Even while on holiday our chef Adam Clark has been rustling through bushes, treetops and hedgerows to see what food he can forage. He's very happy indeed with what he turned up ….
Black mustard flowers: We use these in some salads, especially with meat dishes. You can eat the young leaves, though shredding them finely is advisable as they could be a little course and overpowering. The flowers pack a very strong mustard punch and can be deceptive. When you take your first bite, the flavour starts off delicately but can come on quite strong. They are quite delicious though!
Wild strawberries: Wow! I've found not one, but three three different places where I can harvest these little beauties and says they are quite a delicacy. My dad has them growing along the fence in his driveway and I've also found them growing on some Cornish stone walls near Trevaunance Cove - a quite beautiful setting near woodland. They taste great on their own, and if you can get enough, you can make a flavoured vinegar for salads.
My first Cornish fig tree! Never seen them in this country before. They are still quite green at the mo but the leaves were very impressive and I kept one for the beach to keep me covered! Then there was a beautiful cherry tree, very colourful and inspiring. Then I had a good look at the hedgerow apples.Crab apples are great for me too as I start to think of all the jams and jellies that I will be making over the next couple of months. I’ll start with some berry ones, then will move onto apple, then rosehip. Exciting times for a cook!
