Ramson: Allium ursinum
The ransom or wild garlic is a member of the Lily family and indeed, its broad leaf could be muddled with that of the Lily of the Valley Convallaria majalis. It grows with abundance in woodland, enjoying the dampness and shade of trees.Wild garlic is easy to identify because its smell is pungent, especially so after light rain. Bruise a leaf and you will smell a kitchen, not floral, scent. The pretty, white flowers and stems are edible too. The ramson is the true wild garlic, but the slender leaf of the three-cornered leek with its tiny white, bell shaped flowers is delicious too. I have not found ramsons on the Isle of South Uist but there are plenty of three-cornered leeks in boggy ditches from March until May. Three-cornered leek is invasive and will take over a garden. I forage garden escapees on The Uists. Flowers of wild garlic mingled with bluebells display nature's colours of the Scottish Saltire. There will usually be some young nettles about too. Pick and cook nettle tops early in the season.
Add wild garlic to bread, an omelette or pickle the buds and stems. Juice the leaves to leave a bright green liquid to mix with olive oil. The Forager's Kitchen has plenty of recipes for ramps or wild garlic but one of my favourite recipes is to chiffonade the leaves and mix them with new potatoes in a just set, creamy custard. The laver pastry is not essential but it adds interest. Laver is a red seaweed common in the intertidal zone so it is readily available without a spring tide. Laver dries and will travel well, if you have spent a holiday at the seaside.
In a Description of the Western Isles of Scotland (1703) Martin Martin writes of ‘the remarkable Cures perform’d by the Natives. It includes wild garlic as a remedy for kidney stones. It was also drunk as an infusion to purify the blood. In the footsteps of our ancestors we need to become familiar with our weeds. Wild Garlic is however on its way to becoming a gourmet weed. In season, in bonnie Scotland, it is already a strong competitor to replace basil in a pesto recipe.
Wild Garlic Pesto mixed with breadcrumbs and in this case, rosemary flowers, makes a spectacular cladding for British lamb.
