New Potatoes with Wild Garlic and Lemon Dressing
New Potatoes with Wild Garlic and Lemon Dressing are a delicious seasonal Spring treat. The wild garlic doesn’t overpower the delicate flavour of new potatoes and the fresh taste of lemon enhances both.
Why make New Potatoes with Wild Garlic & Lemon Dressing?
The first new potatoes of the season are always the best and have such a lovely firm texture and earthy taste. I often serve them simply boiled and dressed with butter.
However, this delicious wild garlic & lemon dressing is well worth trying. It’s served warm or at room temperature and is a great accompaniment to fish and chicken.
What is wild garlic?
Wild Garlic is also known as Ransoms or Ramps and is a leafy plant that appears in spring. You will probably smell it before you see it. You can eat the young leaves and the flowers which both have a pungent smell of garlic but are mild in flavour.
Where does wild garlic grow?
Wild Garlic grows on the woodland floor often close to water. Always pick wild garlic far from the roadside and traffic pollution. There is more information about foraging for wild garlic on the Countryfile website
I’m very fortunate to live close to a small woodland where an abundance of wild garlic grows.
How do I prepare wild garlic?
Wash the wild garlic carefully then you can use it just as you would other fresh herbs.
Can I keep wild garlic in the fridge?
Wild garlic is best eaten on the day it is picked. However, you can store it wrapped in damp kitchen paper inside a plastic bag in the salad drawer of the fridge. It will keep for 2 or 3 days stored like this without any ill effect.
Can I freeze wild garlic?
Yes, you can chop it finely and put it in ice cube trays then cover it with olive oil. Drop these cubes into soups and stews to add a little wild garlic flavour.
You can also freeze it as Wild Garlic Pesto, Wild Garlic Hummus or Wild Garlic Butter.
About Foraging
I have been foraging most of my life, although until recently I probably wouldn’t have called it that. As a child we collected rose hips which were sent off to make rose hip syrup, I think the school got paid for them.
I always pick blackberries (brambles) to make Blackberry & Apple Crumble and Blackberry & Apple Jelly. Sometimes I am lucky enough to find wild strawberries and raspberries. I also pick sloes and make Sloe Gin and Sloe Cordial.
And I remember one bumper ‘field mushroom’ year when my father-in-law would bring pockets full of field mushrooms back from the field every morning.
Be Aware!
The best way to learn foraging is to go with someone who knows what to look for. Always make sure you know what you are picking and if you are not sure – DON’T EAT IT!
The Forager’s Kitchen
This recipe comes from Forager’s Kitchen by Fiona Bird which I reviewed in 2013. The book covers a wide range of plants and habitats including:
- Flowers & Blossom
- Woodland & Hedgerow
- Fruit & Berries
- Herbs
- Sea & Shore
As well as providing recipes there is a wealth of information given about the plants and other foraged ingredients. Safety is paramount and if you follow the advice in this book you will be able to enjoy collecting free food safely.
The Forager’s Kitchen is published by CICO Books
RRP £16.99
How to make New Potatoes with Wild Garlic & Lemon Dressing
Follow these simple step-by-step photographs to make this delicious seasonal side dish.
Prepare the new potatoes
- Scrub the potatoes to remove any loose dirt.
- Cut larger potatoes in half.
Cook the new potatoes
Cover with boiling water (from the kettle) add salt and cook until just soft.
Wash & Dry the Wild Garlic leaves
It’s important to wash the wild garlic leaves thoroughly, then dry them on kitchen paper.
Slice the wild garlic & lemon
- Roll the garlic leaves up tightly and slice finely to make a chiffonade.
- Remove the zest of the lemon. This is the yellow part of the lemon peel, don’t include the white part as this is bitter and will spoil your dish.
- Use a potato peeler to take a fine layer from the lemon and then finely slice, or use a zesting tool or fine grater to make strips of lemon peel.
Add the dressing
- Drain the potatoes and put them back into the pan.
- Add the butter, wild garlic and lemon zest and toss together.
- Season with salt and pepper if liked.
To Serve
Turn into a serving bowl and serve warm or at room temperature. Scatter with the tiny wild garlic flowers (if using)
What do you serve with the New Potatoes with Wild Garlic & Lemon Dressing?
- I like to serve the potatoes with a simple roast chicken.
- Or try chicken fillets cooked wrapped in bacon or prosciutto.
- Simply grilled salmon or cod fillets would work well with the fresh flavours of the lemon and wild garlic dressing.
- New Potatoes with Wild Garlic & Lemon Dressing are delicious at room temperature as part of a salad buffet.
More Wild Garlic recipes from Farmersgirl Kitchen
Wild garlic has a short season so please forage responsibly but make sure you gather enough to make more than one recipe.
New Potatoes with Wild Garlic and Lemon Dressing
Ingredients
- 800 grams (1¾ pounds) new potatoes
- 8 (8 leaves) wild garlic leaves washed and dried
- 25 grams (1 oz) butter
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2-3 (2-3) wild garlic flowers (optional) washed, dried and segmented
Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes (to remove loose dirt). Cut any larger potatoes in half. Cook in a minimum quantity of boiling water for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are just soft.
- Meanwhile, chiffonade the wild garlic leaves (roll the leaves up tightly and cut into thin shreds)
- Drain the potatoes, and return to the pan. Add the butter and lemon zest and shreded wild garlic leaves to the pan. Return to the heat briefly to melt the butter,
- Toss the potatoes in the butter lemon, and wild garlic leaves and season with freshly ground pepper.
- Turn into a warm serving bowl and scatter the tiny white wild garlic flowers (if using) over the top before serving.
Nutrition
I was supplied with a copy of The Forager’s Kitchen by CICO Books, I was not paid for this review and my opinions are my own.
What a lovely simple, fresh potato salad. Can't say I am much of a forager but thats because I wouldn't know where to start! The book sounds really useful and interesting. Great review. And thanks for entering Herbs On saturday.
I love books like this… my favourite time of year is just about now when I can make nettle and wild garlic quiche… watch this space… love your potato salad, gorgeous! So simple but so damn good!
Another good review Janice. The book sounds well worth having. Like you I've picked various fruit, flowers and greens from the wild since I was little, but I wouldn't have thought of doing something with gorse flowers.
What a GREAT book Janice, and one that I would LOVE! That is also a fabulous entry into Herbs on Saturday too….thanks so much! Karen
This book is really interesting! It is a issue I am very passionate of. Natural cuisine is healthy food!
Love the sound of this book. Going to make the potato with lemon and wild garlic this week. I didn't actually know you could eat the flowers!
I love this blog post! It's so interesting to see what you can find 🙂
You’ve got wild garlic fever Janice. I can barely keep up with all the recipes you’re posting. They’ve so got me in the mood. Can’t wait until there’s enough to harvest. This recipe looks so lovely and fresh.
Thank you, Choclette. I think I get wild garlic fever every year! Managed to get enough today for one recipe.
So tasty! I love the way the new potatoes soak up the delicious dressing. My favourite way of serving potatoes at this time of year.
Absolutely, the new potatoes taste so good served like this.
Oooh this sounds like a delicious side!
Thank you, it makes a nice change.
Yes to all things wild garlic. My patch not quite ready to pick from yet but I expect I will overload my family with wild garlic very soon! Michelle x
I’m sure it will appear very soon with this sunny weather.