Edible Wild Leaves Walk June 8th
by Ross Laird
The Wild Food Walk took place on Saturday 8th June. The sun was shining on Beveridge Park, and an eager group of participants enjoyed an informative session with expert Tony Wilson. First Tony recommended a book which detailed some edible wild plants, and importantly some poisonous ones to avoid. Tony’s advice was only to eat what you know is safe.
The first wild food treat was beech leaves, best enjoyed in a salad when they are young and tender. Another find was the three cornered leek which is an invasive pest around the park, but it can add an onion-y flavour to your food. In fact the group found so many edible wild plants it would take forever to list them. Did you know lime trees can provide you with a tasty cup of tea? Rose bay willow herb’s stem has a juicy centre which tastes a bit like cucumber. The seed heads of sweet cicely had a lovely aniseed taste. Even nettles can be used to make soup. One very beautiful find was a variety of oyster mushrooms growing on a fallen tree. At the end of the walk some of the participants made a tasty wild food omelette with Russell.
