Wild Resources Stock-Taking

I am currently working with chef Chrisoffer Hruskova on this event.

Although much of our eventual menu wont materialise until we actually start foraging, I thought it would be a good idea to give Chris and idea of some of the resources that will be at his disposal come the end of April so he can do some planning. This is an interesting snapshot of the constantly changing range of wild food resources that are around us all the time. People joining us for the event itself will encounter many of these before eating them in the evening. The list comprises:

• 115 freshly foraged plants, fungi, seaweed and a few “safe” shellfish
• 29 preserved, processed or frozen wild foods (including some roe deer haunches)

There is also a list of great locally reared meats and some of my favourite Galloway produce. I will post the actual menu that arises from this abundance in a month or so.

What a generous part of the world this is!

Key:

* = Wild foods that I will forage myself from the further reaches of Galloway

? = Uncertain availability at time of writing

?? = Very uncertain availability

Many of the wild foods listed here are described in greater detail elsewhere on this website. Check out the wild food guide or use the search box to learn more.

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Woodland/hedgerow species – Fresh:

Alliums: 3 corner leek*, wild garlic, few-flower leek* – flowers, leaves, shoots, bulbs and seeds(?)

Wood sorrel – leaf and flower

Common sorrel, sheep sorrel

Saxifrage

Hairy/wavy bittercress

Cuckoo flower – flowers and leaves

Greater cuckoo flower – leaves and flowers (?)

Garlic mustard

Plantains – ribwort, greater, hoary (also sea and buckshorn – see coastal section)

Archangel leaves

Water mint

Reedmace shoots and roots

Arsesmart(?)

Nettle

Lesser celandine

Dandelion leaves, roots, flowers

Hawkweed

Cleavers/goosegrass

Yarrow

Spignel

Hogweed shoots

Cow parsley

Sweet cicely

Ground elder

Pig nut (?)

Fool’s watercress (pie cress)

Angelica shoots

Japanese knotweed

Bistort leaves

Silverweed leaves/roots

Fat hen

Primrose leaves/flowers

Broom flower/buds

Gorse flower/buds

Watercress

Hawthorn flowers, leaves

Blackthorn, cherry, apple blossoms (?)

Scarlet elf cup (?)

Dryad’s saddle (?)

Velvet shank (?)

Oyster mushrooms (?)

Reindeer moss (lichen)

St Georges Mushroom (?)

Birch leaves, twigs and possibly still some fresh sap (??)

Douglas fir/ sitka spruce buds

Pennywort

Pink purslane

Ladies mantle

Bush vetch

Bog myrtle (sweet gale) leaves*

Meadowsweet leaves

Chickweed

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Coastal species – Fresh

Sea kale shoots, florets (?), flowers (??)

Orache (salty sea-spinach) leaves

Common mallow leaves

Sea sandwort shoots

Sea beet leaves

Rock samphire (?)

Wall pepperwort

English stonecrop (?)

Sea radish leaf

Laver (nori)

Gutweed

Channel wrack

Sugar kelp

Bladder wrack

Sea lettuce (?)

Wild thyme

Sea campion leaves, flowers (??)

Scots lovage* (?)

Oyster plant* (??)

Sea arrowgrass (Coriander grass)

Sea aster leaves

Scurvy grass leaves, flowers, seeds

Sea rocket leaves

Sea purslane leaves* (?)

Sea plantain

Buckshorn plantain

Spoot clams

Cockles (?)

Native oysters (??)

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My stock of preserved wild foods

Pickled girolle

Girolle, winter chanterelle, hedgehog fungi preserved in olive oil with truffle

Pickled marsh samphire

Pickled hogweed seeds

Frozen sloes (not very many)

Frozen rosehips (not very many)

Sea buckthorn vodka

Sloe gin

Damson gin

Elderberry vinegar (v sweet and thick)

Pontack (elderberry vinegar, not so sweet/thick, with spices)

Crab apple jelly/cheese

Crab apple and sea buckthorn jelly/cheese

Bramble and sweet cicely jam (not much)

Sea buckthorn gel, frozen (not much)

Laver – in 3 ways: cooked and frozen, dried fresh, cooked and dried as “crisps”

Dried elderflowers

Chestnut flour

Dried cep

Dried lichen (reindeer moss)

Dried jelly ear

Dried woodruff

Pickled walnuts

Birch syrup (if I get round to tapping in the next 2 weeks!)

Two roe deer haunches

Galloway Produce – I need min 2 weeks notice to source some of these

Meat:

Belted Galloway beef – any cut

Black Galloway beef (organic) – any cut

Galloway salt marsh lamb (blackface) – any cut

Blackface lamb/mutton (organic)

Galloway – reared pork – any cut (bacons, hams etc)

Tamworth/Gloucester Old Spot/saddleback Galloway reared pork

Roe deer

Red deer

Fallow deer (?)

Hare (?)

Rabbit (?)

Galloway goat (?)

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Fish – I have not listed any that are not a wild, local, sustainable catch. Notice required.

Wigtown Bay (WB) wild sea bass

WB plaice/dab/flounder

WB pollack

WB grey mullet

Brown crab

Lobster

Hand dived scallops (?)

Creel-caught langoustine (?)

Solway brown shrimp (?)

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Other Interesting Galloway Produce

Locharthur Criffel cheese (a strong, soft organic cheese – truly excellent)

Locharthur organic farmhouse cheddar

Locharthur organic butter, yogurt

Locharthur organic soft goat & ewe’s cheeses

Galloway smoked/unsmoked hard goats/ewe’s cheese

Smoked chicken

Smoked eggs

Smoked duck

Smoked venison

Smoked white fish (pollack usually)

Galloway made organic sourdough and rye breads

Galloway honey
I can also source in season organic (mostly Galloway grown) veg including some heritage varieties – ask me if you have something in mind