Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum)

There are certain signs each year that mark the arrival of spring.  A carpet of wild garlic across a woodland floor is one of those signs.  Our gardener, Jane, shares a short walk in the hotel grounds to enjoy the woodland in spring.

From the far corner of the south-eastern car park there is little-known path, through a small wooden gate that leads to an avenue of mostly hawthorn, ash and beech trees.  This path runs between the field to the left and the road to the right, and it is a pretty walk at any time of year, but in early spring it is particularly worth a visit to see the wild garlic which springs up in dense clusters all over the far end of the avenue floor.

The path makes for a nice, flat, easy walk, providing you are wearing suitable footwear, but hotel guests who wish for a more strenuous outing are welcome to continue their walk all the way around the edge of the large field. 

This picture was taken last year, towards the end of April 2018, at the end of an exceptionally long winter.  The flowers, as you can see, had not yet made an appearance.  This winter, in contrast, was short and mild and by early March the garlic was already beginning to sprout.

In the kitchen…

Wild garlic is a very versatile herb.  The leaves can be used fresh in salads or cooked as a vegetable, and the dainty white flowers make a very attractive garnish to decorate a plate. You might like to try this traditional recipe for wild garlic soup:

Ingredients
25g butter
250g of potatoes, diced
200g wild garlic leaves, chopped
A medium white onion, finely sliced
1 litre vegetable stock
100ml double cream
Sea salt

Method
Steam the potatoes until tender, then put to one side
Heat the butter in a large pan, add the onion and sauté until soft
Next add the wild garlic to the pan and cook for a further five minutes
Finally, add the potatoes, cover with vegetable stock and allow to gently simmer for 20 minutes
Liquidise the soup in a blender, then return to the pan           
Stir in the cream and a pinch of salt
Serve hot with crusty bread

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