tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65635781474151563432024-03-13T16:58:23.453-07:00Wild-Foods-NZPeter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-51787695357457891062018-06-05T09:51:00.000-07:002018-06-05T09:51:38.781-07:00The joy of foraging and eating seaweed We are lucky in New Zealand to have one of the richest species diversities of seaweeds in the world. With at least over 900 species of which 50 can be readily used. Of these 50 or so edible species there are five types of seaweed that I recommended for everyday foraging. These species are readily available, tasty and can be used in a wide range of ways to enrich your seafood dining experience. Of course seaweeds are easier to catch too than fish!! Unlike mushrooms there are no poisonous seaweeds in NZ so you can experiment with the remaining species. Gathering seaweeds is fun and something that everyone in the family can participate in and a good way to fill in half an hour after a day’s fishing, providing the tides are favourable. Look for extremely low tides, otherwise by using snorkelling gear you will increase the diversity of seaweeds available. For me adding seaweeds to seafood dishes has enriched many meals and there are some significant health benefits from eating seaweeds from our clean waters.
Overall one of the most common and harvestable seaweed species found throughout New Zealand is Wakame. This species has firmly spread its roots in our waters and is now widespread from Auckland down to the sun-Antarctic and even out to the Chatham’s. The spores are spread like wildfire allowing wakame to establish anywhere where there has been significant boating traffic. Initially seen as an invasive species in a negative way the tide has turned and now wakame is valued for aquaculture production and is harvested commercially in NZ now – being of significant economic value. Wakame is tasty seaweed that can be used in many ways. It has a rich flavour, is not too salty and a soft texture. The ultimate sea vegetable. Wakame has a distinct frill like base to its stem and just one large central blade. One heat is applied its colour transforms from a dense green- black to a bright green making it also more appealing to look at. With its soft texture the stem and fronds can be finely shred up, then add some sesame seeds and oil to make a tasty seaweed salad.
Bladder kelp is also very tasty seaweed when fresh and cooked. Its flavour is a lot more salty than wakame. Also bladder kelp is generally found from Wellington south where it in places forms dense forests and is also a prized food of the butterfish. The fronds (leaves) can be dried and oven baked with olive oil to make kelp crisps. A healthy alternative to potato chips and very tasty. The fronds can be shred when stemmed and like wakame turn a bright green colour. Also the bladders can be jarred and marinated adding a crunchy element to a salad. Bladder kelp is also a good seaweed species to put in the smoker with some fish to wrap around a whole fish in the oven to act as an oven bag to kelp seal in the moisture if the fish and infuse the seaweeds flavour (a natural salty seasoning). In addition the dried leafs of the bladder kelp can be dried and ground into a power to make a seaweed sprinkle (which as a slight peppery flavour) and adds a lot of flavour to a wide range of seaweed dishes.
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Karengo overall is one of our tastiest seaweeds with a strong umami flavour- which has been compared to bacon. It really is superb when dried out and then fried in a pan with butter and some lemon juice. The karengo grows around and is best harvested in the spring time.
Neptune’s necklace is easily identifiable as its name suggests being a series of light brown beads. This seaweed is ideal for pickling in a jar with vinegar and adding some seasonings. When lightly heated it will turn a bright green colour. The fresh grown Neptune’s necklace makes the best eating. Its crunchy texture is a great addition with roast vegetables or with a salad.
Bull kelp is also a southern seaweed and very practical. The blades from fresh bull kelp can be cut into seaweed chips that can be oven roasted. Bull kelp can be used as an oven bag itself to cook a whole fish or shellfish and infuses a very pleasant roast seaweed flavour into the food. Meats can be covered in bull kelp frond wraps to add flavour bull kelp and Kombu (in northern New Zealand) is ideal for this. Best for many types of seaweed to gather freshly beach washed materials as it saves you from having to take the wild plant.
One of the advantages of getting your own seaweed is cost. Overall throughout most of New Zealand you can recreationally harvest seaweeds (just check that you are not in a marine reserve). Choosing areas of clean water is important when gathering seaweeds. Once harvested seaweeds need to be processed quickly, because they will break down in three days. Air drying initially then placing in a dehyradator is the best way. Once dried store the seaweeds in an air tight jar or ideally vacuum pack so they do not reabsorb moisture and go stale. Seaweeds can also be pickled, the Neptune’s necklace is ideal of that. Bladder kelp, wakame is ideal for steaming and then shredding and adding to a salad when fresh. As already mentioned some seaweed is tasty when smoked.
Many of the brown seaweeds will transform from a dull brown to a vivid green when cooked- a cool trick for the kids- the colour change is as if by magic. The health benefits of seaweed are amazing, in many ways seaweeds are a super food and one in which there is increasing awareness and utilisation of in NZ. So diversify the flavours put on the table from your next trip out sea fishing and take a moment to grab some seaweed.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGbceeRXG_ISFHILINIeKxK9mGOCAxOM7MTK9AkSAhjrrnqyS_G21tHoKz0xwkGYv07JTurbvzu0c6zB7Pq4sZzdb6YCcXaKNZq0P2ueMMAhM9LXtuqnD0OuMb2NUppVBBd-sI0KhdfY/s1600/A+collection+of+edible+seaweeds+from+Banks+Peninsula+20170302_142255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGbceeRXG_ISFHILINIeKxK9mGOCAxOM7MTK9AkSAhjrrnqyS_G21tHoKz0xwkGYv07JTurbvzu0c6zB7Pq4sZzdb6YCcXaKNZq0P2ueMMAhM9LXtuqnD0OuMb2NUppVBBd-sI0KhdfY/s400/A+collection+of+edible+seaweeds+from+Banks+Peninsula+20170302_142255.jpg" width="225" height="400" data-original-width="900" data-original-height="1600" /></a></div>Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-15582734601658143102016-11-20T12:13:00.000-08:002016-11-20T12:32:33.379-08:00Foraging with Rangitane Marae in Marlborough/ Wairau Foraging along the edge of the top of the south with Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau
Copyright<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPLQD8Go9GmJKJLO6oqkY5m4fCWs2POxEu20YP895Yi7or-VmcTKGhkDKP3Uu9vm3u0TmlkgFt_DC0dKAry27xXres8KAVd6YRP5vRg0_tL1xGYGmZ2xyS7VlpaOzLS1D4ry1sQ-aVc0/s1600/20160923_175329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPLQD8Go9GmJKJLO6oqkY5m4fCWs2POxEu20YP895Yi7or-VmcTKGhkDKP3Uu9vm3u0TmlkgFt_DC0dKAry27xXres8KAVd6YRP5vRg0_tL1xGYGmZ2xyS7VlpaOzLS1D4ry1sQ-aVc0/s320/20160923_175329.jpg" width="320" height="240" /></a></div>- All rights reserved Peter Langlands/ Wild Capture
7 November 2016
Lying on the South Island’s north eastern coast the Wairau Region is a place of diversity in landscapes and environments. A temperate and productive climate, with lots of sunshine hours and a relatively settled environment allows for a wide range of wild-foods to thrive. The Wairau Plains and adjoining Marlborough Sounds, including Port Underwood, as well s the connection of Marlborough’s largest river, the Wairau itself help define this region. For mahinga kai and kai moana the Rangitane region also provides . A rich productive coastline and the Wairau Lagoons make this region a rich food basket. The South Island’s own “bay of plenty”.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUfQeC6LhdnUCkipeLKYybZcbN7UFX4lnlIgRypW6eORLhOCRTJSaasmUa7qLjrCF6He9lsPxonR_HhFXhFm_XDchMoqKMdhG2uwZZ5vYF2bhpzVl86k9nEyQKkdIScvnSbROOdknBPY/s1600/20160924_100437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUfQeC6LhdnUCkipeLKYybZcbN7UFX4lnlIgRypW6eORLhOCRTJSaasmUa7qLjrCF6He9lsPxonR_HhFXhFm_XDchMoqKMdhG2uwZZ5vYF2bhpzVl86k9nEyQKkdIScvnSbROOdknBPY/s320/20160924_100437.jpg" width="320" height="240" /></a></div>
In September this year I was lucky enough to be invited to lead a foraging workshop/ wananga thanks to Keelan Walker. For me and my partner, Melany Wright, the opportunity to explore a new foraging region was one that we accepted immediately. (We are based in Canterbury) .
Staying at the Rangitane Marae was a fantastic base. Being all in the one place made preparing and cooking the days foraged bounty easy. The modern kitchen and spacious dining environment on the marae was ideal. From the diversity of foraged greens on the edge of the Wairau Bar, to a collection of shellfish from Port Underwood, including some pauas we were spoilt for choice on the Saturday night. Sunday morning followed through in good measure with fresh flounders from the Wairau and some pre-foraged whitebait. The samphire (a salt-marsh plant with a salty asparagus like taste) eluded us on the day but the Wairau does have rich samphire beds and it is always good to have a reason to return to Rangitane Marae!
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKzcX5lxt8vCJ3eo-mUyAPYJZ97_4HR0Kj2oJ3BKbTGUoK0Wl22jnqr8W2QGGY8tfymRa_E28LBeLjurHJWwZKnOinGllrhZsXbaoNjnVG0usQR1Slylh_WbPWygPqq8vNgiK-T4YOOg/s1600/20160925_110159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKzcX5lxt8vCJ3eo-mUyAPYJZ97_4HR0Kj2oJ3BKbTGUoK0Wl22jnqr8W2QGGY8tfymRa_E28LBeLjurHJWwZKnOinGllrhZsXbaoNjnVG0usQR1Slylh_WbPWygPqq8vNgiK-T4YOOg/s320/20160925_110159.jpg" width="320" height="240" /></a></div>
While each region has its own unique mix of foraging opportunities there are also some general rules for foraging that allow you to locate foraged foods in New Zealand. In many ways foraging is a basic instinct and allows you to slow down and appreciate nature. It is relaxing and allows you to be in the moment as your eyes dart across the landscape looking for opportunities. In many ways foraging is a very engaging activity that allows you to tune into the quality of the local environment, it also goes without saying that the most diverse foraging areas are also those that have high biodiversity. Often the best places for foraging are the edge zones- the edges of rivers, wetlands, the coastline, road margins and city edges. It is in these often forgotten about places that wild plants will flourish and escaped seeds from commercial crops will go wild. Wild parsnips are a case in point. With their sprawling form wild parsnips take a little more preparation than their cultured relatives but the flavours are more intense as is often the case with foraged foods.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIH3W72D0KPrkdtFYtloEv27ehtxDYa6l13DjTzRnPqkCOCNc5I5uFtMCfsL9wpczGL8euLsUJOfzpU6imhO9lxPcmjy1dKbosOAXaLyT-56ASGlqGSxMsYQ4GT96zvHzKl8r8K4ujxg/s1600/20160925_102453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIH3W72D0KPrkdtFYtloEv27ehtxDYa6l13DjTzRnPqkCOCNc5I5uFtMCfsL9wpczGL8euLsUJOfzpU6imhO9lxPcmjy1dKbosOAXaLyT-56ASGlqGSxMsYQ4GT96zvHzKl8r8K4ujxg/s320/20160925_102453.jpg" width="320" height="240" /></a></div>
Foraging takes you into the moment; it is a practice of mindfulness that puts food on the table. Really when you are actively foraging, scanning the diversity of plants and their myriad forms you easily forget about everything else. It allows you to tune into nature and to have some time out from the pressures of modern life and the families on the day seemed to enjoy have some time to chill out while getting an exciting range of plants, seaweeds and shellfish for the evenings’ meal. A picnic lunch and an excursion into a cave at Rarangi also was a great interlude to the foraging.
With foraging you get a direct connection with your food. Knowing where your food comes from is increasingly important for our health. It is also deeply satisfying and after each forage meal you eat it is hard not to re-live in your mind the day’s events, the places and people that you foraged with, the smell of the sea air and the calls of the birds- the sense of adventure. In fact the more you forage and become aware of the diversity around you the smaller your foraging area becomes. It really allows you to fully appreciate the local environment.
The Wairau is a meeting place of landscapes and people, a rich and diverse area that supported the first Maori settlements in the South island. Today that richness is still there and in a relatively small space many foraging fishing and hunting environments exist. It is also our responsibility as foragers to be involved actively in protecting the environments that we forage in. So much is within a stone’s throw for a days foraging and fishing in the Wairau.
Certainly foraging also means taking caution, avoiding areas that have been sprayed, and being aware of water quality. Also taking the time to become familiar with poisonous plants and fungi is also important. One the day we encountered the native tutu and the introduced hemlock which are two very poisonous plants. When trying new foods start with a small amount as some foraged foods will not agree with everyone. Really with foraging you will spend your lifetime learning- going one species at a time. It is therefore great to get kids involved early as they will reap the benefits of a life-long learning.
The advantages of foraging are many. Firstly you get healthy food that tastes good. Plants foraged along the shoreline will be pre-seasoned by the sea air. You also get to experience a diversity of flavours which are often expressed more intensely in foraged foods. Also for many of the seaweeds there is very little available commercially so for some species like bull kelp you can simply not just pick it up from the supermarket as there is no commercial quota to allow its harvest. It is the seaweeds that are one of the bounties in the forager’s realm and we are lucky to have over 900 types of seaweeds in New Zealand of which over fifty can be readily foraged. The waters of the Rangitane region, and especially in Port Underwood, have a very good diversity of seaweeds as ocean currents meet nearby in Cook Strait. Seaweeds gathered from clean waters are known to be some of the healthiest and most sustaining foods available on the planet. We celebrated this with some crispy bull kelp chips and wakame seaweed salad at the end of the day.
Foraging is suited to all ages and the kids eyes are closer to the ground and will see things that we adults will overlook! Everyone will spot something different and that is the fun aspect of foraging. Like a spontaneous treasure hunt. For me I always find something new or unexpected when I go out foraging. Even familiar species can be exciting to find in certain seasons, such as fruiting kawa kawa. Through time and place everything is dynamically changing, the total opposite of controlled supermarket production. Indeed there is a rebellious aspect to foraging, working outside of the “system”. In many ways the growth of foraging will take place at the family and community level, sadly there is not a lot of commercial incentive to promote foraging.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30wDoO4goV0yD_hMSdaWUWpVf-iXC2GYINJbomPIkf4l0k0RLzvjt1UIXEu5LWWlCXIB_Ks3HiHVtQWxoNuPgcDUauVpJBGOyHPm-O4Hu3LozQYHPfNMCB4fsBrPec7iW-yNRpZa6FlY/s1600/20160924_150839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30wDoO4goV0yD_hMSdaWUWpVf-iXC2GYINJbomPIkf4l0k0RLzvjt1UIXEu5LWWlCXIB_Ks3HiHVtQWxoNuPgcDUauVpJBGOyHPm-O4Hu3LozQYHPfNMCB4fsBrPec7iW-yNRpZa6FlY/s320/20160924_150839.jpg" width="240" height="320" /></a></div>
Yet through Whanau and Iwi initiatives we can advance foraging. Social media is also very useful, especially in confirming the identity of new forage species that you find. At present I am working with a wide diversity of people to build up a comprehensive database of the forage species that we have available in New Zealand and I am more than happy to assist people with indenting new species that they find ( contact details below) . Taking a photo with a phone and sharing it to identify something new is a fun aspect of foraging. Foraging is all about sharing knowledge and respect for the environment. Ultimately the excitement of foraging is the ever changing bounty that is available.
In many ways foraging is a timeless pursuit that takes us back to the ways of our ancestors, before the land was transformed into an abundance of red meat production. Yet somehow a Smartphone does not look out of place and in this modern age is one of the forager’s most effective tools, along with our eyes and a kete to put the day’s bounty in. Foraging is a bridge between cultures and ages- a real equaliser that’s grounds us all. I look forward to returning to Rangitane and continuing the exploration and sharing- a meeting place for people, waters and landscapes
For more information
Wild Capture - wild foods and foraging – NZ
https://www.facebook.com/forageNZ/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf&qsefr=1
Seaweed foraging- New Zealand
https://www.facebook.com/groups/324733514387077/
Photographs- Captioned photographs in Dropbox.
Copyright- Peter Langlands/ Wild Capture 2016
Draft two – 7 November 2016
Copyright- All rights reserved Peter Langlands/ Wild Capture
7 November 2016
Lying on the South Island’s north eastern coast the Wairau Region is a place of diversity in landscapes and environments. A temperate and productive climate, with lots of sunshine hours and a relatively settled environment allows for a wide range of wild-foods to thrive. The Wairau Plains and adjoining Marlborough Sounds, including Port Underwood, as well s the connection of Marlborough’s largest river, the Wairau itself help define this region. For mahinga kai and kai moana the Rangitane region also provides . A rich productive coastline and the Wairau Lagoons make this region a rich food basket. The South Island’s own “bay of plenty”.
In September this year I was lucky enough to be invited to lead a foraging workshop/ wananga thanks to Keelan Walker. For me and my partner, Melany Wright, the opportunity to explore a new foraging region was one that we accepted immediately. (We are based in Canterbury) .
Staying at the Rangitane Marae was a fantastic base. Being all in the one place made preparing and cooking the days foraged bounty easy. The modern kitchen and spacious dining environment on the marae was ideal. From the diversity of foraged greens on the edge of the Wairau Bar, to a collection of shellfish from Port Underwood, including some pauas we were spoilt for choice on the Saturday night. Sunday morning followed through in good measure with fresh flounders from the Wairau and some pre-foraged whitebait. The samphire (a salt-marsh plant with a salty asparagus like taste) eluded us on the day but the Wairau does have rich samphire beds and it is always good to have a reason to return to Rangitane Marae!
While each region has its own unique mix of foraging opportunities there are also some general rules for foraging that allow you to locate foraged foods in New Zealand. In many ways foraging is a basic instinct and allows you to slow down and appreciate nature. It is relaxing and allows you to be in the moment as your eyes dart across the landscape looking for opportunities. In many ways foraging is a very engaging activity that allows you to tune into the quality of the local environment, it also goes without saying that the most diverse foraging areas are also those that have high biodiversity. Often the best places for foraging are the edge zones- the edges of rivers, wetlands, the coastline, road margins and city edges. It is in these often forgotten about places that wild plants will flourish and escaped seeds from commercial crops will go wild. Wild parsnips are a case in point. With their sprawling form wild parsnips take a little more preparation than their cultured relatives but the flavours are more intense as is often the case with foraged foods.
Foraging takes you into the moment; it is a practice of mindfulness that puts food on the table. Really when you are actively foraging, scanning the diversity of plants and their myriad forms you easily forget about everything else. It allows you to tune into nature and to have some time out from the pressures of modern life and the families on the day seemed to enjoy have some time to chill out while getting an exciting range of plants, seaweeds and shellfish for the evenings’ meal. A picnic lunch and an excursion into a cave at Rarangi also was a great interlude to the foraging.
With foraging you get a direct connection with your food. Knowing where your food comes from is increasingly important for our health. It is also deeply satisfying and after each forage meal you eat it is hard not to re-live in your mind the day’s events, the places and people that you foraged with, the smell of the sea air and the calls of the birds- the sense of adventure. In fact the more you forage and become aware of the diversity around you the smaller your foraging area becomes. It really allows you to fully appreciate the local environment.
The Wairau is a meeting place of landscapes and people, a rich and diverse area that supported the first Maori settlements in the South island. Today that richness is still there and in a relatively small space many foraging fishing and hunting environments exist. It is also our responsibility as foragers to be involved actively in protecting the environments that we forage in. So much is within a stone’s throw for a days foraging and fishing in the Wairau.
Certainly foraging also means taking caution, avoiding areas that have been sprayed, and being aware of water quality. Also taking the time to become familiar with poisonous plants and fungi is also important. One the day we encountered the native tutu and the introduced hemlock which are two very poisonous plants. When trying new foods start with a small amount as some foraged foods will not agree with everyone. Really with foraging you will spend your lifetime learning- going one species at a time. It is therefore great to get kids involved early as they will reap the benefits of a life-long learning.
The advantages of foraging are many. Firstly you get healthy food that tastes good. Plants foraged along the shoreline will be pre-seasoned by the sea air. You also get to experience a diversity of flavours which are often expressed more intensely in foraged foods. Also for many of the seaweeds there is very little available commercially so for some species like bull kelp you can simply not just pick it up from the supermarket as there is no commercial quota to allow its harvest. It is the seaweeds that are one of the bounties in the forager’s realm and we are lucky to have over 900 types of seaweeds in New Zealand of which over fifty can be readily foraged. The waters of the Rangitane region, and especially in Port Underwood, have a very good diversity of seaweeds as ocean currents meet nearby in Cook Strait. Seaweeds gathered from clean waters are known to be some of the healthiest and most sustaining foods available on the planet. We celebrated this with some crispy bull kelp chips and wakame seaweed salad at the end of the day.
Foraging is suited to all ages and the kids eyes are closer to the ground and will see things that we adults will overlook! Everyone will spot something different and that is the fun aspect of foraging. Like a spontaneous treasure hunt. For me I always find something new or unexpected when I go out foraging. Even familiar species can be exciting to find in certain seasons, such as fruiting kawa kawa. Through time and place everything is dynamically changing, the total opposite of controlled supermarket production. Indeed there is a rebellious aspect to foraging, working outside of the “system”. In many ways the growth of foraging will take place at the family and community level, sadly there is not a lot of commercial incentive to promote foraging.
Yet through Whanau and Iwi initiatives we can advance foraging. Social media is also very useful, especially in confirming the identity of new forage species that you find. At present I am working with a wide diversity of people to build up a comprehensive database of the forage species that we have available in New Zealand and I am more than happy to assist people with indenting new species that they find ( contact details below) . Taking a photo with a phone and sharing it to identify something new is a fun aspect of foraging. Foraging is all about sharing knowledge and respect for the environment. Ultimately the excitement of foraging is the ever changing bounty that is available.
In many ways foraging is a timeless pursuit that takes us back to the ways of our ancestors, before the land was transformed into an abundance of red meat production. Yet somehow a Smartphone does not look out of place and in this modern age is one of the forager’s most effective tools, along with our eyes and a kete to put the day’s bounty in. Foraging is a bridge between cultures and ages- a real equaliser that’s grounds us all. I look forward to returning to Rangitane and continuing the exploration and sharing- a meeting place for people, waters and landscapes
For more information
Wild Capture - wild foods and foraging – NZ
https://www.facebook.com/forageNZ/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf&qsefr=1
Seaweed foraging- New Zealand
https://www.facebook.com/groups/324733514387077/
Photographs- Captioned photographs in Dropbox.
Copyright- Peter Langlands/ Wild Capture 2016
Draft two – 7 November 2016
Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-21778381620127590872016-05-24T13:41:00.000-07:002018-06-03T08:35:59.309-07:00Wild Capture Foraging Tours
I am a forager based in Christchurch and the Waipara Region in North Canterbury. My foraging tours are based around Banks Peninsula and the wine growing regions of North Canterbury.
Typically foraging trips range from 3- 6 hours and a wide selection of foraged foods is collected and prepared at either a local restaurant or out in the field with simple dishes that allow the tastes of the foraged ingredients to be savoured. I have lived in Canterbury all my life and have an intimate knowledge of the region and it's natural resources. I have written a range of regional foraging guides that are available online and am working on a comprehensive photographic guide to the forage foods available in New Zealand. I often travel around NZ and work with chefs (such as James Beck at Bistronomy in Napier and Giulio Sturla at Roots in Lyttelton and have been employed by top Queenstown Resturant , Amisfiled, for 18 months working for innovative chef Vaughan Mabee and Forager/chef Adam Harrison )<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisxDn-BlW66I47xIAxWkWsTMXfb3oAHOcCTE3t2vhHuTJow1_Qe_-BRcxr7aQMKa0vnKjTWr3gSlNiTUtgWaBXmnczkf5b-OL-JKM9Vt3lUXWa1wrpfX57oQ60m5s6A4syzKKOvzAzZo/s1600/2-+Tours+experiencing+truffles+and+foraged+mushrooms+in+the+Waipara+Region+Peter+Langlands+Wild+Capture+truffles+IMG_8698.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisxDn-BlW66I47xIAxWkWsTMXfb3oAHOcCTE3t2vhHuTJow1_Qe_-BRcxr7aQMKa0vnKjTWr3gSlNiTUtgWaBXmnczkf5b-OL-JKM9Vt3lUXWa1wrpfX57oQ60m5s6A4syzKKOvzAzZo/s320/2-+Tours+experiencing+truffles+and+foraged+mushrooms+in+the+Waipara+Region+Peter+Langlands+Wild+Capture+truffles+IMG_8698.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4G-6b46beNxnnx16RQCBFCbWKT1UPaaZ4RO5XYLI8tL6yE_yzWvW6ur1QIF5fSlM-eDmLDllN9Pw1gAzh-Va-PPzy_DHSKV1aoGxMjPxemxfAMdur16g8Oz5Uofd417jZPVtEybX4Tc4/s1600/3-+Shoreline+foraging+on+the+coastline+-+Peter+Langlands+-+Wild+Capture.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4G-6b46beNxnnx16RQCBFCbWKT1UPaaZ4RO5XYLI8tL6yE_yzWvW6ur1QIF5fSlM-eDmLDllN9Pw1gAzh-Va-PPzy_DHSKV1aoGxMjPxemxfAMdur16g8Oz5Uofd417jZPVtEybX4Tc4/s320/3-+Shoreline+foraging+on+the+coastline+-+Peter+Langlands+-+Wild+Capture.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTqEHIJVHgRIzHgTxF4yHqcVrOSIJZmsaj6nANo9pag6g2LaJRqRUlcxiwG3pd4wQTPDqIOvLn8Y85Y4v4rEpeJ6Bc-wAmbXFQm7xiI8SQyttsz55JzVNOYnDrmPzZmNNAAQSYaE-17o/s1600/Preparing+a+range+of+foraged+foods+for+a+cook+up+in+the+field+Peter+Langlands+-+Wild+Capture.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTqEHIJVHgRIzHgTxF4yHqcVrOSIJZmsaj6nANo9pag6g2LaJRqRUlcxiwG3pd4wQTPDqIOvLn8Y85Y4v4rEpeJ6Bc-wAmbXFQm7xiI8SQyttsz55JzVNOYnDrmPzZmNNAAQSYaE-17o/s320/Preparing+a+range+of+foraged+foods+for+a+cook+up+in+the+field+Peter+Langlands+-+Wild+Capture.jpg" /></a> and have involved with the implementation of foraged foods into a range of tertiary institutions My business name is Wild Capture and I can be contacted on 0274501916 (NZ) or Email E: langlands@xtra.co.nz
Foraging tours are customised for group requirements.
We can also visit local vineyards and match foraged foods to locally produced wines
Peter Langlands
Wild capture
Foraging Tours Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-15361041193430848812016-05-15T13:45:00.000-07:002016-05-15T13:45:41.877-07:00Forage North Canterbury 2016 Local foraging event celebrates diversity of wild-foods
(and the opportunity to prepare a wide range of seafoods).
Peter Langlands
1 February 2016
The second North Canterbury Forage event was held on the 30th of January 2016 . The event initiated and organised by Angela Clifford has been an outstanding success. Angela represents a range of vineyards (Tongue in Groove wines) in the Waipara Region, and the event was to profile the regions high quality wines alongside the range of foraging ingredients available within a stone’s throw of the vineyard. Eight teams of people headed out from the iconic Pegasus Bay Vineyard forage, fish and hunt a wide range of foods for a range of some of New Zealand’s top chefs to prepare in innovative and exciting ways. Yet while a wide range of seafood was gathered it was a 150 kilogram wild boar that stole the show, shot by local vineyard manager Nick Gill.
Seafood featured well in the day’s bounty with a wide range of seaweeds, shellfish and fin fish collected in addition to some freshwater eels. The event showed just what a large variety of food can be gathered in a small area. The event helped to profile the diversity of fish species that can be used outside of the traditionally known species. Scarlett wrasse and sea perch were served up with steamed seaweed and seaweed butter to create an impressive on the table dish for some international visitors. An octopus even made it onto the table. Even small yellow eyed mullet caught by using a bait net were transformed into tasty boquerones, a Spanish perpetration which involves marinating the mullet and serving them as a snack before the main meal.
Increasingly there is more awareness about matching vines with seafood and freshwater fish. White wines overall are the best for seafood matches , with aromatic wines like Gewürztraminer going well with strongly flavoured oily fish. A crisp and light Riesling , chilled is also a compliment to many types of seafood. Some of the stronger flavour fish species like kahawai can be matched with a Pinot noir. The Waipara Region is very well known now with wines winning international awards. Many international wine writers attended the event, along with some of the country’s top chefs - with the aim of making the Waipara Region a food and wine tourist destination. Overall many chefs and vineyards feel that we need to make our country more of food and wine, destination, to rival adventure tourism. The event is planned to take place again in 2017
Link to North Canterbury Forage 2015 –
https://vimeo.com/124989478
Photograph –
1-Small yellow eyed mullet are prepared to make boquerones.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokQ-R_H3rOXaP-uRDSw7b0nGR8rJ9xmv1ngkqeFJiS4xOvu7zKLNu-JjahjfK5hAcBgZj66g2IVCZhMWLp-pUGylcflkvJLQPM46nhHvETDQKWtRiWRYgXpANbliGWTA-O0GPf3Z7_F4/s1600/1-Small+yellow+eyed+mullet+are+prepared+to+make+boquerones.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokQ-R_H3rOXaP-uRDSw7b0nGR8rJ9xmv1ngkqeFJiS4xOvu7zKLNu-JjahjfK5hAcBgZj66g2IVCZhMWLp-pUGylcflkvJLQPM46nhHvETDQKWtRiWRYgXpANbliGWTA-O0GPf3Z7_F4/s400/1-Small+yellow+eyed+mullet+are+prepared+to+make+boquerones.JPG" /></a>Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-32153179877692672372016-04-26T04:45:00.002-07:002016-04-26T04:45:19.403-07:00Coastal foraging in winter
Peter Langlands
For me one of the most exciting aspects of heading down to the beach is gathering wild foods. Why? Firstly hunting out “Wildfoods” can be incidental to tramping. It makes sense to gather edible things that you come across. In many cases the food will be very healthy and organic, and you have the benefit of knowing where it come from. Other benefits include that the food is often more intense in taste than commercially available options and in some cases, especially pauas there aren’t many (if any!) commercially available options.
Bountiful shellfish
I love shoreline foraging with its wide diversity shellfish available. Interestingly during the Irish potato famine many people starved on the doorstep of rich shoreline food resources, a great tragedy, due in part upon reliance primarily on potatoes and an ignorance of shoreline foods. Shellfish are readily available and are best taken after periods of low rainfall, or a hundred metres or so away from any significant freshwater source (if it is running off agricultural land).
Green shell mussels are a mainstay and grow to a good size. I like to snorkel for mussels, as often the mussels below the low tide mark are of larger size and better condition, than those in the inter- tidal. Blue mussels are smaller than green lips and grow higher up on the tide line and are as good, if slightly different in taste, as the better-known green shell mussel.
Rock oysters, which proliferate round much of our coastline, are often overlooked. Several large rock oysters are equal to a Bluff oyster and in my opinion their taste is more intense. The rock oyster tends to be a more southern speceis with the Pacific oyster growing from the northern South Island and throughout the North Island, often on sheltered parts of the coast around mudflats or sheltered waterways (such as the Marlborough Sounds).
On more exposed parts of the rocky coastlines pauas are the top prize or the shoreline forager. On remoter parts of our coastline legal sized pauas can be gathered at low tide, but often snorkelling gear is required to get legal sized pauas in many areas these days.
Magic of wharves
I love chilling out and fishing from wharves. The key to success here is to use small hooks. Large spotties and yellow-eyed mullet make great eating when fresh. I love eating whole fish, off the bone, after crisping them up and serving with a tomato and chilli pesto. Jack mackerel can be caught around many wharves in the northern parts of New Zealand and are delicious when hot-smoked.
Potting
Potting for paddlecrabs or “piecrust crabs” is a fun activity. A simple hoop pot baited with an oily fish such as a mackerel works very well. Wharves make good spots for potting for piecrust crabs (which have beautiful meat in their claws). If you have a kayak then placing pots in further from shore, over open sand, will allow you to catch paddle crabs. The other exciting part of hoop potting is the by-catch- anything from brittle stars to seahorses will turn up to fascinate the kids.
Healthy seaweeds
On the rocky shoreline don’t overlook the wide range of edible seaweeds that occur there. Seaweeds are incredibly healthy with high levels of trace elements. Bladder kelp is one of my favourites. The blades of the kelp, when dried slowly in the oven, turn from a brown to green colour. Once crispened by baking in olive oil, and with a little cracked pepper, they make delicious “seaweed flavoured potato chip”. Neptune’s necklace when likely blanched and added to a salad makes a point of interest.
Karengo, dark bladed kelp growing high up on the inter-tidal, is often in its prime in late winter. When fried with a mix of olive oil and butter, along with some cracked pepper it is delicious. Karengo has grown significantly in popularity in recent years as a point of interest by many chefs, and is commercially harvested in areas such as Kaikoura. Undaria, the seaweed accidentally introduced from Japan, is also a prime food source when dried out. As people look to more healthy forms of food, interest in gathering seaweeds is growing.
Coastal herbs
The shoreline area is not only a rich source of shellfish and seaweeds but many types of herbs grow wild along the shore. Wild fennel is often very prolific in dry stony areas. The fennel makes a great herb for favouring seafood dishes, and can also be brewed to make a refreshing tea. The seedpods, from fennel, when ground down also make an intense flavouring. Italian parsley often grows prolifically along shoreline areas in the rank shrub just above the high tide mark. Winter is a good time to gather Italian parsley and having go at making homemade pesto with it.
There is nothing to me more comforting than cooking freshly gathered wild foods and cooking them up over a beach fire. If local regulations prohibit the use of an open fire, then a gas cooker is a passable substitute. There is nothing like dining alfresco, even in winter, and looking out over a beautiful coastal view. Brewing up a strong espresso is often a good way to “sign-off” from a days’ shoreline foraging.
So next time you head down to the beach take a bucket or two, a chilly bin, a gas cooker, a sharp knife, a hammer and chisel (for the Pacific and rock oysters), some snorkelling gear, a couple of fishing rods and have dinner. At the end of the day there is nothing like some fresh sea air to clear away the cobwebs of city living. By bringing some food back to the table you can also re-live the days events. Happy foraging.
Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-14961784666272956282016-04-22T16:12:00.002-07:002016-04-22T16:12:55.042-07:00Update for 2016
Thanks all for your interest in wild-foods and foraging. I will regularly update this blog in 2016. It is an exciting year for mapping out our wildfoods resources. In the meantime check out Meghan Walkers excellent article in the latest copy of NZ Wilderness magazine.
Foraging should be a way of life in our land of plenty, but make sure that you return the favour and stand up for the environment upon which we are all dependent . Article in latest Wilderness by Meghan Walker. #wildcaptureforage<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QQdstQi2t97WuaR-CqI_BQ4B97w08IrnegbIrFKukc2S1L4FvUn6MLNWSiZf7MIZee1J6Gj0ll98AMwi_-xo1qC5wYoBw4BLZ2IkRkDdgHC3HYtZ8cnSNFXu6Cdyk1e9jH-64QfxGt8/s1600/11224195_10153621935953325_1504085796562767613_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QQdstQi2t97WuaR-CqI_BQ4B97w08IrnegbIrFKukc2S1L4FvUn6MLNWSiZf7MIZee1J6Gj0ll98AMwi_-xo1qC5wYoBw4BLZ2IkRkDdgHC3HYtZ8cnSNFXu6Cdyk1e9jH-64QfxGt8/s320/11224195_10153621935953325_1504085796562767613_o.jpg" /></a>
Cheers
Peter Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-8147870120922137612015-06-10T14:24:00.000-07:002015-06-10T14:24:24.881-07:00Wild foods along the Kaikoura Coast.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MgH-25YB4sxhNQLTGls8PaPO9GHeE-4LKjUsHX9Ckyr8fdrwMhH7cLIUpf1dMWk-RWn7qMnDWhQpu0sN41Xj7fH-JC_c3Q6gXNzfh-RLhchJ_ycbnQs8wPnSknaoOQ0vO1f8pMrY7ZI/s1600/shoreline+feast-+kaikoura+wildfoods.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MgH-25YB4sxhNQLTGls8PaPO9GHeE-4LKjUsHX9Ckyr8fdrwMhH7cLIUpf1dMWk-RWn7qMnDWhQpu0sN41Xj7fH-JC_c3Q6gXNzfh-RLhchJ_ycbnQs8wPnSknaoOQ0vO1f8pMrY7ZI/s320/shoreline+feast-+kaikoura+wildfoods.JPG" /></a>
Peter Langlands
The Kaikoura Coast with its temperate climate offers a range of wild plants that can be gathered from the roadside or on walks around the peninsula.
Fennel is a common herb that thrives along Kaikoura’s coastal roads and the young shoots provide the best taste and can also be used in a salad. The distinctive yellow seeds can also be used as flavouring and especially compliment fish dishes very well.
Another common coastal herbs the Italian parsley which likes to grow along the rocky coastline from Oaro up to Kaikoura. Italian parsley is very flavourful and like fennel is a great match with seafood. A native species, the native celery which looks very similar to the Italian parsley but grows further out on rock outcrops is a very tasty herb (but as this is a rare native species harvesting should be minimal).
The most exotic plant is the banana passion fruit which occurs in vines from west of Oaro to Kaikoura Peninsula with the ripe fruit available in the autumn. On the drive up to Kaikoura there are also numerous wild apple trees on the roadside which offer an autumn harvest.
Calendula flowers will add a little colour to your wild harvested salad. Wild spinach is also very common along the beaches, especially at South Bay, and again the fresh leaves provide the best eating.
Make sure that you give any wild gathered plants a good wash and pick the fresh growth. Wild herbs will add a little bit of local flavour and many of the herbs occurring along Kaikoura Coastline compliment seafood dishes well. So with a little insight you can produce your own locally gathered salad. Certainly Kaikoura is a bountiful environment along the coastal strip.
Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-36058863967968015492015-06-10T14:20:00.000-07:002015-06-10T14:20:43.057-07:00Banks Peninsula Wildfood Guide 2015 Banks Peninsula Wildfood Guide - now available with updates for 2015
A 40 page guide outlining wildfoods that can be foraged on Banks Peninsula. Text, photographs and illustrations by Peter Langlands.
Banks Peninsula represents a diverse foraging environment with a mix of woodland and shoreline foods that can be foraged. There is also a range of native and introduced species. This guide is primarily an identification guide to the species available with some outlines on habitats and locations for foraging also. Guide is sent out electronically in PDF format.
To order email E:langlands@xtra.co.nz
Peter Langlands.
Available for $10
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwYFq4-l_xFC9M6hTe6bKOyPMGI3pQ4rJ_RQMsFbqryiWJyU7zN4SYrz5IPO_lFQdLND7Qq6ISREYWnL5YaOn_p0kffnxwM5FLuAvz5y9TfmpSlTVPwD0LNYGjyyvnatFVdvN4waDhg4/s1600/banks+peninsula-+upper+akaroa+harbour+-+wildffods+bounty+IMG_5286.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwYFq4-l_xFC9M6hTe6bKOyPMGI3pQ4rJ_RQMsFbqryiWJyU7zN4SYrz5IPO_lFQdLND7Qq6ISREYWnL5YaOn_p0kffnxwM5FLuAvz5y9TfmpSlTVPwD0LNYGjyyvnatFVdvN4waDhg4/s320/banks+peninsula-+upper+akaroa+harbour+-+wildffods+bounty+IMG_5286.jpg" /></a>Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-64865616945068999292015-05-15T20:37:00.000-07:002015-05-15T20:38:12.611-07:00Canterbury Foraging Guides <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJA0W_cML8i30trvgqSaVm8gcY0WYYj0GXKaJgvf4pPYiRsqdM2Dj-DmpEjaXg332rFcuhZ7yD4AIAK3OdBcYHSGGRjrTtlohajLrUkyIae8QpUw3ER0LZowbjOStLlfu35-pzw4_fp4/s1600/banks+peninsula-+upper+akaroa+harbour+-+wildffods+bounty+IMG_5286.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJA0W_cML8i30trvgqSaVm8gcY0WYYj0GXKaJgvf4pPYiRsqdM2Dj-DmpEjaXg332rFcuhZ7yD4AIAK3OdBcYHSGGRjrTtlohajLrUkyIae8QpUw3ER0LZowbjOStLlfu35-pzw4_fp4/s320/banks+peninsula-+upper+akaroa+harbour+-+wildffods+bounty+IMG_5286.jpg" /></a>Thanks to all who listened to Radio NZ today.
I have the following three guides available for $20. To order please email me Peter Langlands E:langlands@xtra.co.nz
Three guides covering wild-food and foraging options in the Canterbury Region. Guides sent out electronically in a PDF format-
Guides are 1-
Banks Peninsula Wild-foods Guide
"A 20 page guide outlining wildfoods that can be foraged on Banks Peninsula. Text, photographs and illustrations by Peter Langlands.
Banks Peninsula represents a diverse foraging environment with a mix of woodland and shoreline foods that can be foraged. There is also a range of native and introduced species. This guide is primarily an identification guide to the species available with some outlines on habitats and locations for foraging also. Guide is sent out electronically in PDF format. "
2- Guide to the edible mushrooms of Canterbury
A ten page guide to the ten main, and easily identifiable, edible mushrooms found in Canterbury. Guide has photographs of each species and notes on where to find the mushrooms. Information on species' seasonality and basic preparation methods is also included. Guide written and photographed by forager Peter Langlands. Sent out electronically as a PDF file ( or by request as a Word file)"
3- Canterbury edible seaweed guide-
"A 15 page guide to the edible seaweed species found in New Zealand's South Island. Written and photographed by Peter Langlands. A practical guide for the wild food forager with key information on the different types of seaweed, where and when to harvest, and key tips for seaweed preparation and recipes. Seaweeds are well known for their health benefits and flavour, to enhance meals and add a unique point of interest. This guide will set you up to make the most of our seaweed resource.
Sent out in PDF format as a Ebook " Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-19736692514701653422015-04-27T16:20:00.000-07:002015-04-27T16:20:05.578-07:00Regional Foraging GuidesOver the last two years I have completed a series of foraging guides and have just completed an Otago Foraging Guide which is available for $10. To order email - E:langlands@xtra.co.nz
A forty page guide to wildfood and foraging options available in coastal Otago (covering the area from Oamaru down to the Catlins, with a focus on Otago Peninsula). Covers a wide range of fruits, herbs, native plants, seaweeds, fungi , molluscs, crustaceans, fish and small game. Species identification, habitats, seasons, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01C7hrGZB7LPe5F7ig0yP-JtFDbUKpf6jBLXWzZfk5vLgE5RIulSFS1MXBjVS9GaVhpk37wFARH4ocBweCZ41MHbRXJylRkmuckauuPCfrYkPm5x4KL2Z4QcleXP8uEWxd50u5rutsv4/s1600/367046914.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01C7hrGZB7LPe5F7ig0yP-JtFDbUKpf6jBLXWzZfk5vLgE5RIulSFS1MXBjVS9GaVhpk37wFARH4ocBweCZ41MHbRXJylRkmuckauuPCfrYkPm5x4KL2Z4QcleXP8uEWxd50u5rutsv4/s320/367046914.jpg" /></a>harvest and preparation techniques are outlined. Guide written by outdoor writer and researcher Peter Langlands/ Wild Capture and updated for 2015. Guide sent out electronically as a PDF file Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-14661254891699452472015-02-11T15:38:00.000-08:002015-02-11T15:38:11.840-08:00harvesting freshwater eelsEeling- a nocturnal wild foods activity
Peter Langlands
With the exception of the Taupo region, eels are found throughout New Zealand. They inhibit just about any freshwater habitat, often living out of sight under over hanging banks by day. Eels, because of their abundance in inland locations, were, and still are an important food source for the Maori, and traditional harvests still occur at locations such as Lake Forsyth (Wairewa) where up to 600 eels are caught a night during autumn, seaward, migrations. Eels often have a thick layer of fat below their skin, and as they can be easily dried, where very which an important food for Maori journeys through areas where food was otherwise scare.
Not only that but our freshwater eels are superb eating, and especially so when smoked. That thick layer of fat is full of flavour and is dramatically enhanced after being smoked over manuka wood. It is important with eels, prior to smoking, that they are left out in the fresh air, lightly salted, to dry out over a day or two, as otherwise the eels have a high moisture content and tend to be steamed, rather than smoked, if not left to air dry first.
The fun aspect of eeling is that it is an activity that is readily available to everyone, and in most regions in New Zealand you are entitled to catch six eels per person per day. Eels can be caught by a variety of methods; the simplest is to place out a baited setline, which only costs a few cents to make. Basically use a baited hook tied onto monofilament line of at least 20 pounds breaking strain. Oily fish bait is best. Leave the bait to soak for 20 minutes or so before re-checking. Have the line firmly secured to a steak on the riverbank, or lake’s edge. Spearing can also be highly effective, as eels cruise river margins at night.
Haul the eel onto dry ground, and as quickly as possible grab it behind its head with a towel, and severe the backbone, as a quick and humane way of killing the eel.
It you find the prospect of preparing an eel for the smoker daunting, simply take the eel to a fish shop, or butcher. Many larger centers will have a shop that will commercially smoke, prepare, and vacuum pack your catch.
The best eating eels are in the one to two kilogram ranges. I have a policy of releasing any eels over four kilograms, as these eels are likely to be very old, over 50 years (and up to 100!), and will also be prime breeding stock that will ensure the future of eeling in years to come.
Hot smoked eels are absolutely delicious, and much of the current catch is exported to Europe (and Japan), so when locally available, which is rarely in my neck of the woods, in Christchurch, it often sells for $70 a kilogram! So the option of catching my own, from the nearest waterway with clean water, which is only ten minutes from home, is a good one. At the moment smoked freshwater eel from Thailand and China, is for sale in New Zealand, but doesn’t compare in quality to our freshwater eels. We can do better with the home grown product. Served either smoked on toast with avocado, tossed in a Greek salad, or braised in a teriyaki sauce, freshwater eel remains one of my favorite foods, and one in which I have the satisfaction of catching myself.
Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-68436374296018918532014-11-12T15:36:00.000-08:002014-11-12T15:36:25.928-08:00Seaweed foraging guide available
A 15 page guide to the edible seaweed species found in New Zealand's South Island. Written and photographed by Peter Langlands. A practical guide for the wild food forager with key information on the different types of seaweed, where and when to harvest, and key tips for seaweed preparation and recipes. Seaweeds are well known for their health benefits and flavour, to enhance meals and add a unique point of interest. This guide will set you up to make the most of our seaweed resource.
Sent out in PDF format as a Ebook
to order for $7.50 then please email me
Peter Langlands
E:langlands@xtra.co.nz<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGnhukGv8hAgCEXpLbm3alheYhllDOUzeSUnugdt6PN1jHBL2W0ycZBV6NTNLRLpaiFiU7agd4NDvC93Y-MvAI1qGTVzghD15H2ruYMXG3jBrtcUeOLYtkYvQB5S2vf1Omu0z1cj2o0g/s1600/img-+3561.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGnhukGv8hAgCEXpLbm3alheYhllDOUzeSUnugdt6PN1jHBL2W0ycZBV6NTNLRLpaiFiU7agd4NDvC93Y-MvAI1qGTVzghD15H2ruYMXG3jBrtcUeOLYtkYvQB5S2vf1Omu0z1cj2o0g/s320/img-+3561.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1ZxV4-AOJ6-wWa0_1VZfHDE0Ogs7_LqKTgpvDQ86ZrVRbFz0CJhWvwnrehvkie1Df4g8xKVDT2tEJ5fH1lJyqLWiag4vIfB8WyJmAlQZtvQWPvMFzjlielrtjZmjSvaPRsSkm0U4zEQ/s1600/IMG_4548.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1ZxV4-AOJ6-wWa0_1VZfHDE0Ogs7_LqKTgpvDQ86ZrVRbFz0CJhWvwnrehvkie1Df4g8xKVDT2tEJ5fH1lJyqLWiag4vIfB8WyJmAlQZtvQWPvMFzjlielrtjZmjSvaPRsSkm0U4zEQ/s320/IMG_4548.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Zg-1l7Bz18qoaKgHMFwHRJap34sXIRmepMTBSfSUVME0M-SIuPfNs9L33KlrTS5LrLli4gHgXZE7PIFK_SENOfVY9hcVc2KYK0Q41I0XEzzUVvZQGQC-LJeSINYHQOCOwXvz5YkjiwE/s1600/seaweed+guide+2013+IMG_9673+wm+cm.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Zg-1l7Bz18qoaKgHMFwHRJap34sXIRmepMTBSfSUVME0M-SIuPfNs9L33KlrTS5LrLli4gHgXZE7PIFK_SENOfVY9hcVc2KYK0Q41I0XEzzUVvZQGQC-LJeSINYHQOCOwXvz5YkjiwE/s320/seaweed+guide+2013+IMG_9673+wm+cm.jpg" /></a>Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-1740885114134891812013-04-26T13:16:00.000-07:002013-04-26T13:16:19.318-07:00Referenced in latest issue of Life and LeisureStoked that this blog is referenced in a wild-foods article in latest issue of this premier New Zealand lifestyle<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95Ec7aqtW8TAAYlWch3XkS7KO13MeTNYH1WpvMxsA2Bg6GD7yNcwve6n95zPOLCZPzx_Q06iDRMDTL2wV-DbcMQE-LpDqFkH_yw6irdfPaIzuVb76ZnyECcCLaH0dAS91FhZsA1wnEO4/s1600/l+L+cmIMG_5592.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95Ec7aqtW8TAAYlWch3XkS7KO13MeTNYH1WpvMxsA2Bg6GD7yNcwve6n95zPOLCZPzx_Q06iDRMDTL2wV-DbcMQE-LpDqFkH_yw6irdfPaIzuVb76ZnyECcCLaH0dAS91FhZsA1wnEO4/s320/l+L+cmIMG_5592.jpg" /></a> magazine. More updates soon !Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-23476025219172158872011-04-29T00:55:00.000-07:002011-04-29T01:01:08.473-07:00Ceps ( porcini) with a little butter and walnuts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1a6iOln6SY9ABeS25zNVc4xjHLRHMyKmDXFbePPvkpnu8G50c75HOQELovq9jgCDUCKcNFZJ7vGLi4V4gG2qMzVNAk_SAaUxN7DZTPApZk6ObOd6-brAy5s_DYLQdMxcmR3TJR6mD5Dg/s1600/ceps+fried+with+walnuts+IMG_4458+alt+cm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1a6iOln6SY9ABeS25zNVc4xjHLRHMyKmDXFbePPvkpnu8G50c75HOQELovq9jgCDUCKcNFZJ7vGLi4V4gG2qMzVNAk_SAaUxN7DZTPApZk6ObOd6-brAy5s_DYLQdMxcmR3TJR6mD5Dg/s320/ceps+fried+with+walnuts+IMG_4458+alt+cm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600912467618252242" /></a><br />A celebration of Autmnn ,Ceps, are one of the tastiest mushrooms. To me they taste sweet like a scallop. A real highlight of autumn foraging. sadly now the frosts have arrived and the cep season my be over ?Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-14720626092157233972011-01-01T01:46:00.000-08:002011-01-01T01:48:05.063-08:00Smoking- tasty, cheap and portable, for preparing your wild foods.Smoking- tasty, cheap and portable, for preparing your wild foods.<br /><br /><br />Using a smoking box is a portable, tasty and fun way to cook a range of foods. All you simply need is a smoker, some sawdust, or dried mauanua/kanuka foliage, fish, salt and brown sugar for seasoning. Some paper towels also come in handy.<br />Ideally use a gas cooker, which is economical alternative to methylated spirits (although if optimising portability is a must, then “meths” is best.) Also by using gas you can control the intensity at are which you smoke the fish. Very oily fish are best smoked quickly at a high temperature and less oily, or more delicately flavoured fish (such as rainbow trout and salmon), smoked at a lower temperature for a longer time.<br /><br />It is best to dry out the fish by wiping them dry with a paper towel and hanging, or placing in fridge with a light covering of salt and wiping off moisture after several hours. If the fish is too moist then it will steam, as much as it will smoke, and produces a less intense flavour. The dehydration process concentrates the flavour. The fish is split down the backbone, cutting through the bones of the rib cage, and with its skin and scales still on placed lying skin down on the metal grill plate. Having the scales on will help the flesh from burning during the smoking process. Also place a small amount of cooking oil in the wire grid to stop the fish’s skin stinking to it and to produce an eye pleasing glazed effect. By placing some brown sugar, which will caramelise, your will have a golden glaze over the flesh also. For many species the skin will turn a golden colour, which along with the enhanced smoky taste, makes a dish, which is very appealing to the senses. With a moderate heat on a gas cooker, an average sized fish is often smoked within 15 to 20 minutes. <br /><br />Trout is a great fish to hot smoke as is freshwater eels, as both have high oil contents.<br />Of the sea fish snapper, jack mackerel, kahawai, tarakihi and blue moki are my favourites. Also some fish such as wrasse (or parrotfish) are at their best for eating when smoked, and at a pinch large spotties aren’t too bad in the smoker either! Just take care to be aware of the small bones. Fish with flaky white flesh and low oil contents such as blue cod can also be smoked at a lower heat. You can also smoke mussels. But they are best steamed first in a pot and then left to dry and then lightly smoked for only a few minutes. Otherwise the excess moisture just simply steams the mussels and will also make a mess of your smoker.<br /><br />Other than fish- chicken, rabbit and red meats can be smoked. Smoked vegetables such as pumpkin and kumara are also very nice. You can cook your vegetables first and then dry off, and then just smoke for a short amount of time to add that aromatic smoky flavour. Mushrooms also smoke up well. A favourite of mine is Portobello mushrooms stuffed with a mixed of fish slices, spinach and blue cheese, and lightly smoked with a seasoning of cracked pepper.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Use stones to set up a smoking platform at home. It is important to have your smoker set up in a sheltered location, and often a fish bin or a similar object will do the trick. Manuka and kanuka are the most popular woods to use. You can also use rosemary, thyme, and other woody herbs, or vines. Try to avoid using too much wood or sawdust in the smoker as excess amounts, of resin in the wood, result in the fish (or meat) tasting bitter. It is best to avoid highly resinous woods such as pine and eucalyptus, as these woods produce a bitter taste. Use horopito (native pepper plant) to add a little “indigenous heat” to your smoking attempt. Indeed the dried branches of horopito with infuse an exciting, tangy chilli flavour. If using horopito leaves then use in moderation.Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-79068551881095609002010-08-02T23:48:00.000-07:002010-08-02T23:50:48.530-07:00Koura- freshwater crayfish - a delicacy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkO3WS_AOzyT9YUrJEAXUCQ1FHAaYzeIGff0NRgj3Ll9dgaIvkvXo-1es6wrsIAlnOjhdcuhfJ-LgSceXyOuxWoGOKHz1tg_dRPvzeHstHdrKpSb8k3p8asROQrUEkoHDyOteDUS7sck/s1600/Freshwater+koura+cooked+(2).JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkO3WS_AOzyT9YUrJEAXUCQ1FHAaYzeIGff0NRgj3Ll9dgaIvkvXo-1es6wrsIAlnOjhdcuhfJ-LgSceXyOuxWoGOKHz1tg_dRPvzeHstHdrKpSb8k3p8asROQrUEkoHDyOteDUS7sck/s320/Freshwater+koura+cooked+(2).JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501072299960186546" /></a><br />Looking forward to getting some from the West coast soonPeter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-84681570371073569672010-08-01T12:41:00.000-07:002010-08-01T12:44:12.055-07:00Karengo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWQTZUxvz2IKsJTGT4oIBZYYr-ZQFSg6gBeGd4-KQOcty4w70Fa-67nwDrPSA9LCjiZbHc_9UvoNBmow-HxzEqscvpsP-4_LJPLBY2-zjXGn3JHSb8UBEnKtetgR82aLdL003ff3RceM/s1600/gathering+karengo+at+Oaro+on+the+Kaikoura+Coast+000212.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWQTZUxvz2IKsJTGT4oIBZYYr-ZQFSg6gBeGd4-KQOcty4w70Fa-67nwDrPSA9LCjiZbHc_9UvoNBmow-HxzEqscvpsP-4_LJPLBY2-zjXGn3JHSb8UBEnKtetgR82aLdL003ff3RceM/s320/gathering+karengo+at+Oaro+on+the+Kaikoura+Coast+000212.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500529586264073282" /></a><br />Karengo<br />Closely related to Japanese nori and Welsh laver, the red seaweed karengo (Porphyra species) is a delicacy to Māori. Found growing on intertidal rocks on exposed coasts, karengo is picked and sun-dried in winter months. It keeps for a long time in a dry condition. When used in cooking the dried seaweed is steamed or simmered for 30 minutes.<br />Karengo is harvested from the Kaikoura Coastline in August and September and is common on the upper intertidal zone. A highly edible seaweed.Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-3186141283892853182010-08-01T12:04:00.000-07:002010-08-01T12:17:09.540-07:00NZ Celery - Apium prostratum<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5HhXKrLpiWt15ST2zyWqVv8FeySUMVezjm1QAzBWYs8bso-DaWoRLitPQKRwtz2p2zzI1z1gWsJ-3ls6TS-dn-cQNRgkSMNkrv8Y8FgTFVPbwickTFoBxmT_PhZLOPUZhZX0s9ZplQg4/s1600/native+celery+-+a+edible+costal+herb+000086.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5HhXKrLpiWt15ST2zyWqVv8FeySUMVezjm1QAzBWYs8bso-DaWoRLitPQKRwtz2p2zzI1z1gWsJ-3ls6TS-dn-cQNRgkSMNkrv8Y8FgTFVPbwickTFoBxmT_PhZLOPUZhZX0s9ZplQg4/s320/native+celery+-+a+edible+costal+herb+000086.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500520903280949218" /></a><br />This native plant grows in coastal regions and is an excellent culinary herb. It looks like Italian parsley but with bulkier leafs. The taste is crisp and intense- an ideal addition to a salad. Can be grown from seeds available from North Island company -<br />www.naturallynative.co.nz/culinary.php.<br />Note three other species below are also ideal native plants with excellent culinary values. I recently tried the NZ spinach as a garnish at Fleur's Place in Otago- great with seafood.<br /><br />NZ Spinach - Tetragonia tetragonioides<br /><br />Cook’s Scurvy Grass - Lepidium oleraceum<br /><br />NZ Cress - Rorippa divaricata.<br /><br />NZ Celery grows on many places on Bank's Penisula and along our coastal regions.Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-34015027997078850682010-07-10T13:52:00.001-07:002010-07-10T13:54:48.056-07:00Italian parsley - a great shoreline herb<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6Wx1IVYTaZLl8rK04COr95dLY9PhboiehG8bQDHKGlAQZR6wDZhD3qIaLHnmRYVlhPINMIi0R5VSmskn30eGHn8lFkPJSsEiKPgYdIaT8rFrOIt7pvxCp0BId-sLCR9D77Tgqx1EZyA/s1600/Italian+parsely+Harakeke+tie+R5+IMG_7948.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6Wx1IVYTaZLl8rK04COr95dLY9PhboiehG8bQDHKGlAQZR6wDZhD3qIaLHnmRYVlhPINMIi0R5VSmskn30eGHn8lFkPJSsEiKPgYdIaT8rFrOIt7pvxCp0BId-sLCR9D77Tgqx1EZyA/s320/Italian+parsely+Harakeke+tie+R5+IMG_7948.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492383913478593618" /></a><br />Tied up with harakekePeter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-40264626061610230202010-07-10T13:48:00.000-07:002010-07-10T13:51:26.879-07:00Winter- a great time to go ring potting for pie crust crabs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYK9K6TU3S52jy7r7IMPT6vz6uMogW1G47Wdo3xSQ829bNMFv3QJ8HQmpbR62_NGTGI2vg3N5OEdYGZUNr_I4B9qh02DtGceNQFnukCBjiALM-3GEaLS5lhMvNf6_gzJAizc5hIizSyU/s1600/Recreational+crab+pot.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYK9K6TU3S52jy7r7IMPT6vz6uMogW1G47Wdo3xSQ829bNMFv3QJ8HQmpbR62_NGTGI2vg3N5OEdYGZUNr_I4B9qh02DtGceNQFnukCBjiALM-3GEaLS5lhMvNf6_gzJAizc5hIizSyU/s320/Recreational+crab+pot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492382790177748466" /></a>Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-50941532529586397472010-07-10T13:38:00.001-07:002010-07-10T13:46:12.429-07:00Bladder Kelp<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FFxSB7KS_5Rg0aAW6cPwFNHlh3XKo-4Pj-Nlx41Y6y30W8tKFHHfGhFyTzh-_CovfvzqFxG3e9IX0wwoOP4g1fs2C0p4GsqWWWuqgXbMtAda2qcWohhio6ilioTzH2HHf6lY803b43I/s1600/IMG_7725+kelp+in+water+creative+macrocysistis+crop.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FFxSB7KS_5Rg0aAW6cPwFNHlh3XKo-4Pj-Nlx41Y6y30W8tKFHHfGhFyTzh-_CovfvzqFxG3e9IX0wwoOP4g1fs2C0p4GsqWWWuqgXbMtAda2qcWohhio6ilioTzH2HHf6lY803b43I/s320/IMG_7725+kelp+in+water+creative+macrocysistis+crop.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492381678886114210" /></a><br />A highly nutrious seaweed that thrives around banks peninsula. the blades can be dried, then oven baked and eaten like a seaweed potato chip or ground down to make a seaweed "pepper". Once cooked blades turn a bright green colour and can be used to wrap seafood in. A fantastic resource. (PAL)<br /><br /><br />Scientific name - <br /><br />Macrocystis pyrifera-<br /><br />FOLLOWING EXTRAXT FROM STUFF-<br /><br />"It's a free, nutritious and a sustainable source of food. And to get it, all you have to do is get wet.<br /><br />It's seaweed. And Sally Carson, of Otago University's Marine Studies Centre, says we should all be eating more of this hugely beneficial food.<br /><br />Next month, at the New Zealand international science festival in Dunedin, she is organising a session dubbed "the incredible, edible seaweed workshop" to explain why we should eat it, and how to harvest and cook it.<br /><br />Carson's love of seaweed began in her native Canada when she worked in a marine laboratory on Vancouver Island. "The wonderful thing about seaweed is that you don't have to worry about any of it being poisonous. It's all edible, it's just that some varieties taste better than others."<br /><br />Carson's recommendation for gathering seaweed is to take the outer parts of an attached plant and to know where you're collecting it from. "One of the reasons that seaweed is so good for you is because it absorbs minerals and nutrients, but it also absorbs pollutants, so it should be collected in non-polluted areas."<br /><br />After that take it home, rinse it in cold water, and dry it on the clothesline. "I'm not a particularly good cook so I tend to use it more as a herb. I put it in stir-fries, soups, on baked potatoes, pizza, and in spaghetti sauce."<br /><br />When she really wants to make an impression she makes seaweed chips. "It's my signature dish and I think much better than potato chips. They're great with beer, quite addictive, and a really good conversation piece."<br /><br />But it doesn't have to be dried. Varieties like Neptune's necklace, common to beaches, are "lovely and crunchy" in a salad, but be sure to chop it up so the seawater drains from the tiny bladders. And blanched undaria (kelp) with a dressing of chilli, oil, sesame seed and vinegar is "absolutely gorgeous".<br /><br />KELP CHIPS<br /><br />CUT DRIED kelp into bite-sized pieces. Pour a thin layer of olive or sesame oil into frying pan or wok. Toss kelp continuously in the oil and let cook over a medium-high element for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or honey. When green and crispy, take off the heat and drain on paper (should be hardly any excess oil)."Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-5868323170206717212010-07-10T13:10:00.000-07:002010-07-10T13:13:20.694-07:00Shoreline herbs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0u7KZRj30Lj_KjASBCtxs6wgVL0af6yMKespO0euP9p0b2D9tUex-yBkzLMACH23Ghdd5drhR1GC_VIfVHdmBhJaYZi40oyUyNlGmsFYbnl0qhfhJ5VYoY-hPtSxrA2euePoatLBekks/s1600/fennel+port+levy+shoreline+fosicking.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0u7KZRj30Lj_KjASBCtxs6wgVL0af6yMKespO0euP9p0b2D9tUex-yBkzLMACH23Ghdd5drhR1GC_VIfVHdmBhJaYZi40oyUyNlGmsFYbnl0qhfhJ5VYoY-hPtSxrA2euePoatLBekks/s320/fennel+port+levy+shoreline+fosicking.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492373185438571490" /></a><br />Wild fennel- a great seasoningPeter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563578147415156343.post-3679533585942618722010-07-10T13:06:00.000-07:002010-07-10T13:07:25.929-07:00Shore line foraging- CanterburyCoastal foraging <br /><br /><br />Peter Langlands<br /><br />110710 <br /><br /><br /><br />For me one of the most exciting aspects of heading down to the beach is gathering wild foods. Why? Firstly hunting out “Wildfoods” can be incidental to tramping. It makes sense to gather edible things that you come across. In many cases the food will be very healthy and organic, and you have the benefit of knowing where it come from. Other benefits include that the food is often more intense in taste than commercially available options and in some cases, especially pauas there aren’t many (if any!) commercially available options.<br /><br />Bountiful shellfish<br /><br />I love shoreline foraging with its wide diversity shellfish available. Interestingly during the Irish potato famine many people starved on the doorstep of rich shoreline food resources, a great tragedy, due in part upon reliance primarily on potatoes and an ignorance of shoreline foods. Shellfish are readily available and are best taken after periods of low rainfall, or a hundred metres or so away from any significant freshwater source (if it is running off agricultural land). <br /><br />Green shell mussels are a mainstay and grow to a good size. I like to snorkel for mussels, as often the mussels below the low tide mark are of larger size and better condition, than those in the inter- tidal. Blue mussels are smaller than green lips and grow higher up on the tide line and are as good, if slightly different in taste, as the better-known green shell mussel.<br /><br />Rock oysters, which proliferate round much of our coastline, are often overlooked. Several large rock oysters are equal to a Bluff oyster and in my opinion their taste is more intense. The rock oyster tends to be a more southern species with the Pacific oyster growing from the northern South Island and throughout the North Island, often on sheltered parts of the coast around mudflats or sheltered waterways (such as the Marlborough Sounds). <br /><br />On more exposed parts of the rocky coastlines pauas are the top prize or the shoreline forager. On remoter parts of our coastline legal sized pauas can be gathered at low tide, but often snorkelling gear is required to get legal sized pauas in many areas these days.<br /><br />Magic of wharves<br /><br />I love chilling out and fishing from wharves. The key to success here is to use small hooks. Large spotties and yellow-eyed mullet make great eating when fresh. I love eating whole fish, off the bone, after crisping them up and serving with a tomato and chilli pesto. Jack mackerel can be caught around many wharves in the northern parts of New Zealand and are delicious when hot-smoked.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Potting<br />Potting for paddlecrabs or “piecrust crabs” is a fun activity. A simple hoop pot baited with an oily fish such as a mackerel works very well. Wharves make good spots for potting for piecrust crabs (which have beautiful meat in their claws). If you have a kayak then placing pots in further from shore, over open sand, will allow you to catch paddle crabs. The other exciting part of hoop potting is the by-catch- anything from brittle stars to seahorses will turn up to fascinate the kids.<br /><br />Healthy seaweeds<br />On the rocky shoreline don’t overlook the wide range of edible seaweeds that occur there. Seaweeds are incredibly healthy with high levels of trace elements. Bladder kelp is one of my favourites. The blades of the kelp, when dried slowly in the oven, turn from a brown to green colour. Once crispened by baking in olive oil, and with a little cracked pepper, they make delicious “seaweed flavoured potato chip”. Neptune’s necklace when likely blanched and added to a salad makes a point of interest.<br /><br />Karengo, dark bladed kelp growing high up on the inter-tidal, is often in its prime in late winter. When fried with a mix of olive oil and butter, along with some cracked pepper it is delicious. Karengo has grown significantly in popularity in recent years as a point of interest by many chefs, and is commercially harvested in areas such as Kaikoura. Undaria, the seaweed accidentally introduced from Japan, is also a prime food source when dried out. As people look to more healthy forms of food, interest in gathering seaweeds is growing.<br /><br />Coastal herbs<br />The shoreline area is not only a rich source of shellfish and seaweeds but many types of herbs grow wild along the shore. Wild fennel is often very prolific in dry stony areas. The fennel makes a great herb for favouring seafood dishes, and can also be brewed to make a refreshing tea. The seedpods, from fennel, when ground down also make an intense flavouring. Italian parsley often grows prolifically along shoreline areas in the rank shrub just above the high tide mark. Winter is a good time to gather Italian parsley and having go at making homemade pesto with it.<br /><br />There is nothing to me more comforting than cooking freshly gathered wild foods and cooking them up over a beach fire. If local regulations prohibit the use of an open fire, then a gas cooker is a passable substitute. There is nothing like dining alfresco, even in winter, and looking out over a beautiful coastal view. Brewing up a strong espresso is often a good way to “sign-off” from a days’ shoreline foraging. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So next time you head down to the beach take a bucket or two, a chilly bin, a gas cooker, a sharp knife, a hammer and chisel (for the Pacific and rock oysters), some snorkelling gear, a couple of fishing rods and have dinner. At the end of the day there is nothing like some fresh sea air to clear away the cobwebs of city living. By bringing some food back to the table you can also re-live the days events. Happy foraging.Peter Langlandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210166272360474789noreply@blogger.com0