Jason Gathorne Hardy’s bucolic life is all rosy.
An old piece of Suffolk folklore states that the season in which the spiny branches of the wild gorse bush bear flower is crucial to the first, teetering steps of courtship. This resilient, thick-growing plant can reach heights of up to eight feet and its fountains of yellow blossom are a common sight on the coastal heaths around me in East Suffolk as well as other parts of East Anglia.
The words of advice borne down the generations regarding the gorse bush are simple - when the gorse is in flower, it is the season for courting. This is an intriguing saying and was presumably often used, for one of the more remarkable features of the gorse bush is that it flowers pretty much all year round. It gives everyone going for a walk in the summer months a good excuse to hold hands, steal a first kiss or re-affirm an old love – and to do it again, again and again in autumn, winter and spring. Regardless of the time of year, the gorse bush is always at hand to spur romance along.
If you feel urged to re-kindle the spirit of St Valentine’s Day, there is, fortunately, an abundance of seasonal wild foods to help you along the way. First among these is the gorse flower itself. The yolky petals release a soft buttery flavour when infused in milk. The flavoured milk presents an excellent base for making gorse flower pannecotta or a delicious thick custard. Both go well with rhubarb and other slightly tart or acidic fruits.
Another very pleasing summer ingredient, which can be found in hedges throughout the countryside is elderflower. The umbellifer-like flowers have a rich powdery fragrance which can again be extracted by making an infusion, this time by dropping handfuls of clean open florets into a pot of hard-boiling water, and then leaving this to stand and cool. By adding sugar to taste, the filtered infusion can be made into a summer cordial or, better still, a thick syrup. The latter can then be used as a base for mixing with stronger drinks or to make a summer sorbet - fresh chopped spearmint leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice will finish this beautifully.
Another useful ingredient is the flower of the wild dog rose. A handful of its delicate petals can be added to those of more fragrant old English garden roses to make rose petal syrup. This is another wonderful gift from the summer picking season. The taste and perfume is much lighter than the pollen-rich flavours of gorse flowers and elderflower. If made with dark pink and purple petals, the syrup will also retain a fantastic colour. Made into a thick syrup, it is perfect with local Mary Belle crème fraiche and fresh strawberries or any of East Anglia’s delicious local ice creams.
So, if you are feeling amorous during the coming summer months, look no further than the good old gorse bush for both justification and ingredients, and embark on some floriferous food adventures ! Happy picking and bon appétit!
Jason Gathorne-Hardy is a farmer, artist and food adventurer based at his sheep farm near Saxmundham – also home to his home brand Alde Valley Lamb™ and The Alde Valley Food Adventures™ – a rolling programme of events that celebrate food, farming, landscape and the arts. Some of his work can be seen at Milsoms in Kesgrave, Ipswich. He is also Patron of The Bario & Kelabit Highlands Food & Cultural Festival in Central Borneo.
