April Bus Challenge No 122!!

Wild Garlic, Dyrham Park

“Wild Garlic… has been known to be called ‘Bear’s Garlic’ because apparently when the European Brown Bear came out of hibernation, the first thing it would eat, if available, was wild garlic! By some superstitious types in the past it was labelled ‘Devil’s Garlic’ but is also known as ‘Gypsy’s Onions’ and even ‘Stinking Jenny’!

During the Middle Ages, the herb was instrumental in treating cholera and in preventing the plague. Fresh juice from the small bulbs was also an important wound dressing, used as a disinfectant. In Europe it has been called the ‘Spring Tonic’ because it was seen as blood purifying and has been proved to lower cholesterol.

Wild Garlic is thought to be the origin of garlic butter. Years ago cows would graze on the leaves during Springtime and the butter made from their milk tasted deliciously garlicky and became super popular in Switzerland.” The National Trust

After a month’s break, it was back on the bus today, and a trip to the east of Bristol where I met up with a friend for a lift up to Dyrham Park on the edge of the Cotswolds. As part of the National Trust’s Wild Garlic Festival, a Wild Garlic Pesto making workshop was being held. A stroll through the parkland took us down to the woodland terraces where we picked handfuls of Wild Garlic, and were provided with the ingredients to make our own little pot of pesto to take home. After our al fresco cooking lesson, we gathered some more Wild Garlic leaves to use in the tasty recipes that we were given to try out at home.

So today it was pasta with Wild Garlic Pesto for supper, tomorrow it’ll be Wild Garlic and Gooey Cheese Scones! I think people are going to smell me coming from a mile off!!

Total bus journey time = 50 mins
Total car journey time = 40 mins
Total journey time = 1 hour 30 mins