Alexanders
Seasons:
Alexanders are available for most of the year, though their flavour changes throughout the year. They are best picked from February (just before they flower) until June (just after flowering season)
Look:Leaves grow in groups of 3 and are green and glossy, coming from a thick, hollow, rounded central stem. Alexanders flower in March with umbels of little yellow flowers at the top of the stem.
Habitat:Alexanders grow abundantly in coastal areas, along coastal paths, roadsides and hedgerows.
Edibility:
Alexanders have a divisive flavour. It is similar to celery or even fennel but intensely aromatic. It is very bitter and increases in bitterness as the season goes on. The bitterness later in the season can be a bit too much to palate raw, however the flavour can be somewhat tamed through processing. Despite their divisive flavour, we love using them in the restaurant. One way we frequently do this is by pickling it, the acidity and sweetness of the pickle usually tones down the bitterness a little. We also BBQ the leaves and thinner stems and then dress them heavily in lemon juice, we then garnish them with pickles and herbs and include them on dishes such as our winter taco.
Rock Samphire
Seasons:
Rock Samphire season starts in early summer, around May time, and ends around October.
Look:
Rock Samphire is very succulent in appearance with thick, green, rounded fronds, that look a little like antlers. It flowers with little white, yellow umbels.
Habitat:
Rock Samphire is a coastal plant that loves a rocky landscape. It can be found growing out of walls, sea defences, coastal paths or rocky shorelines.
Edibility:
Rock Samphire is often referred to as Sea Fennel due to its fennel like flavour. As it grows by the sea it is mildly salty but highly aromatic, it is pungent and floral. It is mildly bitter, but not overpoweringly so. In the restaurant we always have a batch of pickled Rock Samphire on reserve, it makes a perfect garnish to vamp up a dish. It can also be used raw for an extra fresh crunch and burst of flavour.
Black Mustard
Seasons:
Black Mustard's season usually begins in late spring/early summer. It tends to have a second wind in the early autumn depending on weather conditions
Look:The leaves of black mustard are usually thick brassica like leaves, and older leaves can sometimes hairy/lightly spiky. It has small yellow flowers extremely similar to flowers of the rapeseed and other brassicas.
Habitat:
Black Mustard doesn't need rich soil so can be found growing on coastal paths, hedgerows and roadsides.
Edibility:
Black Mustard has a strong peppery, mustardy flavour and is extremely similar to horseradish or wasabi when processed into things. The young leaves can be used as any leafy vegetable would but as the leaves get tougher it is best to blitz them or process them. In the restaurant we've served a vibrant black mustard broth with fish dumplings which simply blitzed the raw leaf into a juice and mixed into a broth. We've even used it in ice cream which we served alongside an oyster and wilder still used it in a custard as part of a summer trifle dessert. It has such a fun flavour its hard not to get experimental.
Rose
Season:
Roses are forageable from early summer-mid autumn, the flowers often bloom in the early summer, with the rosehips starting to redden in the late summer.
Look:
Roses are usually recognisable as a common flower. The look will vary depending on the species of rose but the stems will often be thorny and the leaves will form a pattern of 2-4 oval leaves in pairs, either side of the stem, with one leaf at the end of the stem. Petal formation and colour varies but rosehips when ripe will always be red, dark/almost black or orange.
Habitat:
Roses grow wild in hedgerows, coastal paths, waste ground but are also a highly prized garden flower.
Edibility:
Both the flowers and the rosehips are edible. The petals are best infused into vinegars, syrups and teas and have a beautiful delicate floral flavour. The hips are also edible, they do however have tiny hairs on the seeds which can irritate the digestive tract meaning extreme care should be taken to remove them. The hips make great jellies and coridals though and are widely regarded as superfood!
Nettle
Season:
Nettles can be found all year round. They go through different life stages throughout the year often flowering and seeding between June and October.
Look:
The leaves have serrated edges and come to a point much like an arrow head. The leaves grow in pairs either side of the stem. Both the leaves and stems are covered in fine hairs which will sting when touched.
Habitat:
Nettles are very adaptable and can thrive in bad soil and are therefore found everywhere, hedgerows, meadows, woodlands.
Edibility:
Nettles have a flavour like spinach but more umami. They're widely regarded as a superfood and often used in teas or soups, but can also be cooked down like spinach. At Robin Wylde we have a long standing snack on our menu using a tempura nettle leaf as a base and served with cod roe and carrot, such a versatile leaf. Though it is reported the leaves shouldn't be eaten after the plant has flowered as it then contains chemicals which can affect the urinary tract.