The Knobbly Plate

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Archives for April 2025

Foraged Palestinian Sautéed Common Mallow

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Along the winding edge of a quiet woodland path, I found myself drawn to the soft, sprawling presence of common mallow. It grew in loose, cheerful patches, its round, gently crinkled leaves lifting toward the light like open palms. The green was vivid yet somehow muted under the shifting shadows of the trees, giving the plants an earthy, lived-in beauty that only wild things seem to carry.

The mallow leaves were tender to the touch, with a slight fuzz that clung warmly to my fingers as I plucked a handful. They had an almost unassuming, homey look about them, their small, pale lilac flowers tucked shyly between the foliage. Holding a leaf to my mouth, I tasted it — mild, almost blank, offering little more than a faint, green freshness. It’s not the kind of plant that demands attention with bold or bitter notes. Instead, it waits quietly, a canvas for whatever flavours you choose to lay upon it.

Later, in the kitchen, I tossed the mallow into a heavy pan along with garlic, lemon, and a fistful of wild herbs. As the leaves wilted in the gentle heat, they softened into a silky, lush texture, drinking in the rich scents around them. They became a vessel for the meal’s essence, each bite carrying the sharpness of garlic, the brightness of citrus, the deep, resinous snap of rosemary. It was as though the mallow had surrendered itself completely to the surrounding flavours, giving them a new, tender place to bloom.

There’s a kind of magic in these humble greens — not in their taste, but in their willing transformation. Along the path, they stood as quiet witnesses to the passage of the seasons, thriving without fuss in the margins where the wild world meets the wandering human heart. And in the pan, they became something greater than themselves, a bridge between the forest’s edge and the comforts of a warm, fragrant meal. As I ate, I thought of the path, the whisper of wind in the leaves, and the quiet gift the mallow had offered — a soft, green memory stitched into every mouthful.

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Foraged Palastinian Sautéed Common Mallow
Author: 
Recipe type: Vegan/vegetarian
Cuisine: British Foraged
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 persons
 
Ingredients
  • ½ Tb Olive oil
  • 2 cups Common mallow , roughly chopped
  • Pinch of Salt and black pepper
  • 1 Small onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 Garlic cloves crushed
  • 1 Lemon
Instructions
  1. Heat a skillet on a medium heat, add olive oil.
  2. Add the onion& garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add the common mallow leaves, toss the leaves, add salt and pepper
  4. Add a squeeze of lemon , and serve immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers for couple of days only.

 

A Delicious Vegan Friendly Pasta Dish, Using Fresh New Season English Asparagus & Mushrooms

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A celebration of spring’s finest produce, this vibrant vegan dish pairs tender new-season English asparagus with earthy mushrooms and perfectly cooked vegan pasta for a simple yet stunning meal. It’s the kind of dinner that feels indulgent but is packed with goodness — light, fresh, and deeply satisfying.

The asparagus, with its delicate crunch and grassy sweetness, is the star here. Harvested at its peak, it brings a bright, green freshness that sings of springtime. Quickly blanched or sautéed, it retains its vivid colour and just the right amount of bite. Complementing it are caramelised button mushrooms, pan-seared until golden and rich with umami, adding depth and warmth to the dish.

The pasta — your choice of wholewheat, lentil, or classic durum wheat — forms a soft, comforting base, catching every drop of the garlic aroma. A pinch of chilli flakes adds a gentle kick.

This dish is as budget-friendly as it is beautiful. Ready in under 25 minutes, it requires just a handful of ingredients and no fancy equipment — ideal for a midweek dinner or a casual weekend lunch. It’s healthy without trying too hard, rich in fibre, vitamins, and plant-based protein, yet feels like a little treat.

A scattering of toasted pine nuts or crushed walnuts adds texture, while a dusting of nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan provides a final savoury flourish. Served warm or at room temperature, perhaps with a glass of chilled white wine or sparkling water with mint, it’s a dish that captures the essence of the season — fresh, green, and full of life.

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A Delicious Vegan Friendly Pasta Dish, Using Fresh New Season English Asparagus & Mushrooms
Author: 
Recipe type: Vegan
Cuisine: British
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 persons
 
Ingredients
  • 8 ounces pasta rotini preferred
  • 1 bunch English asparagus
  • 8 ounces button mushrooms or field mushrooms sliced
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable stock
  • 

2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 pinch red pepper flake
  • ½ cup soya milk or other unsweetened plant milk
  • 

2 teaspoons cornstarch (or potato starch or arrowroot)
Instructions
  1. Boil the pasta in plenty of salted water according to package instructions. Just before it's done, scoop out and reserve 1½ cup of the pasta water. Drain pasta and return to pan.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the asparagus by snapping off the ends: Hold the bottom of the spear in one hand and grasp it with the other hand about 2 inches away. Bend the spear and allow it to break. Discard the ends, and then cut the asparagus into pieces about 1½-inch long.
  3. Heat a large covered skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the asparagus and cook for a minute or two.
  4. Add ¼ cup water and quickly cover. Allow the asparagus to steam for 2 minutes. Uncover and add the mushrooms. Add a splash of water if it seems dry and cover. Cook for about 2 minutes or until mushrooms exude their juices. (If it seems too dry, add a splash of water.) Uncover,
  5. add the garlic, and cook for a minute or two.
  6. Add the vegetables to the pasta and combine well. Keep warm on the lowest heat setting.
  7. Put 1 cup of the pasta water into a small saucepan. Place it over medium high heat and add the stock, basil, nutritional yeast, crushed garlic, and red pepper. As it comes to a boil, whisk together the plant milk and starch in a small bowl and add it to the saucepan. Cook, stirring, until it boils and thickens slightly. Pour it over the pasta and vegetables, and stir to coat. If it seems dry, add a little of the remaining pasta water.
  8. Check the seasonings and add salt and black pepper to taste.

 

Delicious Warm, Foraged, Wild Garlic Bread

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Nestled in the heart of spring, this wild garlic bread is a celebration of the season’s most vibrant offering. Hand-foraged from lush, shaded woodlands, the wild garlic infuses the loaf with its unmistakable aroma — fresh, earthy, and gently pungent — a natural perfume that fills the kitchen as it bakes. The leaves, chopped finely and folded generously into a soft, enriched dough, create vivid green marbling throughout each slice, offering both beauty and bold flavor.

Golden and crisp on the outside, the crust cracks gently under the pressure of your fingers, giving way to a pillowy interior, tender and steaming when torn apart. The scent intensifies as the loaf is broken open, releasing warm notes of garlic, yeast, and a whisper of butter. It’s the kind of bread that begs to be shared — laid in the center of the table, still warm, with pieces pulled off and passed around, fingers brushing, laughter mingling with the sound of crust tearing.

Each bite is a textural delight — the contrast of crunchy crust and airy crumb, punctuated by the mellow, green sharpness of wild garlic. There’s a rustic charm to it, a reminder of barefoot walks through damp meadows and baskets filled with wild greens. Delicious on its own or dipped into olive oil, slathered with salted butter, or paired with soft cheeses, it transforms the simplest meal into something memorable.

This bread isn’t just baked — it’s gathered, kneaded, and loved into life. It’s wild and soulful, a reminder of the bounty just beyond our doors, and of the quiet magic found in the act of sharing food made with our hands and the gifts of nature.

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Delicious Warm, Foraged, Wild Garlic Bread
Author: 
Recipe type: Foraged
Cuisine: British Woodland Food
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • DOUGH
  • * 750 g wheat flour
  • * 400 ml water, lukewarm
  • * 1 tsp sugar
  • * 42 g fresh yeast, corresponds to 1 cube
  • * 2 tsp salt
  • * 5 tbsp olive oil
  • WILD GARLIC BUTTER
  • * 200 g vegan butter, soft
  • * 40 g wild garlic
  • * ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
  1. * For the dough, first mix the lukewarm water (only around 35-40 degrees Celsius) and the sugar. Crumble in the yeast and dissolve by stirring. Let stand in a warm place for about 5-10 minutes to activate the yeast.
  2. * Put the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the yeast mixture and olive oil and knead everything into a smooth dough for a few minutes. Shape the finished dough into a large ball. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for at least 1 hour. Now also prepare the wild garlic butter or put it out of the refrigerator so that it can become soft.
  3. * Roll out the dough into a long rectangle on a floured work surface and brush with ¾ of the soft wild garlic butter. Halve the rectangle from the short side. Then cut from the long side into strips approx. 5-6 cm thick and roll them up. Don't worry, you don't have to work exact here. Place the dough rolls close together in a greased springform pan (we use one with a diameter of 21 cm). Below you can find pictures of these steps.
  4. * Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Since springform pans are usually not completely tight, place a pan underneath in the oven to catch any melting fat. Bake the wild garlic bread for about 40-45 minutes until the crust is lightly brown and crispy. Brush the bread with the rest of the wild garlic butter and bake for another 5 minutes.
  5. * Take out of the oven and let cool down before cutting.
  6. WILD GARLIC BUTTER
  7. * Wash wild garlic and spin dry. Roughly cut into small pieces with a knife.
  8. * Mix the wild garlic, salt and the softened butter (in small pieces) either in a tall, narrow container with a hand blender or in a food processor. Like this it can be used for the recipe.
  9. * If you make more butter and want to keep it: put the vegan wild garlic butter in a clean container or form a roll in cling film. The wild garlic butter can be kept in the fridge for at least 1-2 weeks. But it can also be frozen wonderfully.

 

A Chinese Inspired Main course of Tender-stem Broccoli with Garlic and Chilli

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A vibrant celebration of spring’s arrival, this Chinese-inspired tender stem broccoli dish is a symphony of colour, texture, and bold, aromatic flavours. The young, delicate florets of tender stem broccoli—bright green and crisply sweet—are the star, embodying the freshness of the new season. Blanched just briefly to preserve their vibrant hue and satisfying crunch, they form a light yet hearty base for this vegetarian main course.

In a hot wok, slivers of fiery red chilli and fragrant ginger are swiftly stir-fried in a whisper of sesame oil. The aroma is immediate and heady, dancing in the air with notes of spice and warmth. The ginger adds a mellow heat, slightly sweet and earthy, while the chilli gives a bold, invigorating kick—perfectly balanced to awaken the palate without overwhelming it. Into this sizzling medley goes the broccoli, soaking up the seasoned oil, transforming as it tosses and glistens under the flame.

A splash of soy sauce adds a depth of umami and a hint of saltiness, while a drizzle of rice vinegar brings brightness that elevates the whole dish. Toasted sesame seeds are scattered over just before serving, adding a nutty crunch and a final layer of texture.

Served steaming hot with a side of jasmine rice or nestled over soft noodles, this dish is at once comforting and invigorating. It is a plateful of spring’s best offerings—fresh, light, and nourishing, yet brimming with personality. The contrast of tender greens and zesty aromatics makes it more than just a vegetarian option; it becomes a seasonal centrepiece. A dish that’s simple in preparation but rich in sensory delight—spring on a plate.

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A Chinese Inspired Main course of Tender-stem Broccoli with Garlic and Chilli
Author: 
Recipe type: Vegetarian/Vegan
Cuisine: Oriental
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 persons
 
A fresh springtime dish of fresh tender stem broccoli served with garlic and chilli
Ingredients
  • * 400g long-stem broccoli stalks and florets separated
  • * 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • * 4 tbsp olive oil
  • * 1 red chilli deseeded and sliced
Instructions
  1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the stalks and cook for 2 mins, then add the florets and cook for 2 mins more.
  2. Gently heat the garlic and oil together until the garlic just starts to sizzle and brown, then remove from the heat and add the chilli. Drain the broccoli really well and toss in the garlic oil to serve.

 

Classic Foraged Early Springtime Stinging Nettle Soup

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A classic bowl of foraged springtime stinging nettle soup is a celebration of the season’s earliest green gifts — wild, vivid, and nourishing. Emerging just as winter’s grip loosens, young stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) are among the first wild edibles to carpet forest floors and hedgerows. Gathered with care (and gloves!), their tender tops are packed with vitamins A, C, and iron, making them a staple for revitalizing springtime fare.

The soup begins simply. In a pot, onions and leeks are softened in butter or olive oil until sweet and golden. A couple of garlic cloves follow, just kissed by heat to release their aroma. Potatoes, diced small, are added next to lend body and creaminess. After a few stirs, vegetable or chicken stock is poured in, and the pot simmers until the potatoes yield easily to a fork.

Now, the star ingredient: fresh nettles, washed and stripped from their stems. The sting disappears within seconds of cooking, replaced by a deep green earthiness that’s somewhere between spinach and sorrel. They’re wilted briefly in the broth, their color bright and life-affirming.

A quick blend transforms everything into a velvety, emerald-hued soup. A swirl of cream or a spoonful of yogurt can soften its wild edge, and a grating of nutmeg or a squeeze of lemon sharpens it into balance. Some prefer it rustic, others pass it through a sieve for silkiness.

Served hot with crusty bread or a poached egg on top, this nettle soup is more than a meal — it’s a rite of spring, a connection to land and season. Each spoonful tastes of renewal, reminding us of the richness that comes from the wild, the overlooked, and the patiently gathered.

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Classic Foraged Early Springtime Stinging Nettle Soup
Author: 
Recipe type: Vegetarian
Cuisine: Foraged
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 persons
 
A classic recipe for an early springtime recipe for stinging nettle soup
Ingredients
  • * 4 cups vegetable stock
  • * ½ cup heavy cream
  • * 2 cups diced peeled russet potato, roughly 1 large potato
  • * 2 cups diced leeks
  • * 2 medium sized shallots diced small
  • * 1 small yellow onion diced
  • * 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • * 1 cup diced celery
  • * Kosher salt to taste
  • * White pepper to taste
  • * 8 oz stinging nettles or roughly half a paper grocery bag full This should yield about 1 heaping packed cup after blanching, shocking and mincing.
Instructions
  1. * Harvest fresh nettles in the spring about 4-5 inches tall.
  2. * Wash the nettles in a sink of cold water, then dry them.
  3. * Working in batches in a large pot fitted with a steamer basket, steam the nettles until completely wilted. This should take about 2 minutes. Cool the nettles. Note that you can also add the nettles directly to the blender or soup raw for a stronger flavor.
  4. * Squeeze the nettles of excess water, chop finely and reserve. If you're more comfortable blanching nettles put 2-3 quarts of water in a large pot, along with 2 tablespoons of salt and bring to a boil, adding the nettles and cooking for 30 seconds.
  5. * Remove the nettles leaves and stems to a tray, spread them out and cool naturally.
  6. * Remove a handful of nettles and finely chop them to add after the soup is pureed.
  7. Finishing and serving
  8. * Crème fraiche
  9. * chopped dill or mint
  10. * chopped hard boiled egg optional
  11. * extra virgin olive oil to garnish, optional

 

Fresh Foraged Nettle Tagliatelle

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There’s something quietly magical about foraging for fresh young nettles in the golden hush of early spring. The earth is just beginning to stir from its winter slumber, and with the first blush of sunshine, tender green shoots begin to peek through the undergrowth. It’s the perfect time to wander through woodlands or along quiet country paths, fingers brushing over wild herbs and weeds, basket in hand, eyes alert for the unmistakable deep green of new nettles.

Gloves are a must, of course—nettles sting, even when they’re young—but there’s something deeply grounding in this ritual. It connects you to the season, to the land, to something older than any supermarket shelf. These early nettles are vibrant with nutrients, fresh and peppery in flavor, and once you blanch them, their sting softens into silk.

Back home, the transformation begins. Blanched nettles are wrung out, chopped fine, and kneaded into fresh pasta dough. The green stains your hands as you work, and the scent of fresh earth lingers in the air. Rolled and cut into delicate tagliatelle ribbons, the pasta takes on a soft, mossy hue—nature’s own color palette.

Boiled for just a moment and tossed with lemon zest, a pat of butter, or maybe some garlic and pecorino, nettle tagliatelle is a celebration of spring on a plate. It tastes of renewal, of simplicity, of wild things tamed just enough to nourish.

The joy isn’t just in the eating—it’s in the gathering, the making, the quiet hours spent in sunlight and steam. Foraging nettles in spring is not just about food, but about rhythm, presence, and the delicious satisfaction of coaxing a feast from the forest floor.


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Fresh Foraged Nettle Tagliatelle
Author: 
Recipe type: Vegan
Cuisine: British Foraged Recipe
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 persons
 
Ingredients
  • 10 ounces all-purpose flour,
  • about 2 heaping cups

4½ ounces blanched nettles or spinach, about a cup
Instructions
  1. Depending on how old your nettles are, you will need two or three big tong-fulls of fresh nettles to get your 4 ounces. I say tong-fulls because you do not want to pick up fresh nettles, as they will sting you. Thus the name. Get a huge pot of water boiling and add a handful of salt. Grab the nettles with tongs and put them into the boiling water. Stir around and boil for 1 to 3 minutes, depending on how old they are. Fish them out with a skimmer or the tongs and immediately dump them into a big bowl with ice water in it. Once they are cool, put them in a colander to strain.
  2. Remove any thick stems. Chop the nettles roughly. Puree the nettles with a little water in a blender. When you are done, add a little water into the bowl of the blender to help clean it out, but save the water -- you might need this "nettle water" if your dough is not moist enough.
  3. Put the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add the nettle puree and gradually incorporate it into the flour until you get a shaggy mass. If it's too stiff add a little of the nettle water. Start folding the dough over itself until it comes together, then begin kneading. This is a medium strength dough, so you’ll need to knead for 5 to 8 minutes.
  4. Cover the dough with a thin film of olive oil and wrap in plastic. Let it sit for an hour.
  5. Cut off a piece of the dough and roll it out in a pasta machine. How thick? Your choice. But the traditional width for strettine is relatively thick, about a little less than ⅛ inch. This corresponds to No. 5 on my machine, which is an Atlas.
  6. Once you have your sheet of pasta, you can cut it with the wide tines on your pasta cutter. That’s easy, but the real noodles are a little narrower. To hand cut your noodles, make sure the sheet is supple and cool, not sticky. If it is sticky, dust with a little flour and smooth it over the surface with your hand. Loosely roll the dough sheet up so that the slices you are about to make form long pasta. Using a sharp (it must be sharp, or you will be in trouble!) chef’s knife, cleaver or other large blade, slice the loose roll at intervals somewhere between ⅛ and ¼ inches. Lay the pasta on the counter or board with some flour dusted on them. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
  7. After every little batch, pick up the previous one that had been drying and give it a slight twist, making it into a loose nest. This makes for easier storage. The strettine will sit like this for up to a day. Boil in lots of salty water until they float, and then for another minute or two.

 

Fresh Foraged Wild Nettle Pesto

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There’s something deeply satisfying—almost primal—about foraging for your own food on an early sunny spring day. The air is crisp, kissed by the scent of damp earth and new blooms, while golden sunlight filters through the young leaves above, dappling the ground in warm patches. Birds chatter overhead as you crouch down, brushing aside tufts of moss or tall blades of grass, eyes scanning for nature’s hidden treasures: wild garlic, dandelion greens, tender nettles, or violet petals.

Each find feels like a secret whispered from the land—gifts tucked away in plain sight. There’s a peaceful rhythm to it: the slow walk, the careful picking, the light rustle of your gathering bag. And when you lift your face to the sun, hands stained green and heart light, there’s a quiet sense of abundance that no grocery store can match. The food is free, yes—but more than that, it’s alive. It connects you to the season, to the land, to something older and wiser than modern convenience.

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Later, in your kitchen, that same wild garlic becomes a vibrant pesto, spooned over crusty bread or tossed with warm pasta. Nettles turn into a silky soup, full of iron and freshness. These meals are simple, but rich in flavor and story. You can taste the spring sun, feel the joy of discovery, and remember the gentle rustle of wind through budding trees. Foraging turns nourishment into a celebration—of health, of the earth, and of our place within it. It’s not just food; it’s a reminder that the best things in life are often the simplest, waiting quietly just beyond the path.

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Fresh Foraged Wild Nettle Pesto
Author: 
Recipe type: Vegan
Cuisine: Foraged food
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6 persons
 
Fresh made early spring wild nettle pesto
Ingredients
  • cups (loosely packed) fresh nettle leaves - be careful; always use gloves or tongs when handling nettle; it stings!
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • ⅓ cup toasted almonds*
  • 1 tbsp white miso
  • 1½ tbsp lemon juice, or more to taste
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, or more to taste
  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • 1-2 tbsp water
  • Optional: chili flakes
Instructions
  1. Always use gloves or tongs when handling fresh nettle - if you touch it with bare hands, it will sting and you will feel its effect for a few hours.
  2. Wearing gloves, wash the nettle under running water. In a food processor, combine the nettle, garlic, toasted almonds, miso, lemon juice (start with 1½ tablespoons) and nutritional yeast. Blend to combine.
  3. With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Stop the machine to scrape down the sides as needed. Add water, one tablespoon at a time and continue blending until you get a creamy texture. Taste and add salt, more lemon juice and/or chili flakes if necessary until it’s flavourful and well balanced. Serve with pasta, in a sandwich, as a dip, etc.