Today my neighbour brought me some wild garlic that I had asked him for, so later I will make a spring soup.

Serves 2

Sauté the potatoes in hot oil till softened, add the leaves. Add vegetable stock to cover. Simmer on low heat for one hour. Liquidise and serve hot or cold. Some people garnish with wild garlic flowers and some cook them in the soup along with the leaves.

A common plant it is member of the brassica family with a strong cabbage/garlic flavour. All parts are edible from ‘root to shoot’ including flowers and seeds. Add to pasta sauces, mix with steamed or lightly boiled green vegetables, tender leaves are good in salads. Finely chopped as a garnish/seasoning on grills, eggs and in sandwiches.

Hawthorn leaves add sweetness to salads when the leaves are young and tender.