with our kitchen gardens.

There is not a better time of year to plan and contemplate life as it swirls around us. Perhaps in ancient times after the long dark days of winter have shortened with the promise of spring to come - such a re-awakening as this needed it's own special day.

Then again - it's a few weeks since Solstice and Yule Season - it's about time for another celebration....cakes and cookies (all sugar free!) are on the agenda this week. I will keep you posted on my progress.

April

Oregano in the garden