Hullabaloo Art and Science Festival 2020

Good news!

Lucy and her woodland chef's crew

has been selected

to take part in this year AT HOME edition

of Hullabaloo Festival,

a colourful event that happens every year on the Isle of Wight

and this year will celebrate 

the Island as the Unesco Biosphere Reserve

Many creative workshops will be free for everyone to attend online,

and we will explore the Island more stunning landscapes

to discover with my animal friends,

 some summer edible wild food,

 and the colourful magic gifts of plants!

I will host a live demo on making colour as well,

on Saturday 20th June at 1 pm (Uk time).

Find all the makers here

Join us for a celebration of nature and its gifts!

Elderflower risotto

I have been diving deep into nature lately,

as in Britain we are having a wonderful weather..

Thanks to a course on natural ink making with Flora Arbuthnott

I have been inspired to start wild foraging, 

and to discover even more the magic of plants!

In this post I want to share with you a recipe that

I literally invented out of inspiration..

yes, because cooking is an art,

and it lives on inspiration too!

ELDELFLOWER RISOTTO

Ingredients for 2 serves:
4/7 elder flower heads, picked in a dry day
1 leek
200 gr risotto rice (Arborio, Carnaroli, or similar)
500 ml Veg stock
half cup of cream
A pinch of grated Parmesan cheese to finish
Organic lemon zest (just a bit)

First, wash the elder flower, cut away the thicker stalks,

and dry it on a natural fabric cloth.
Wash and slice the leek, cook it gently until soft,
add the rice and toast it a bit,
then start adding the veg stock ( not all at once).
While stirring, check that the rice doesn't stick to the pan.
Add a bit of cream (I use soya cream)
At about 10 minutes in,
add the elder flower,
continue adding the stock every now and then.
Taste the rice and when is nearly "al dente",
add the lemon zest (less than half a lemon is enough for
this quantity of rice, as it is very strong flavour ).
When ready, if you wish,
sprinkle the cheese on top
and decorate with one fresh elderflower head and few lemon zest swirls.

ENJOY!