Wild Cuisine Throughout the Seasons
Abundant, free, sources of vitality, rich in textures and flavors... wild plants have everything to please. Dive into this gourmet world with Lucie Saint-Voirin and her modern, family vegetarian cuisine. For more than 10 years, Lucie has been creating recipes and sharing her passion for edible wild plants. Her goal: to make them a new food base.
Nettle, lamb's quarters, hogweed, dandelion, melilot, coltsfoot, meadowsweet... In all their forms, plants are the stars of the show: flowers, leaves, roots, and seeds are enjoyed from appetizer to dessert, from sauces to drinks. Associated with seasonal fruits and vegetables, these original, healthy, and flavorful recipes will accompany you throughout the year.
Including alternative plant suggestions for each recipe, a brief presentation of the species and a harvesting calendar, this book offers a complete look at wild cuisine. Numerous beautiful photos by Alexandra Sophie punctuate the pages and are invitations to put on your apron.
Take a step towards self-sufficiency: from picking to plating, enjoy the plants that grow under your feet with simplicity!
VIOLET SYROP
It is not easy to capture the subtle aroma of Viola odorata (Sweet Violet)! The trick of this recipe is to pick the flowers and immediately immerse them in wine to collect a maximum of aroma. This syrup preparation is ideal for delicate flowers with volatile aromas.
Maceration time: 3 to 7 days
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Ingredients for about 1 liter of syrup:
- 1 jar with a capacity of 1 liter
- 1 bottle of white wine (750 ml)
- Violet flowers (enough to fill 2/3 of the jar that will contain the wine)
- 1 lemon
- 200 ml of water
- 500 g of sugar
To vary try Acacia flowers
Since violet flowers are extremely fragile, it is preferable to immerse them immediately in the wine to preserve their delicate perfume as much as possible. So go pick the violets with your jar filled with wine. Place each flower picked directly into the container. To facilitate your picking, you can wedge your open jar in a basket.
When your jar is at least half full, let the violet flowers steep for 3 to 7 days, stirring from time to time. The flowers must be completely discolored and the wine should have taken on the color of violets.
Squeeze the lemon, then reserve its juice. Filter the violet wine.
Mix the water and sugar in a large saucepan. Boil for 5 minutes to obtain a thick syrup.
Once the syrup is cooked, add the lemon juice and violet wine off the heat.
Pour the hot syrup into clean and dry bottles.
This syrup can be stored for several months in the refrigerator.
WILD GARLIC MUSHROOM SALAD
Note: This is a quick recipe that can be made with all sorts of garlic
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients:
- 1 lemon
- 2 handfuls of wild garlic leaves
- 500 g of button mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
Squeeze the lemon to collect the juice.
Wash the garlic leaves, then chop 2/3 of them into pieces about 2 mm thick.
Wash and trim the mushrooms.
Cut the mushrooms into thin strips.
Combine the garlic, mushrooms, oil, and lemon juice in a salad bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with the remaining leaves.
Serve immediately.
Variations:
Garlic chives- Wild chervil (young shoots) - Caraway (seeds) - Ground elder (young leaves or flowers) - Galinsoga - Oregano (leaves or flowers) - Stinging nettle (young shoots) - Salad burnet - Dandelion (young leaves or flower buds) - Chickweed
These are just a few suggestions, feel free to experiment with other types of greens and herbs!
ACACIA FLOWER FRITTERS
These fritters are a delicious way to enjoy the beauty and flavor of acacia flowers. You can also use elderberry flowers, carrot flowers, or meadowsweet flowers depending on the season.
Total Preparation and Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6 people
Ingredients:
— 100 g of rice flour
- 50 g of fine wheat flour
- 1 egg
- 20 g of powdered sugar
- 25 cl of milk
- Neutral frying oil
- 1 bowl of acacia flowers in clusters
Instructions:
In a salad bowl, whisk together the flours, egg, and sugar. Gradually add the milk to avoid lumps.
Once the batter is smooth and homogenous, heat the frying oil in a pan or fryer.
Dip a cluster of acacia flowers into the batter, and let it drain quickly before placing it in the hot oil.
Fry for a few minutes until the batter is golden brown.
Place the fritter on absorbent paper to remove excess oil.
Serve hot.
Variations:
Wild carrot flowers (flowers) - Ground elder (young stems and flowers) - Sweet clover (flowers) - Sweet Woodruff (flowers) - Meadowsweet (flowers) - Black elderberry (flowers) - Coltsfoot (flowers)
WOODRUFF PANNA COTTA
This has become a great classic among the recipes I offer in restaurants. This dessert is a unanimous favorite among gourmets, sprinkled with shortbread crumbs and flowers.
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Refrigeration time: 1 hour
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients:
- 100 ml of cream
- 1 handful of dried sweet woodruff (leaves and flowers)
- 400 ml of almond milk
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
- 6 tablespoons of sugar
- 2 g of agar-agar
Optional:
- Shortbread crumbs (see next page)
- Flowers
Instructions:
Gently heat the cream and infuse the sweet woodruff for 20 minutes (the cream should not boil).
In a saucepan, mix the almond milk, cornstarch, sugar, and agar-agar.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 seconds.
Add the cream, mix well, and immediately pour into verrines or small molds.
Let them cool, then place them in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Optional garnish:
Just before serving, you can sprinkle your desserts with shortbread crumbs (see next page) and flowers.
Variations:
Acacia (flowers) - Meadowsweet (roots) - German Chamomile (flowers) - True Lavender (flowers) - Ground Ivy (flowers) - Sweet Clover (flowers) - Myrrh (leaves or flowers) - Meadowsweet (flowers) - Fir (young shoots) - Black Elderberry (flowers) - Thyme (wild) - Lime (flowers)
Recipes - Lucie Saint-Voirin
Photography - Alexandra Sophie
Publisher - les éditions Terran @editionsdeterran_officiel