I absolutely love wild garlic season. Such an easy ingredient to use, so much flavour, free to forage (responsibly), and prodigiously healthy. Wild garlic is a great way to change up how you get your 3 portions of folate-rich greens every day – yes, I said 3! That doesn’t have to be hard when you think of portions as profiles, not great big heaps on a plate. A repertoire of dishes that incorporate plant foods within them as well as accompanying them is the way to go, and wild garlic does that brilliantly.

Leafy greens are high in folate, arguably one of the most crucial natural food form nutrients we need daily, protecting cell integrity and DNA as well as many other roles, including regulating homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is a post all by itself, being an often overlooked process that can go awry, something I need to look at when clients present with certain symptoms. A major consideration in fatigue is that folate and B12 work together for red blood cell production and iron utilisation, meaning they directly impact energy levels, and a deficiency in one can impact the other. That is just one example of many processes folate plays a part in – as ever, nutrients are synergistic, and food forms are the best source. 

Folic acid is the man made version in supplements – it doesn’t work as well, and high levels are being indicated in cancer development. Food first is the healthiest philosophy, and using seasonal wild foods like wild garlic is the truly healthy way to give your body what it needs, how it needs it.

Wild garlic is also a prebiotic, encouraging the growth of friendly bacteria. Our gut is possibly our most neglected organ, playing a significant role in  our body and brain as a whole, including immunity and mood. Collecting a bunch of wild garlic on your next walk gets the beneficial exercise in too! Chopped, used as a garnish, in pesto, or as a leaf, it’s foraging heaven, and used in this gorgeous macaroni cheese recipe by Thomasina Miers in The Guardian you can’t go wrong while the wild garlic season coincides with chilly spells between spring-like sunny days. I’ll be making it this weekend – how about you?

Wild Garlic Macaroni Cheese

This is a great way to use up odds and ends of different cheeses – the more variety, the better the flavour.

Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 6

500g macaroni
50g butter, plus 20g extra for the crumbs
1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
50g plain flour
900ml whole milk
80g wild garlic leaves, washed and finely shredded
100g gouda (or experiment with a mix of a good melting cheese and a blue)
150g Lincolnshire Poacher, or extra-mature cheddar
Salt and black pepper

For the breadcrumbs
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, peeled and crushed
120g dried breadcrumbs
120g mix cheddar, blue cheese, parmesan or anything else you fancy, grated
5-6 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
1-2 tsp smoked paprika

Bring a big pan of salted water to a boil, then cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, then run under cold water for a minute to cool and refresh.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat, add the onion and saute gently for eight to 10 minutes.

Add the flour, turn down the heat to medium and cook for three to four minutes, until a pale toasty colour. Slowly pour in the milk bit by bit, stirring vigorously between each addition to ensure it has been incorporated, until you have a smooth sauce. Add the wild garlic and cheese, stir until the cheese has melted, then taste and season.

Meanwhile, fry the breadcrumbs. Put a frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the olive oil and 20g butter. Add the garlic, cook for a minute, then add the crumbs and season. Fry, stirring, for seven to eight minutes, until the crumbs are browned and turning crisp, then take off the heat and stir in the cheese, thyme and paprika.

Stir three-quarters of the cheese sauce into the macaroni, and pour into a large baking dish. Top with the remaining sauce, scatter the breadcrumbs all over and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Eat at once with a crisp salad.

Credit: Thomasina Miers – The Guardian Thomasina Miers Wild Garlic Mac and Cheese