This wild garlic triptych is for me as much about a way of life as it is about flavour. It reminds me of the simple and self-sufficient life my grandmother enjoyed in her house in Småland, Sweden. The house is still in the family, and without central heating and running water, we heat it with logs from the forest and collect the water from the well. We wash in the rain or the pond.

In the open clearing, where the house sits, there are vegetables, berries, and fruit growing and in the adjacent forest wild blueberries, lingonberries, mushrooms, nettles, and garlic.

Wild garlic is also abundant in Britain, and on one of my recent lockdown walks, I was able to pick enough for the pesto, soup and risotto recipe, which only require about 30 leaves each. You can even find wild garlic growing in London in Hackney and Walthamstow Marshes, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, among other places.

The wild garlic has long leaves with white flowers supported by a pale green stem, and all the parts of the plant are edible. Be careful not to confuse it with the Lily of the Valley, which is poisonous. The leaves of the Lily are paired while the garlic leaves are single. The wild garlic also has a fragrant scent, so use your nose to guide you.

Spring is when this edible plant is in season. Although best picked when young, it is still tasty when more mature. You will find the garlic in shady spots in deciduous woodland, where it can spread and cover the ground like a carpet.

WILD GARLIC PESTO INGREDIENTS

20 leaves of wild garlic
50 g parmesan or grana padano
100 ml virgin olive oil
Handful of pine nuts
Salt and pepper to season

WILD GARLIC SOUP INGREDIENTS

30 leaves of wild garlic
2 medium potatoes
200 ml double or whipping cream
400 ml vegetable stock
1 charlotte onion
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of white pepper
1 egg yolk
Butter for frying

To decorate
A sprinkle of chopped chives

WILD GARLIC RISOTTO INGREDIENTS

30 leaves of wild garlic
50-60 g risotto rice per person
1 yellow onion
100 ml white wine
1 litre vegetable stock
2 tbsp of wild garlic pesto
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
Butter for frying
Pepper and salt to taste

WILD GARLIC PESTO METHOD

Mix all the ingredients in your food processor, season with salt and pepper to taste.

WILD GARLIC SOUP METHOD

Chop the onion, potatoes, and wild garlic. Fry the onions in butter on a medium heat until soft and transparent, then add the potatoes and fry for another 3 minutes.

Add the stock, half of the cream, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Mix the soup in your food processor or powerful hand mixer. Add the egg yolk and the other half of the cream to the pan and pour over the mixed soup. Serve immediately. Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped chives.

WILD GARLIC RISOTTO METHOD

Blanch the wild garlic by pouring boiling water over the leaves in a colander. When cool, chop and mix with the olive oil and lemon juice.

Chop the onion and fry in butter until soft and transparent. Add the risotto rice to coat and when it turns transparent add the white wine.

Cook until the alcohol has evaporated. Then add the stock, only a ladle at the time, allowing the liquid to absorb before adding the next ladle.

When the rice is soft, about 30 minutes, add the parmesan, salt, and pepper, followed by the pesto and wild garlic lemon and oil mix. Serve immediately.

The interior of my grandmother’s simple timber house is elevated by the blue ceiling and the suspended brass angel.  

On the exterior, the large stepping stones lead you in through a timber door sheltered by a large roof with double chimneys.