Ómós Digest #37: Three years in Ireland.
Foraged finds and a seasonal guide to Éire’s east coast.
It was the month of September and I had enjoyed a hot summer of harvesting on Niall’s strawberry farm when I met up with a gardener in Co. Laois who had undertaken an extensive rewilding project. At the time we were walking through undomesticated land, awash with wild summer flowers, a formula guide of colour in one field. I’ll never forget the moment I told her that I was dreading winter. I thought January and February hadn’t much to offer and from a chef’s point of view, it was a period when I would stare at my calendar wishing for spring. I was surprised when she laughed and gleefully informed me that January was in fact a month of great planning: a spell for contemplation and recuperation. Ever since, this answer has remained with me, reverberating into how I think about food and cooking. It has allowed me to appreciate what is available in the more scarce months and place equal respect on January's humble beetroot or cabbage, like they were a late summer’s strawberry or tomato. Valuing these commodities however is more easily done when seasonal awareness is at the forefront of our culinary preparation. After all, modest ingredients can be heightened through the use of the larder. This permits us to collect and consume nature's jewels throughout their evolving lifecycle, so we can enjoy them at their earliest (which is the very essence of just-picked flavour) and once more upon maturing, when they can be enjoyed later as a preserve.
Subsequently I have outlined my seasonal foraging guide below which I have used for the past 3 years. It is a collection of the many wild fauna that I have been lucky to happen upon on my journeys. The guide has allowed me to prepare and (more importantly) reduce the chance of missing out on these extremely seasonal and sometimes short-lived wild pieces of treasure. It is not a complete list of what is available here in Ireland but comprises the foraged ingredients I have located since my return here. Being based in Dublin, this guide is reflective of the east coast and will differ depending on your geographic location. Our country's terroir varies drastically, and so does the weather, which results in various species being found at different times of year. I am noticing that with each year, spring appears earlier and summer later. Climate change is undoubtedly throwing our seasons into question.
The list dates from 2020 and I’ll admit that it is slightly fractured but indefinitely changing and improving. When I started out, I didn’t include edible offerings I found to be tasteless, poorly textured and/ or both. Three years later, I realised my ignorance. It was not that these ingredients were unworthy of the list, I just hadn’t learnt how to properly appreciate them. Time is wisdom.
I hope that this guide helps you as much as it helps me. I’ll be continually updating the list as I find new additions throughout the seasons, so you can refer back to it via the archives rather than your inbox to ensure you are up to date. Please feel free to share your stories about any findings in the comments section below!
Cúán.
Press the link below to access the The Ómós Foraging Guide of Ireland’s East Coast.
