After our inaugural first Wednesday afternoon monthly forage on Hampstead Heath, i just made/invented a recipe for goose grass and nettle soup – and pesto/spread…
I sauteed a large chopped onion, then added about half and half of roughly chopped cleavers (goose grass – Galium aparine) and nettle tops (Urtica dioica) – and boiling water to cover. After cooking for 15 or 20 minutes I stirred in a small pot of soured cream and a large tablespoon of tahini and whizzed it in the saucepan with a hand held electric whisk. I then strained it through a metal sieve into a soup tureen – what an amazing and lurid shade of green!
The thick paste that remained in the sieve seemed worth doing something with, so I scraped it out, added more tahini, olive oil, parmesan and some basil, and then whizzed it loads more. It was then thick enough to use as a spread, so i’ve put it in a jam jar in the fridge for toast, etc.
We’re hoping to do a regular monthly afternoon foraging expedition on the Heath. Join us!
Hello, I was picking a few nettles with a friend on Hampstead Heath on Sunday in the pouring rain, when we were stopped by a police van, 2 policemen got out and took our names and addresses and told us they could take us to court if they wanted to for picking stinging nettles, we told them we had damaged nothing just snipped the tops of a few nettles but they weren’t interested and gave us a warning! I was astounded!! Is this true?
Thanks
Ruth
Ruth
Posted by Ruth Boon | 5 March, 2012, 15:01Really? That is rather astounding. I’ve picked nettles on the Heath many times. They are so plentiful as well.
But apparently the Corporation of London, who own and manage Hampstead Heath, are very much against foraging. Perhaps they have asked police to be more draconian in policing this.
Posted by Tom A | 5 March, 2012, 16:25Transition Belsize met with the ‘Head of Open Spaces’ to try to get them to agree to a sustainable foraging approach but they were very much against. They see a zero tolerance approach as the only way to limit overuse & demand. Subsequently, we adopted a No Pick Policy i.e. educational walks only on the Heath. This is a severe limitation to learning and enjoying the natural cycle – find, identify, process, cook/prepare, eat, enjoy – Protect what you respect!
I think police crackdown is new & probably not come as a top down dictat but more from ignorance of the law and bye laws which only exist to prevent damage. Fruits, nuts and foliage are technically fair game strictly.
Posted by Steve Prowse | 5 March, 2012, 19:37Hi Ruth,
Josh here from the Ham&High newspaper. I’m writing something on the foraging ban for this week’s paper.
It would be good to hear what forager’s think of it.
Please give me a ring if you get the chance.
Josh
Tel: 02074336235
Posted by Josh Pettitt | 6 March, 2012, 10:01