Sunday, 12 January 2014
OAK MOSS what’s not to Lichen!
OAK MOSS
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| Oak Moss easy to see against the browns of the forest floor. |
Other Names: Évernie, Mousse de Chêne, Ebernia Prunasti, Évernia, Evernia prunastri, Lichen Oak Moss, , Musgo de Roble, Tree Moss.
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| Archie and the Lichen |
Identification:
A species of fruticose a branched, bushy lichen. It grows in
forests throughout much of the northern hemisphere usually on old oak trees but
can also be found growing on coniferous trees and some older fruit trees. The
pale greenish gray thallus or body, 3 to 8 cm long, is branched palmately and
slightly resembling mini stag horns, ending in pointed tips. The top is light green
and warty with pale gray reproductive bodies called soredia. The undersurface
is a whitish colour.
 |
| Close up of the Oak Moss thallus |
During my time learning and munching my way through the
edible plant kingdom I have come across two different types of wild edible.
Those that I would happily eat and those which I would label “starvation foods”
meaning -they’re for reindeers and Ray Mears - you can eat them if you’re
starving, but they’re not going to be setting your culinary world on fire; in
fact if they make it on to that list they’re positively ‘orrible!
 |
| Oak Moss in situ. |
Until recently I was aware that certain lichens and mosses were
edible but had assumed that their place was well and truly on the Starvation
Foods list. Still having not tried any I’d be a fool to just write them off
like that!
Whilst wandering through my local woods surveying the
carnage that had been brought on this winter by a rapid successions of storms
and floods, I started noticing that there was a lot more oak moss on the
ground, clearly dislodged by the strong winds. There was certainly enough to bring home and have an
experiment with in the kitchen. I gathered as much as I could from underneath
some of the older oak trees, picked a few late season Hedgehog Fungus and
winter chanterelles, and headed back to the lab.
Plenty has been written about oak moss and it’s uses as a
fixative in the perfume industry. On smelling a bag full of it, it’s easy to
see why, the lichen has beautiful delicate woody aroma. Acids contained within oak moss are also
extracted for use in drugs to treat infections and external wounds. I have been told that it is these same
acids that can give you a very painful time of things should you try to eat oak
moss raw. There is anecdotal
evidence of a death attributed to eating oak moss, as the poor forager committed
suicide from the pain in his stomach. BUT not to worry the process in the
recipe below will be sure to rid the oak moss of this slightly disconcerting
feature.
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| No Oak Moss here just thought I'd share a nice photo! |
The starchy nature of cooked oak moss lends itself well to
being a carrier of flavour. I have
tried several different versions of this recipe, adding different oils and
dustings of spices but this one is a good starting point. I’d love to hear in the comments below
what you did with yours!
Oak Moss with Truffle
and Lemon
Ingredients:
3 or 4 handfuls of Oak Moss
Sunflower Oil
Truffle Oil
1 Lemon
Kitchen Towel
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| The Raw ingredient. |
Recipe:
Clean the oak moss to ensure there are no bits of bark still
attached
Prepare two pans of salted boiling water.
Boil the oak moss for 5 minutes in the first pan then strain
and transfer to the second pan for a further 5 minutes.
Strain the water and lay each piece of moss out on the
kitchen towel to dry out slightly.
Meanwhile heat your sunflower oil for deep-frying the moss
to 160 C.
Drop small amounts of the oak moss into the oil and fry for
between 5 and 10 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon and place on some more
kitchen towel.
Once its all been fried, place in a bowl, season with salt
and pepper, drizzle about half a teaspoon of truffle oil, a squeeze of lemon
and gently toss to coat the lichen with the flavouring ensuring not to be too
rough and break the delicate structure.
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| Experimenting with flavours |
 |
| Spice Dusted Oak Moss, Hedgehog Fungus and Winter Chanterelle Croquets with a Rare Roast Saddle of Venison. |
Tuesday, 2 July 2013
Wild food and foraging with the RSPB
The RSPB have teamed up with Sussex based foraging school, Hunter Gather Cook, for a fundraising event with a difference:
I was lucky
enough to grow up in a small village in West Sussex which was surrounded by
woods, fields and roaming horses. I’d
play outside with my friends all day long, experiencing wildlife first hand. We’d make rope swings, build dens and generally
create allot of extra washing for our mums. I’d play and explore from breakfast until the
call of my name across the fields would herald dinner time and I’d run home.
 |
| Nature is one big playground when you're little. Photo Liam Jefferies |
As an adult,
my love of wildlife and the natural world has only grown, you will still find
me ‘playing’ outside of a weekend - swimming down the Ouse or climbing trees in the woods. Which is
why I’m so excited about putting on an event which will celebrate everything
outdoors and raise money for the RSPB too.
The event, which takes place on Thursday 25 July, includes foraging for
edible plants, which will be used in the evening’s campfire meal and building
your own shelter to spend the night in – all under the guidance of experienced Hunter Gather Cook instructors.
The foraging school is based within a private nature reserve which is
carefully managed to create a haven for a rich variety of wildlife. Hidden in the woodland is the schools’
rustic outdoor kitchen, complete with an oven made from the clay beds of the
nearby stream. The kitchen is
covered by an elegant A-frame structure, crafted from birch, with pots and pans
hanging from the roof struts.
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| Hunter Gather Cook HQ |
The event will begin with a guided walk around the reserve, led by RSPB
conservation officer, Dr. Richard Black. July at the reserve
boasts the chance to see the rare Silver-washed Fritillary and White Admiral
butterflies flitting along the woodland edges.
Next, guests will be shown where to find the plethora of edible plants
on the reserve and how to identify them. The foraging school instructors are
experts in living off the land; they are also experienced chefs, who visibly
relish the chance to craft sumptuous and original dishes from foraged
ingredients.
Nick Weston, who established the school in 2011 said: “I opened the
school to teach people about living comfortably in the great outdoors and to
create great dishes using wild produce.
“I’m really pleased to be teaming up with the RSPB and helping them
raise funds for their work; both our organisations encourage people to connect
with nature and it will be great to work together on this.”
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| Get back to nature this July. RSPB images |
Back at base camp the instructors will demonstrate how to build a fire
using traditional techniques and cook a leg of lamb in an underground oven for
the evening’s foraged feast.
As the sun goes down and the resident Nightingales begin to sing, guests
can learn how to mix up the perfect wild cocktail, using foraged infusions and
syrups prepared by the Hunter Gather Cook instructors.
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| Nightingale. RSPB images |
To end the evening, guests will build a shelter and nestle down to spend
the night around the crackling fire. Breakfast will be provided the following
morning before home time at 10am.
Foraging is
great way to get out and enjoy green spaces and can result in some very tasty
dishes! I’m really excited that the event is taking place on the private nature
reserve which provides a valuable home to a variety of wildlife.
Not everyone
had the chance to play and run wild in the great outdoors as a child, but it’s
never too late...
There are 15 places available on the event at £80 each. Proceeds from the event will be going towards the wonderful work of the RSPB. For further details and to secure a
place contact alice.jefferies@rspb.org.uk
Monday, 29 April 2013
How to Incorporate Stinging Nettles Into Your Diet
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| Nettles are high in protein. |
Though stinging nettles may look like just some weed growing in your
yard or the woods near your home and not a very pleasant one at that, with
the stingers on their stems but they are actually a very tasty and
nutritious green. Stinging nettles, or just nettles, are higher in protein than
most other greens (they are about 40 percent protein), and they are high in a
number of other nutrients, including iron, manganese, calcium and Vitamins A
and C.
Not only are stinging nettles great for your health since they are full
of nutrients, but many people also eat them for their curative properties. You
can make a tea from nettles that can help to prevent or treat illness and
allergies.
Finding stinging nettles is relatively easy, but they do require some
care in harvesting them. As their name suggests, they are covered with tiny
stingers that will hurt a lot if you just grab them by the hand. The stingers
have the acid found in the bites of fire ants. So, yeah, imagine putting your
hand in a hive of fire ants and the experience is somewhat comparable.
It is important to wear gloves, as well as long sleeves and long pants when
you are harvesting nettles, although braver individuals than me claim that
carefully picking with thumb and forefinger shouldn’t sting. They can grow
long, and you don't want the leaves and the stems to brush your hand or your
feet as you are walking through a patch or are reaching in to harvest them.
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| Grasping nettles with the thumb and fore finger should mean no sting. |
Look for nettles that have tender young leaves, and only cut off the
upper leaves. The young leaves should be no bigger than 3 inches wide. Any bigger
than that and you're likely to get a very bitter, stringy plant. You can cut
the leaves off, or you can just cut off the top 5 inches or so of the plant,
further more you should not eat nettles once they have flowered. Clip your
nettles with some pruning shears or sturdy scissors and put them in a basket or
bag of your choice. When you get them home, they are ready for blanching.
Boil up a pot of water, either with a little salt thrown in or without.
Dump your nettle leaves in the pot and let them boil for about 10 minutes. You
can then scoop them out with a spoon and dunk them in cold water. Set them
aside to drain and to dry.
Blanching nettles will not only take care of the stingers, but it will
also clean them and make them safe for eating. Don't be alarmed if the water
turns color as that is common.
Once your nettles have been blanched, you can cook them just as you
would spinach or any other green. Nettles are great in a soup or stew, or you
can add them with some other veggies to a pasta or a rice dish. You can even
steep them for a flavorful tea.
Still stumped about how to cook your nettles? Check out these 8 recipes for stinging nettles.
Do you cook with nettles? Share your tips for finding and harvesting
them, as well as some of your favorite recipes, in the comments!
About the Author:
Bridget Sandorford is a freelance food and culinary writer, where
recently she’s been researching culinary schools in Pittsburgh. In her spare time, she
enjoys biking, painting and working on her first cookbook.
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