mark williams | Brunch at Goodies

Sunday saw another foraging trip arranged by the Cail Bruich restaurant and led by the Galloway Wild Foods forager Mark Williams. Unlike the previous foraging expedition this time we headed out of city to the Mugdock Country Park and instead of drizzle and grey skies we had brilliant sunshine all day! This being the end of September we were of course in search of fungi and while we would have gone very hungry if we had been dependent upon the fungi we found in the woods at Mugdock we did find a variety of fungi ranging from the eminently desirable cep right through to the far less attractive stinkhorn and brown roll rim toadstool.

The following pictures are a selection of snaps from the day:

Forager Mark Williams models the 2014 spring season Eco-friendly Red Nose range while the judging panel look on!

We found lots of brown roll-rim toadstools, Paxillus involutus in the woods but unfortunately while they were eaten in the past they can cause a fatal auto immune response which may happen very rapidly or only after eating them for several years. So unless Russian Roulette is something you fancy they should be left strictly alone!

Not all mushrooms grow on the ground. The hoof fungus, Fomes fomentarius, is commonly found growing on birch trees in Scotland and although not edible it has a variety of interesting uses. To learn more start with a look at Wikipedia.

Yet another inedible fungus; the stinkhorn, Phallus impudicus and given the vile smell not something that you would like to eat! This foraging business is hard work still no sign of any food!

At last. Real food! Fortunately both Mark and Cail Bruich chef/owner Chris Charalambous brought along some mushrooms foraged from elsewhere.

Chris made a dish in which venison chorizo (from Great Glen Game), chanterelle and winter chanterelle were the star performers.

Tasting elderberry vinegar. One of the rave discoveries of the last foraging trip and despite initial reserve it made another batch of converts here too. I am half way through making a batch of vinegar, to see progress so far visit my Flickr Photostream

Mark’s mushroom extravaganza! How he managed to get all of this

into this and then saute it without letting any escape I don’t know !

Many thanks to Mark and Chris for a truly memorable day out!

For more information about the Cail Bruich restaurant and Galloway Wild Foods please follow the links.

Copyright: All photographs and text in the blog “Brunch at Goodies” are subject to copyright. © Keith Gooderham 2011-2013 All rights reserved. Do NOT copy material without requesting permission to do so. If you would like permission simply contact me.

Sunday saw a trip to the Wildside or more precisely to Kelvinside as an intrepid band followed Mark Williams along the banks of the Kelvin on a foraging trip with a difference. Mark lives in Gatehouse of Fleet, that forgotten corner of SW Scotland where the vastness of the Solway Firth dominates the southern border and to the north are the remote hills and forests of Galloway. Mark is a forager with a difference, working under the name Galloway Wild Food, he doesn’t so much forage to sell to chefs and delis, as is usually the case, but instead he spends much of his time teaching people how to forage and to recognise the hidden treasures that are literally on our doorstep! Mark had been encouraged to head north to “the Big City” by Chris and Paul Charlambous owners of the Cail Bruich restaurant in Glasgow’s West End to take part in a combined foraging walk and a meal featuring many foraged ingredients. The walk was a revelation, did you know that the roots of one of our common hedge row plants tastes just like cloves?! I didn’t and as you can see below clove root (Geum urbanum, Wood Avens, Herb Bennet) was only one of the many plants that we discovered here in the heart of Glasgow!

Mark’s “Nature Table” of Foraged GoodiesMark extolling the benefits of hog weed! Pineapple weed growing in abundance along the banks of the River Kelvin.And you do what with it?!Paul discusses the merits of pineapple weed with Mark but looking at the picture now I am reminded more than anything else of the Bob Newhart sketch “Introducing tobacco to civilisation“

“Welcome back” – Elderflower champagne and prosecco

And now for part 2!

The Menu!“A drizzle of elderberry vinegar”Elderberry vinegar, sweet yet sour and sticky is an absolute revelation and a must have! The elderberries will soon be ripe so don’t miss out and follow the simple recipe now!