4.5.10

bluebells and garlic


What a miserable, wet and cold bank holiday weekend! With all that rain that Sunday brought we stayed in and enjoyed watching this film, played Monopoly and did, eek, a little homework. However, by Monday cabin fever had well and truly set in and we just had to get out. No debating where we should go, there was only one place and we knew if we didn't get there this weekend we would miss it for the year.

We found a lovely wooded area on the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, a couple of years ago where, if you look in one direction you see


and turn to another you see


as far as the eye can see. Look elsewhere and it's all mixed up.


You very often find bluebells and wild garlic growing alongside one another and this place is no exception, there is so much of both. Shame about the lack of pretty dappled sunshine, and taking photographs was tricky because it was so windy, but I'm sure you get the idea.


Being the good countryside citizens that we are we left the bluebells untouched however there was enough garlic to sink a ship and it was begging to be taken.

{foraging at its very best}

A good wash and within minutes of picking, our lovely, pristine, unblemished leaves were wilting down in the pan with a dash of olive oil for company and just a small amount of crushed sea salt to serve. Nothing more.


Woodland to table, 20 minutes!

Sorry, no photos of that, you didn't expect it to hang around that long did you?

See you soon.

Kate x

15 comments:

  1. I love a spot of foraging! I bet it was delicious!
    Rachel x

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  2. Lovely photos of the bluebells. Never tried wild garlic.

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  3. You know those of you who live in England have so much beautiful countryside to enjoy and Spring in England is unequalled anywhere in the world I think. I know the weather gets you down but remember when it's good it's very very GOOD.
    Thanks for sharing your bluebells and wild garlic. ( I didn't know you could eat it!)
    We came upon a lovely walk near Ashford in the Water in the Peaks District where the pathway was lined with wild garlic blooming beautifully. I've never seen anything to equal it anywhere.
    Cheers
    Helen

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  4. The bluebell photos are beautiful. I didn't really know anything about wild garlic so thanks for sharing, I will definitely look out for it now.
    Ann x

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  5. I could just sit and look at those pictures all day - so much for living by the sea....I need woods and bluebells and mmmmmmmmmm wild garlic.

    Nina x

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  6. I feel the need to go in search of wild garlic now! First stop, the bluebell woods...

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  7. Lovely - we found an area of bluebells near West Bay that was stunning too. I must admit I haven't tried wild garlic but will give it a go next time I come across some. Picking bluebells is a waste of time anyway as they just don't last in a vase and never look anything like as stunning as they do growing (I remember from my childhood I hasten to add I would never pick them now!)

    Jane

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  8. Wonderful - I love Woodland garlic - the flowers are very tasty in a salad too - they taste like garlic butter. xxxxx

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  9. Wow, I love that area of Bluebell wood! Lovely bright photos. We visited Corfe and the surrounding area last year in wonderful weather. The Purbeck stone buildings looked amazing. It certainly is a stunning area of the country. I shall be on the lookout for Wild Garlic now! x

    PS. Thank you so much for hopping over to my home blog!

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  10. Hi Kate, isn't it cold? I was out painting bluebells all day yesterday and my hands were like shrivelled, frozen things when I got home! Never mind, just love the woods at this time of year!

    Have a brilliant weekend,
    Sarah x

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  11. Living in the Northwest of the US we get plenty of dreary days but, you just have to get out once and again. What a lovely spot for a walk in the woods. I would love having a place to forage wild garlic, yum! We have to cultivate ours in the veg patch.

    Have a wonderful weekend!

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  12. Thanks for popping in! Love your bluebell pictures.We have wild garlic growing along the old disused railway track near here and it smells amazingly strong.I didn't know you could eat it like that either!

    Bellaboo :0)

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  13. Wild garlic - delicious! I have garlic mustard growing in my garden but not this. Yum.

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  14. How beautiful. And I do love the smell of wild garlic.

    Thanks so much for your comment on my blog - seeing the gorgeous dress you've made in the post above is making me even more eager for it to arrive. I saw that book, which also looked lovely.

    Florence x

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  15. We just adore bluebells and look forward to our walks in May in the bluebell woods near where we live.
    Found your blog after a web search for wild garlic! Thanks for the info we have just found wild garlic near to us.

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