It’s that time when everything is lush, and it’s such a joy to pick edible wild vegetables to add to a dish!
One of my favourites to forage is Ground Elder. It’s a fast-growing plant, so I never feel guilty picking them. Ground Elder has nutritional benefits, and its lemony scent would pair beautifully with a fish curry. When cooked, it has a lovely texture, soft but not mushy like spinach.
It is also called "gout weed" for its traditional use in treating gout. Apart from its anti-inflammatory properties, it also supports kidney and urinary health by promoting urination, which helps the body eliminate excess uric acid. This is important for gout and arthritis relief. The young leaves are also known to relieve bloating and indigestion.
It’s rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, and minerals like potassium and magnesium, nutrients that surpass those of most supermarket vegetables.
The best time to harvest Ground Elder is just before it flowers, when the leaves are most tender and lush.
I’ve picked a few to cook with and set some aside to dry, which I’ll use later for teas or future cooking.
Wash them nicely.
RECIPE:
🐟 Simple Coconut Fish Curry with Wild Vegetable
Serves: 4
Preparation Time: Approximately 45 minutes
Difficulty: Not too tricky
🧂 Ingredients
Marinade:
1 tablespoon Garam masala
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Chilli powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauce/Curry:
Coconut oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 chillies, sliced (adjust to taste)
1-inch piece of ginger, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala or curry powder
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
400ml light coconut milk
200ml fish or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
400g firm white fish fillets (e.g., cod or haddock), cut into chunks
150g green vegetables: Wild ground elder, (green beans or spinach as a substitute)
Garnish:
Fresh coriander leaves
Red chilli
Steamed rice to serve
👨🍳 Method:
Marinate the fish for at least 30 minutes.
Heat vegetable or coconut oil in a wide, shallow saucepan over medium heat and brown the fish. (Optional, but it makes it taste nicer.)
Set aside.
Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil. Add the chopped onion and sea salt, cooking for about 10 minutes until softened and translucent, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the chopped chillies, grated ginger, and minced garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, adding a splash of water if the mixture begins to stick.
Add the ground turmeric and garam masala or curry powder, stirring for another minute until fragrant.
Pour in the tinned tomatoes with their juices, stirring and allowing to cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes begin to break down.
Add vegetable stock and coconut milk, bringing the mixture to a boil.
Stir in the vegetables, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in the tamarind paste, then gently add the fish chunks, cooking for 3 minutes.
Season to taste, then garnish with fresh coriander leaves, slices of lime and chopped fresh red chillies.
Serve hot with steamed rice
This was very delicious, with the spiced flavour, the coconut's creaminess, and that delicious fried fish and fragrant lemony ground elder. It was very satisfying!
Have a wonderful day,
Mariah 💗🍃😊
