With Gidleigh Park in Devon currently closed, its talented head chef, Chris Eden, has more time on his hands than usual this spring. Now at home and taking up his new role as food tech teacher to his young son Lucas, currently being home schooled alongside the rest of the nation, Chris is looking to make the most of any trip taken from home to exercise and get fresh air, to set up activities for the day ahead.
With one of the UK’s best foraging bounties about to come into its own, Chris and Lucas have already managed to collect wild garlic on walks, easily found in countryside spots in their neighbourhood. Chris has shared a simple recipe to make a wild garlic soup that all kids can master, which can also be used to create delicious risotto or pasta dishes.
Found in shady spots across the UK from mid-March until early May, wild garlic is prolific across the UK and delicious. Native to Britain, it’s also known as Bear leek, Bear’s garlic, Broad-leaved garlic and Wood garlic and is a bulbous perennial flowering plant that can grow to heights of 50cm. Identified by its distinctive smell, long pointed leaves and white flowers which bloom at the end of the season, both the leaves and flowers are edible. Foragers should avoid picking plants with large amounts of large flowers, as this indicates older leaves which are likely to be slightly woody and bitter in flavour.
"With all the kids being home schooled at the moment, collecting and preparing wild garlic is an easy and delicious activity, that shouldn’t put anyone at risk, but can teach a lot about seasonality and cooking. A quick walk out in your family group will not only give the kids a burst of fresh air, but set you up for a delicious day ahead"
Enjoy as soup, or it’s also great stirred into pasta or risotto. Wild Garlic can also be substituted for Three Cornered Leek, also easily foraged in the UK.
Ingredients
75g butter
1 diced onion
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
300g of wild garlic, or three cornered leek
200ml milk
2 litres of water/stock
Season to taste
Details
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 20 minutes
Method
Sweat the diced onion in butter for about five mins until nice and soft
Add the potatoes and cook for a further two minutes, then add the water or a vegetable stock, bring to the boil, and cook until the potatoes are soft
Add the wild garlic or three cornered leek and cook for a further 3-5 mins, add 200ml milk, blend, and serve
If you’d like to keep some for another day, cool the soup as quickly as possible to help keep its colour – dropping ice packs into the soup is a good way if you have them
