"We have all grown up with the Long-Field. City folk see it as green ditches with no footpaths as soon as they have escaped the urban. Cattle and sheep view it as manna from heaven when they escape out on to it from their closures and rural folk, well rural folk are always delighted to inform their fellow farmers that it is their stock that has escaped onto the Long - Field and not their own"
Evan Doyle of "Strawberry Tree" fame talks about his passion for Wild Food, a feature of his restaurant.
Evan goes on to describe the Long - Field;
"The Long - Field is the 327,258 km of Irish grass verges and hedge rows. Our lush damp climate produces a stunning array of wild foods, from fresh spring herbs to summer berries to autumn mushrooms and nuts"
His chefs can be seen out foraging for nettles for the" Wild Nettle Tea"and Dillisk for oatcakes. Or wading for seaweed for "Wild Carrigeen and Wild Prawn Bisque". They pick wild garlic for the "Wild garlic, leek and potato bake" and mushrooms for the "Wild St. Georges mushroom, spinach and gorgonzola risotto". They are gathering Wild Sea Beet, Wild Rock Samphire, Wild Sorrell and others, all to put into delicious dishes. The book is full of recipes.
"Wild Food" is an eye opener to the harvest nature provides. "Wild Food" by Biddy White Lennon and Evan Doyle is published by O'Brien Press. The Strawberry Tree, Macreddin Village, Aughrim, Co. Wicklow.
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