| ||
| ||
|
||
|
|
|
Digging Up Earthnuts (Conopodium Majus)
The custom of grubbing for Earthnuts, or Pignuts is as ancient as mankind itself. Although these tasty tubers are beloved of pigs (hence the name) they are a most unusual and rewarding woodland snack and there was a time when they were a popular nibble for country children on their way to and from school. The fern like leaves appear along with the Lesser Celandine in the spring. During May and July they develop umbellifer heads with white flowers not unlike Cow Parsley. According to Gerard and others the Dutch once ate them 'boiled and buttered, as we do parseneps and carrots'. Unearthing a pignut is a delicate operation. The root disconnects from the tuber very easily, which can be several inches from where the stem appears above ground. Follow the stem under the earth using careful scraping with a twig, fingernail or knife. Eventually you will reach the pignut which is covered with a chestnut coloured skin. If you can wash the nut at this stage it avoids getting muddy fingernails while peeling. As soon as I found the one shown in the picture, an earthworm appeared and dived into the hole it left! Scrape off the papery outer coating to reveal the Earthnut. The older name for Earthnuts is 'Earth Chestnuts' and this gives you a clue to their taste - a chestnut texture but with a more earthy taste. There's nothing like carefully digging one of these up during a walk in the woods. Do it with your fingernails. As the earthy taste hits the senses you are drawn more completely into contact with the nature around you. A true 'pomme de terre'. Gerard's Herbal mentions that 'There is a Plaister made of the seeds hereof, whereof to write in this place were impertinent to our historie'....Probably witches again! Earthnuts get a mention in Shakespeare's 'Tempest', from Caliban as he promises: "I prithee, let me bring thee where crabs grow; With thanks to R. Maybee, R. Phillips and M. Woodward's version of Gerard's Herbal. From an ebook called 'Wild Food' underway at simonthescribe. If you wish to republish this article (with this resource box intact) you will find excellent quality pictures to accompany it at http://www.simonthescribe.co.uk/pignuts.html
MORE RESOURCES:
Recipes - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Weight Loss Recipe: Oven Fried Chicken Enjoy the sensation of fried chicken without the extra calories of deep frying. This recipe is sensational either hot or cold and is great for taking to work to avoid the unwanted 'canteen calories'. How I Made Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies In Simple, Super Easy Steps I was sitting there watching one of my favorite tv shows when a cookie craving hit me. As I watched one of the main characters take her chocolate chip cookies off the baking sheet, I drooled at the prospect of some freshly baked cookies. Oatmeal-Apple-Raisin Muffins These muffins are not only tasty, but they're also a good source of fiber. In recent years, health experts have come to realize that fiber is an important part of a heart-healthy diet. Do You Ever Search For Quick recipes? In the quest for more time, searching for quick recipes online can be a big help. Cutting time out of cooking will free up time for other things. How to Bake: Easy Sourdough Bread A customer emailed us and said that her mother loved sourdough bread but had trouble making it work right. We shared the following recipe with her, which is our easiest, most foolproof recipe for sourdough bread. Basic Quick Mix and Recipes With an easy basic quick mix, you can make a wide variety of inexpensive homemade biscuits, breads, and other baked goods. This mix is easy to make and store and great for any family on a tight budget. Wonderful Holiday Recipe Ideas The Holiday Season is upon us and soon we will be frantically searching for yummy recipes to serve our family and friends. Many of the leading food manufacturers have spent 1000's of hours testing and perfecting recipes for you to enjoy. Provence Steak Recipes Want an international flair for your steaks? Try a Provence steak recipe. These are delicious steak recipes that anyone will enjoy if they like meat at all. Texas Pecan Treats Come August, there is nowhere I'd rather NOT be than in Texas. Steamy, sultry, and hot, living in Texas in August is like trying to breathe in a tightly-covered pressure cooker. Broccoli Rabe with Caramelized Onions and Garlic Broccoli is a major EnergyRich ?, food and strength builder. It is also crammed high with fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micro-nutrients and phyto-chemicals. Low Carb Christmas Enchiladas! FELIZ NAVIDAD.. The World According To Penne Penne pasta is a product of Naples, Italy. The pasta was created to remind the clever Neapolitans of the days when their ancestors dipped feather quilled pens into bottles of ink in order to communicate the written word. Ma Po Tou Tu (Bean Curd with Chili Sauce) Ma Po Tou Fu is Sichuan's well known characteristic dish. Tradition has it that during the Tongzhi years of Qing Dynasty, there is a small inn at the WanFu (Innumerable Blessings) bridge outside the north gate of Chengdu, Sichuan. Finding the Best Recipes Trying to find a dynamite recipe to wow guests or cook up a special supper for your special someone? Finding the best recipes is simple. First, perform a careful analysis of the situation for which you are cooking to narrow down the search. Planning Help: Meal One It's nice when I find a meal where the foods compliment each other because it simplifies my life by knowing what to serve with what. Of course I don't have to stick to any one meal plan; I can mix and match the main dishes and sides, but a lot of the time I'm in a hurry and don't have a lot of time to think about it. Converting Recipes for Your Crockpot Crockpots vary but the low setting is typically around 100 degrees and its high setting is around 300 degrees.Knowing this, it is fairly easy to convert most recipes for use in your slow cooker. Spanish Recipes - Tempting Tapas Dishes Spain is famous for its tapas and, whichever Spanish bar you frequent, in whichever area of the country, you are sure to find them.So, what exactly are "tapas" and where did the name come from?Tapas are, essentially, snacks and the word literally means "cover". Wild Watercress Soupt (Nasturtium officinale) Wild Watercress soup is a delicious and nutritious recipe with the leaves available in spring and early summer. Watercress is rich in Vitamins A and C, iron, iodine and phosphorus. Rockfish Bessie Ingredients 5-6 lbs. Whole Rockfish 1 Onion 1 Lemon 1 Lime Cilantro Corn Husks Olive Oil Salt and Pepper Preheat over to 375F. Kid Party Food - Without the Stress! Kid party food doesn't have to take hours to prepare or completely blow your budget. When it comes to kids and party food, variety and presentation are the answer.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
