Tag: Foraging

WILD ROCKET, IT WAS THERE FOR THE TAKING

I love travelling in the country and always, I look for wild produce to forage and here I found wild rocket.

This time, while in Eyre Peninsula I found wild rocket. So strong tasting and spicy and very different from garden rocket.

I made the most of it. When one is camping, fresh produce, especially foraged produce is a highlight.

I first found it on a walk in Port Lincoln and as we drove inland there were fields of it, little dark green bushes in the landscape. Amazing!

Wild rocket is not always available for purchase, but rocket is commonly available and it is sometimes labelled as sweet rocket. I would hesitate to refer to the commercially available leaves as sweet rocket, as they can be quite peppery to some palates.

Those who grow rocket are aware that once it is established, it can become unmanageable. However, the leaves can be used in cooking and you can make the most of it.

Here are some simple ways I enjoyed the wild rocket:

I jazzed up some iceberg lettuce that in some places in the country was the only lettuce available. The contrasts between sweet and peppery worked very well. On another occasion I added feta.

I always take feta that I marinade in extra virgin olive oil with me on camping trips. I also add dried oregano, fresh bay leaves, anise or fennel seeds and pepper corns .

I had some kale and pumpkin. Both keep well on camping trips and I cooked them with some rocket.

Easy stuff. I always braise or sauté vegetables rather than steaming them. Italians tend to steam vegetables when they are feeling poorly so braising is the way to go.

I also found a few mustard greens that I added to the concoction. Whenever I sauté greens I like to use at least a couple of varieties of greens, indivia/ endives or cicoria/ chicory add bitterness, and  kale / cavolo nero add mustard tastes to sweeter tasting greens like spinach/ silverbeet/ beetroot leaves. Contrasting tastes do wonders! I use extra virgin olive oil, garlic and sometimes chillies.

I sautéed the pumpkin with harissa, also a staple I make to take with me on camping trips.

The version of Harissa I take camping is:

I take has dried chilli flakes, caraway seeds, salt and extra virgin olive oil.  I soak the chillies and caraway seeds in some hot water till they swell and then add salt and oil to preserve the harissa. It is fine out of the fridge and suitable for camping as long as you add enough salt and keep on topping up the oil. I do not add garlic in this version or fresh chillies because the fresh ingredients encourage the growth of mold.

Back to the recipe. Once the pumpkin and harissa and some garlic is sautéed in extra virgin olive oil add the greens. Sauté, put a lid on and let soften. Done.

I also found field mushrooms around the Southern Flinders Rangers! Amazing at this time of year, but the weather was wet.

The soil was wet and given a little spring sunshine, there they were!  I added garlic and wild rocket to them and sautéed them in some oil, then added a splash of white wine and evaporated some of the moisture. Pretty good!

I poached some eggs in these mushrooms. The farm-fresh eggs were free-range and were delivered to Venus Bay/Ceduna. I confirmed they were free-range. I also had some Kangaroo Island eggs in the van, which as expected were much cheaper in South Australia than in Victoria.

I also added wild rocket to a Minestra/ Wet Pasta dish made with borlotti beans. I usually cook borlotti beans at home, freeze them and take them with me, but tins of course are OK and for some, more convenient. The kookaburra above was never far away.

Once again, easy stuff. Sauté some onion and garlic in oil, add finely cut rocket, wilt it, add the beans with some of their water. Cook the pasta. Drain it. Add it to the semi liquid beans concoction …and there you have it.  I always drizzle some of my best extra virgin oil on top. The rocket does reduce in mass when cooked, but this was also the last of the rocket. I would have used more if I had it.

A highlight of my many camping trips in Australia is the fauna.  In Hamilton in country Victoria I observed a baby owl.

Other recipes:

HARISSA (A hot chilli condiment)

Harissa made with fresh Chillies

SENAPE, a new type of mustard green vegetable

PASTA E FAGIOLI (Thick bean soup with pasta)

WILD MUSHROOMS, I have been foraging again

It is wild mushroom season again, and I have been out foraging.

Every year, around ANZAC Day in Victoria, I begin scanning the pine forests for one of my favourite edible mushrooms: the saffron-coloured pine mushroom (Lactarius deliciosus), also known as the saffron milk cap or red pine mushroom. The anticipation is always part of the pleasure. Some seasons are generous, others less so, but the search is always rewarding.

This latest harvest weighed just over 3 kilograms—a very satisfying morning’s work.

Wild mushrooms are one of autumn’s great seasonal pleasures. Every basketful carries memories of quiet walks through pine forests, careful searching beneath fallen needles and the satisfaction of bringing home something gathered by hand. For me, cooking them is simply the final—and perhaps the most enjoyable—part of the adventure.

Saffron mushrooms with Italian pork and fennel sausages

The saffron milk cap is one of the easiest wild mushrooms to recognise. Its rich orange cap and carrot-coloured milk, released when cut or bruised, make it distinctive. As the mushroom ages or is handled, the gills often develop green-grey patches. Although these may look unappealing, they are a perfectly natural characteristic of the mushroom and do not affect its flavour.

One of my favourite ways to enjoy these mushrooms is tossed through fresh tagliatelle, where their earthy flavour needs little more than olive oil, garlic and parsley. They are equally delicious served alongside Italian pork and fennel sausages, a combination that celebrates the robust flavours of autumn.

Cooked mushrooms in my freezer

I cook the mushrooms as soon as possible after I have collected them.

Mushrooms cooking

Cleaning Wild Mushrooms

Freshly picked mushrooms should be prepared as soon as possible.

Unlike cultivated mushrooms, pine mushrooms are often covered with sand, soil, grass and pine needles. While some can be cleaned with a damp cloth, many need to be rinsed briefly under gently running water. The important thing is to clean them quickly rather than soaking them.

I always remove the woody, hollow stems completely. Over the years I have discovered that they often provide a convenient hiding place for insects. Any bruised or damaged sections are trimmed away, although I don’t worry about the characteristic green staining that appears on the gills.

After describing all this preparation, they may sound like hard work—but they are absolutely worth the effort.

Preserving the Harvest

When I collect a large quantity, I cook the mushrooms on the day I bring them home. They reduce considerably in volume as they cook, concentrating their flavour.

Once cooled, I portion them into containers and freeze them. Having cooked wild mushrooms ready to use means I can enjoy the flavours of autumn throughout winter. They can be added to risotto, folded through pasta, served on bruschetta, or paired with grilled meats and sausages whenever the mood strikes.

Keeping the Cooking Simple

Wild mushrooms rarely need elaborate treatment. Their flavour is best appreciated with restrained seasoning and good olive oil.

If you are fortunate enough to collect pine mushrooms—or if you find them at a local market—try them simply sautéed with garlic, olive oil and parsley, stirred through pasta, or served alongside roasted or grilled meats.

More Mushroom Recipes

WILD MUSHROOMS ; Saffron Coloured, Pine Mushrooms and Slippery Jacks
PASTA WITH MUSHROOMS Pasta ai funghi

Simple recipes for cooking any mushrooms:

FUNGHI AL FUNGHETTO (Braised mushrooms)
FRICASSE DE SETAS CON ANCHOAS (Spanish, Wild Mushroom and Anchovy Fricassee)