The Knobbly Plate

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Foraged Wild Chickweed Salad

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How to use it: its tender leaves can go in salads with lemon and olive oil dressing. Blend into homemade pesto, or use to liven up just about any dish really. The tiny white, edible flowers make a pretty salad garnish.

What to look for: it’s a tough, creeping annual common throughout the UK on waste ground and in gardens. It’s abundant throughout the year from spring to late autumn. Look for its small, white, star-like white flowers. Look for it from February.

A fresh early-season foraged salad of chickweed is a quiet celebration of late winter’s generosity. Gathered in early February, when the land is still holding its breath, chickweed thrives low to the ground, tender and vibrant against the muted earth. Its delicate stems trail like green threads, dotted with small, star-shaped leaves and tiny white flowers that seem almost improbable at this time of year. Plucked fresh, it carries the scent of clean soil and cool air, a reminder that spring is already stirring beneath the frost.

On the palate, chickweed is mild and refreshing, with a gentle sweetness and a soft, grassy crunch that feels nourishing rather than bold. Tossed simply—perhaps with a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of good olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt—it needs very little embellishment. Its freshness is the point. Each bite tastes alive, hydrating, and light, as if the plant has captured the season’s first promise of warmth.

As a vegan dish, this salad feels especially honest: no substitutions, no imitations, just plants as they are. Rich in vitamins and minerals, chickweed has long been valued as both food and gentle medicine, making it as healthy as it is humble. Served at the start of an early foraging trip, it grounds you in the moment. You’re eating what the land is offering right now, at its quietest and most resilient.

This salad isn’t about abundance or excess. It’s about attentiveness—kneeling close to the ground, noticing what’s growing, and welcoming the year back one fresh, green mouthful at a time.

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Foraged Wild Chickweed Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: Foraged
Cuisine: British Woodland
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 1 Person
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup chickweed leaves
  • 
1 bunch spring onions or 1 small red onion finely sliced
  • 1 beet
  • 
pinch of sea salt
  • 3 tbsp organic coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp wine vinegar
  • ½ tsps mustard of choice
Instructions
  1. Rinse and drain chickweed.
  2. Thinly cut spring onions.
  3. Grate a raw beet.
  4. Place in bowl.
  5. Combine the coconut oil, wine vinegar and mustard well then toss through salad.
  6. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over salt and enjoy.

 

Pumkin & Carlin Pea Spiced Dhal

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Carlin beans—also called Carlin peas, black peas, or parched peas—are small, dark brown maple peas traditionally eaten in northern England, especially Lancashire and Yorkshire. They have a nutty, earthy flavour and a firm texture. Historically, they were cooked and served with vinegar and pepper during “Carlin Sunday,” a regional Lenten tradition. Today, they’re enjoyed in stews, salads, and hearty side dishes, valued for being high-protein, inexpensive, and very filling.

A bowl of pumpkin and Carlin pea spiced dhal is like stepping into a warm glow after walking through icy dusk—an embrace of colour, scent, and slow-cooked comfort. The moment the spoon breaks its surface, steam curls upward in soft, fragrant ribbons, carrying with it the earthy sweetness of pumpkin and the deep, nut-brown aroma of Carlin peas. These humble peas, with their firm bite and woodsy character, anchor the dish like little embers scattered through a golden-orange sea. The dhal thickens around them, velvety and luminous, a tapestry woven from simmered pulses, softened pumpkin, and spices blooming in oil.

On a winter evening, the air outside feels sharp, almost metallic, but inside the kitchen there is warmth that pulses gently from stove to fingertips. Mustard seeds crackle in a pan like tiny sparks. Cumin unfurls its warm breath. Turmeric glows amber, and coriander whispers citrusy brightness. When the garlic sizzles and the ginger releases its rising heat, the spices mingle into a kind of edible perfume—one that fills the whole room, drifting into corners, clinging to wool scarves and sleeves.

The pumpkin softens into buttery chunks, some melting into the dhal to add body, others holding their shape like sweet lanterns. The Carlin peas resist just enough, giving each mouthful a rhythm—soft, then firm, then soft again. A swirl of coconut cream brings a mellow richness, while a final squeeze of lime brightens the shadows of spice. Fresh coriander leaves scatter across the top like green flecks of winter hope.

Eating it is a slow, warming ritual: hands around the bowl, heat radiating into palms; the first taste spreading warmth down to the chest; the spices blooming wider with every bite. Outside, the world may be frost-bitten and quiet, but this dish creates its own weather—an inner fire, steady and glowing, the kind that turns a cold night into something gentle, human, and deeply, deliciously alive.

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Pumkin &Carlin Pea Spiced Dhal
Author: 
Recipe type: Vegetarian
Cuisine: European
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
A simple winter warmer using everything that is in season in the winter months.
Ingredients
  • 2 medium onions, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 knob of ginger, grated
  • 750g pumpkin or squash, peeled and chopped into medium chunks
  • 1 jar of Queen Carlin Peas with their bean stock
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1½ tsp turmeric
  • 250g split red lentils
  • 1 x 400g can of full fat coconut milk
  • 700ml veg or chicken stock
  • The juice of ½ lime
  • TO SERVE
  • Greek yoghurt - Or vegan alternative
  • 1 small bunch of fresh coriander, leaves roughly chopped
  • Lime wedges
  • Nigella or sunflower seeds
  • Mango chutney (optional)
  • Naan or rice
Instructions
  1. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil over a medium heat and add the onions with a pinch of salt. Once the onions are slightly browned (roughly 7-8 minutes), add the ginger and garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
  2. Add the cumin, curry powder and turmeric with the chunks of pumpkin and red lentils. Toss the lentils and pumpkin to coat in the spices.
  3. Add the jar of Queen Carlin Peas with their bean stock, the coconut milk and veg stock. Cover and simmer the dhal for 30-40 minutes, until it becomes thick and starchy and the pumpkin is soft, stirring every so often to stop the lentils from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add water if it becomes too dry.
  4. Once the dhal is nearly cooked, squeeze in the lime juice and check for seasoning.
  5. Spoon the dhal into bowls. Top with a dollop of yoghurt, fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime. Add some mango chutney for sweetness too, if you like. Serve with rice or naan for something heartier.

 

Lemon Roasted Courgettes with Herbs

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With the arrival of summer comes the first crop of vibrant, tender courgettes, a seasonal gift that begs to be turned into something simple yet bursting with flavour. One of the easiest and most delicious ways to enjoy new season courgettes is to roast them Mediterranean-style with lemon, herbs, and a drizzle of good olive oil. This dish is quick to prepare, incredibly affordable, and pairs beautifully with everything from grilled fish to crusty bread.

To make this dish, start with the freshest courgettes you can find—small to medium ones are ideal as they tend to be sweeter and more delicate. Slice them lengthwise into halves or quarters, depending on size, then lay them in a single layer on a baking tray. The goal is to get the edges slightly caramelised while the centres remain tender and juicy.

A generous drizzle of olive oil comes next, coating each piece so they roast rather than steam. Then comes the real character: a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, which infuses the courgettes with bright, citrusy tang. Add finely grated lemon zest for an extra punch of flavour. Season with sea salt, cracked black pepper, and a handful of chopped herbs—thyme and oregano work beautifully, but parsley, rosemary, or mint can all offer different twists.

Pop the tray into a hot oven, around 200°C (400°F), and roast for about 20–25 minutes. Halfway through, give them a gentle toss to ensure even colouring. The result is golden, slightly crisp courgettes with a zesty, herb-infused fragrance that fills the kitchen.

This dish is not only quick and satisfying but also incredibly versatile. Serve it warm as a side dish, pile it over couscous or quinoa for a wholesome vegetarian meal, or let it cool and mix it into a salad with feta cheese and olives. It’s a dish that celebrates summer produce at its best—minimal effort, maximum flavour.

With just a few pantry staples and garden-fresh vegetables, lemon roasted courgettes are proof that the simplest ingredients, treated well, can become something truly special. Whether you’re cooking for one or a crowd, this Mediterranean-inspired recipe is a go-to that you’ll come back to all season long.

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Lemon Roasted Courgettes with Herbs
Author: 
Recipe type: Vegan/Vegetarian
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 persons
 
Ingredients
  • 3 large courgettes
  • 2 tablespoon olive or sunflower oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 lemon
  • fresh mint
  • fresh parsley
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
  2. Trim the ends from each courgette.
  3. Slice in half then slice each half into 8 wedges.
  4. Toss the wedges in the olive oil,
  5. crushed garlic and season generously with salt and black pepper.
  6. Tip the wedges onto a large baking tray and turn them over so they are all skin down.
  7. Roast for 25-30 minutes until the edges are turning golden brown, but the wedges have kept their shape and not turned soggy.
Just before serving,
  8. scatter the wedges with the lemon zest and finely chopped parsley and mint, and toss through the juice of half the lemon.