Wild Garlic – A Celebration of

One of my favourite memories of the recent past is foraging for wild garlic on a family walk and returning to make chapatis on an open fire. Chopping up the wild garlic and mixing it into the dough then adding a curl of butter at the end made for a melt in the mouth treat that left us all hankering for more and planning our next forage. 

If you are going to hunt for wild garlic when you’re next out and about, make sure you follow guidelines for sustainable foraging, respect the countryside code and pick with respect. Head into the woods between late March and July and you will be hit by glorious scent of this mellow, grassy, garlicky plant. You need to look out for long green leaves with small white flowers. They usually cluster near a stream or on a slope, and you will know when you have found some, because the smell engulfing the air is unmistakeable. Be sure to only pick the leaves and don’t uproot the bulbs. 

Once foraged, you can make the chapatis with a simple mix of flour, salt, oil and water. 

Method: 

Combine 140g of wholemeal flour with 140g plain flour and a good pinch of salt. Add 2tbsp oil and as much hot water as needed to make a soft dough. Knead the dough and divide into about ten balls. Roll them out and fry until brown spots appear – about 30seconds each side.  

Alternatively, you can make a divine pesto with the chopped-up leaves, some parmesan cheese, oil and nuts of your choosing. Stirred into some steaming pasta, it is truly mouth-watering.