A NEW column by Otley 2030 about the small and simple changes we can make to reduce our carbon footprint and save money too.

Week 7: Food for Free!

Good for the pocket, good for the planet – there are many plants you can find and eat right here in your garden or local woodland.

Richard Mabey wrote the book, ‘Food for Free’ in 1972 and it’s never been out of print. There are now lots of books showing you how to identify, pick, cook and eat direct from nature’s larder.

This could be shoots, leaves, flowers, roots, berries, nuts or fungi and there’s no need to look any further than your garden, allotment, or local woods.

Flowers, Weeds or Food?

1) Dandelion or Lion’s Tooth (Taraxacum officinale)

We all know these sunny yellow flowers, but dandelions are probably best known as a caffeine-free coffee substitute, made from the root. The flowers and leaves can enliven a salad or be made into dandelion tea or wine and the whole plant can be eaten. There are more than 50 ways to enjoy dandelions as sweets, skin creams or home remedies.

2) Wild garlic or Bear’s Leek (Allium ursinum)

From March until June, woodlands are filled with the scent of wild garlic. Easy to identify, it has bright green leaves, and an unmistakable ‘garlicky’ perfume when rubbed. Washed and chopped raw leaves can be added to a salad, whizzed into a pesto, blended into a soup, or steamed like spinach. The white flowers are also edible and decorative.

Wild garlic pesto recipe:

100g wild garlic leaves, washed

50g of parmesan or vegan nutritional yeast

50g toasted pine nuts.

1-2tbs of olive oil.

Lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients in a pestle or processor and keep in an airtight container. Home-made pesto at a fraction of the price!

3) Common bistort aka Easter Giant (Polygonum bistorta), which makes Dock pudding: A Yorkshire delicacy.

The leaves of common bistort are different to the ordinary dock, often used to calm nettle stings. Since April 1971, the Dock or Passion Pudding competition has taken place in Mytholmroyd, Calder Valley. This savoury pudding is made from bistort leaves, common nettle tops, onions, oatmeal and seasoning and is served as a breakfast side dish with a similar taste to laverbread.

Safe and Successful Foraging

If you’re new to foraging and want to learn more, attend a class online or in person until you feel more confident identifying edible plants. Don’t pick or eat anything you’re unsure of and seek the advice of a qualified herbalist.

Follow the wild food code for responsible foraging too: https://www.wildfooduk.com/foraging-code/. and only pick enough for personal consumption.

If you only make one change this week, connect with nature and try foraging.

To find out more about Otley 2030, go to www.otley2030.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram: @otley2030