Spring’s Sudden Bounty: Foraging and Feasting in the UK
- Martin Hesp
- 23 hours ago
- 8 min read
A Salad Transformed by the Garden
One day this week, returning from a supermarket with a couple of lettuces, a cucumber, some tomatoes and a bag of watercress, I wandered into our somewhat neglected garden and picked wild garlic, parsley, spinach and mint. And my goodness, didn’t they improve that evening’s salad! The quick forage lifted our bowl of healthy delights from being a fairly plain affair to the kind of salad we were eating in those fancy French Michelin restaurant’s I was writing about recently.
And the upgrade was free. Which is a welcome thing in a world where a basic cucumber in a cut-price supermarket now costs £1. Wow! A quid for a cuke! If it wasn’t here before, the time has definitely arrived when we need to box clever when it comes to the things we put on the table.
Just a couple of minutes picking and one minute’s chopping, and job done. Quick, simple and delicious. It’s just a matter of getting into the habit and going the extra mile - or, in my case, the extra 20 metres.
Spring in the West Country represents a sudden and very welcome greening of the larder. For over 20 years I’ve been writing about seasonal delights in this newspaper and this week I’ve been looking back over some of the foodie articles I have penned in April, May and June. Here’s the pick of the bunch…
The Squeak of the Spear (Fresh English Asparagus)
You do not need me to tell you that fresh asparagus represents one of the crowning glories of the English food year. Grab it while you can, is the motto. No other vegetable offers quite such a bang for your bucks. It might not be the cheapest item at the greengrocer’s, but it does offer good value for money if you value flavour over weight.
“Don’t buy asparagus unless you can hear it squeak,” I was told by one Somerset asparagus farmer. “That’s the best way to tell if it’s fresh. With the best will in the world, the stuff from places like Spain cannot be as fresh as this.”
The spears from his fields did indeed squeak with freshness, having been picked just an hour or so before.
And a little bit goes a long way, especially if you ignore the usual advice and utilise those lower stalks people normally throw in the compost. A modern high-powered blender will knock seven bells out of those woody ends and you can use the resultant puree to flavour stocks for soups or risottos. The important thing is to pass the finished slow-cooked stock through a fine sieve to extract any fibrous bits.
With asparagus, best to keep things simple. Why would you want to add anything else? All I add is butter and maybe just a little pepper and salt with the tiniest squeeze of lemon. If I’m just spoiling myself and my wife, I’ll go for a plain bowl of the stuff - no cutlery, just fingers and a glass of dry but fruity white wine. Perhaps the most simple way to prepare asparagus it is to put it into a roasting tin, pour a little olive oil over it with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt. Shake and roast for a few minutes, depending on the thickness - and prepare yourself for one of those sensual experiences which make life worth living.
Deliciously Dirty: The Cornish Early (New Potatoes)
If the South West is the first place in Britain in which you can buy a fresh picked strawberry, then the west of Cornwall is the place for the finest new potatoes to be found in mainland Britain. Cornwall’s mild climate and the influence of the Gulf Stream make the western part of the county particularly suitable for growing the mainland’s first new potatoes of the season, which most locals would swear are infinitely superior to any imported spuds.
To test if a potato is a genuine Cornish Early, gently rub the skin with a fingernail - it should rub off easily. Many so-called new potatoes on sale in shops are imposters - either grown in countries like Egypt, Israel, or Cyprus, then kept in cold storage. The Cornish Early is sold dirty and unwashed to protect its delicate skin and texture.
As a farmer called Jeff Thomas once said to me while standing in a field with a view of Land’s End: “Get some new Cornish potatoes with a bit of Cornish butter, salt, pepper and a bit of mint… Magic. It’s like eating truffles.”
Hedgerow Bounty (Wild Garlic and Spring Foraging)
Chief among pickable and delicious things to eat in the hedgerows right now is wild garlic, or ramsons. In fact, we’re overrun with the stuff here in Exmoor’s eastern valleys. This pungent plant will have unfurled its single flower stalk by now, which means it’s the ideal time to pick both the leaves and the petals before everything turns brown.
A quick 20-minute walk in my valley can easily supply me with enough wild greenery to make all manner of delicious dishes.
Wild garlic makes a superb form of pesto. Basically, what you need is a fistful of herbs, a smaller amount of nuts, some hard cheese, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Within seconds you will have a small cupful of the closest your garden will ever get to producing rocket-fuel - at least, in the flavour stakes.
Glint of Green on the Slab (Samphire and Coastal Foraging)
There was a glint of green in the fishmongers’. That was all it took for me to do a double take while wandering through Lyme Regis one day. When you see the colour green lurking on a fishmonger’s slab, it probably means the shopkeeper is selling samphire.
This is marsh samphire, sometimes known as glasswort. When you see it sprouting around estuaries in the wild, it looks a bit like a miniature desert cacti, and it is delicious. It’s almost impossible to describe its flavour and texture. The closest I can get is - a bit like salty asparagus served in a crunchy jelly that has bite. Be warned: it often grows in protected areas, but if you very carefully snip the very tips off with a pair of scissors all your are doing is emulating the chomping action of a salt-march sheep. You won’t be doing ay harm and you do not need much - fill an empty crisps bag and you’ll have enough.
You can also find plenty of rock samphire growing around West Country sea-cliffs and it is equally tasty, but I prefer to pickle that particular delicacy.
Read an article dedicated to estuary foraging here
Whether you pick or buy samphire, you must wash it, making sure any sand is cleaned away. I then steam it briefly - for a minute or two - before tossing in a bowl with butter, black pepper and several squeezes of lemon. You will not need any salt, because samphire comes ready-salted. If you really want to impress your friends, flash-fry fillets of West Country sea-bass, mackerel or red mullet and place them artistically upon a pile of the peppered and lemony samphire.
The Al-Fresco Revival (Spring Picnics and Outdoor Dining)
It’s a strange thought, but we are not so many dawns away from Midsummer Day. In the mind of your average foodie, this can translate to what is potentially the best meal in the world… The humble picnic.
I’ve written about dining al fresco on many occasions, but for me the most memorable was a picnic I enjoyed in an old sand-quarry in the heart of Provence. The very quarry, indeed, where they used to get the sand for making the iconic green Perrier water bottles.
It was hot, the food was delicious, the rose wine was perfect, and the company was wonderful. The sort of day you remember for decades.
I know a few people who do not relish a picnic, but not many. There is something magical about sitting on the ground in the middle of nature consuming food that has, more-or-less, already been prepared.
Read more about picnics here
You can’t go wrong if you look towards the Mediterranean. A fantastic dip to go with crisp French bread is one made from pureed roast vegetables - aubergines, red and green peppers, and sweet white onions blended with olive oil and a handful of fresh herbs.
In Provence, there’s a classic shepherd’s snack which consists of a baguette that has been stuffed with ripe tomatoes, herbs, garlic, onion and peppers all soaked in local olive oil. The whole thing is wrapped in foil and preferably pressed under a heavy weight for a few hours to produce a tube of crunchy gooey deliciousness.
The Passing Scent of the Seasons (Why Seasonal Food Still Matters)
Imagine taking a boat ride especially to smell a sweet and lovely fragrance... That sentence takes me to another set of articles written down the years.
A century ago, so much soft fruit was grown in the Torridge valley that springtime excursions would ply up and down from Bideford so that happy punters could become intoxicated by the scent of strawberries wafting heavy on the breeze. Exactly the same thing used to happen on the Tamar, both in strawberry and in cherry season.
Now we import irradiated strawberries 12 months of the year and the Torridge and Tamar are, for the most part, scentless. But let us not bemoan the passing of yesteryear - instead let’s rejoice in the seasonal food that still lurks beyond our hedgerows waiting to be picked, plucked, gleaned, caught, harvested and cured.
Whether it’s the first leaves of spinach adorning a health-giving daily salad, or a sea-bass grilled and served on a bed of young sorrel, these ingredients provide all that is best when it comes to the sublime taste of spring.
For those of us willing to get our boots muddy or visit a local farm shop, the rewards are immense. It’s a matter of buy now while you can. Nothing is more guaranteed to pep up your cooking than the fabulous fresh ingredients that are becoming increasingly available across Southern Britain.
IF YOU ARE ENJOYING THIS ARTICLE CHECK OUT https://www.martinhespfoodandtravel.com/post/foraging-wild-food-in-estuaries
Frequently Asked Questions About Spring Foraging in the West Country
What can you forage in the West Country in spring?
In spring, the West Country offers a rich variety of wild foods including wild garlic (ramsons), young nettles, sorrel, and early herbs such as parsley and mint. Coastal areas also provide samphire later in the season.
Is wild garlic safe to eat?
Yes, wild garlic is safe and delicious, but it must be correctly identified. It has a strong garlic smell when crushed. Avoid confusing it with similar-looking plants like lily of the valley, which are poisonous.
When is English asparagus in season?
English asparagus is typically in season from late April to June. It is best enjoyed fresh and locally grown, as flavour declines quickly after picking.
What are Cornish new potatoes?
Cornish new potatoes are early-season potatoes grown in Cornwall’s mild climate. They are usually sold unwashed (“dirty”) to preserve their delicate skins and flavour.
What does samphire taste like?
Samphire has a unique flavour often described as salty, fresh, and slightly like asparagus with a crisp texture. It pairs particularly well with fish.
Do you need permission to forage in the UK?
Yes. You can forage small amounts for personal use on public land where permitted, but you must always respect local regulations and avoid protected areas.
How do you prepare wild garlic?
Wild garlic can be eaten raw in salads, blended into pesto, or lightly cooked in soups, risottos, and sauces. Both the leaves and flowers are edible.
What is the best way to cook asparagus?
The best way is to keep it simple: lightly steam, roast, or pan-cook with butter, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.
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