Let the land feed you
January
I always enjoy January; it expects very little of me beyond some peaceful book research and I reciprocate by expecting little of it. However, against the desolate browns and greys of deep winter, there are stirrings of green and, occasionally, the bright flash of mushrooms.
In pasture, the basal rosettes of sorrel (below left) are very common and, in truth, at their best in winter. For anyone south of Leeds (and preferably by the coast), fresh stands of the winter-loving black mustard (above) can be found. It’s burning hot, but with an underlying complexity that fills the palate. And the bright flash of mushrooms? This is the velvet shank (right). It forms dense tufts of brilliant orange on dead broadleaved tree stumps. The small caps are beautiful, tasty and slimy—but slimy in a good way.
February
Although invasive species are a terrible trial, some attempt to make up for their uncivil behaviour by being edible. One such is three-cornered leek), a plant that forms dense clumps in odd locations in much of England and in South Wales. In February, it resembles pencil-thin leeks and, by April, there is a substantial bulb. Leek and potato soup, perhaps?
