Tag Archives: recipes

City Herb Events for Children

Urban Herb Walks, , , ,

City Herb Foraging for Children
Sunday 7th April and Sunday 21st April
Park Frankendael Foraging Gardens
10:30-12:00

These are small group sessions for children aged 7+ and their parents.

An introduction to some common Amsterdam herbs that grow in parks, streets, and gardens. A handout with information and recipes will be provided. We will make herb tea and some herbal concoctions after foraging the herbs.

Learn how to:

  • Identify, forage, and use key plants safely & ethically
  • Identify (and avoid) look-a-likes and common poisonous plants
  • Create simple foods, lotions, and potions using local herbs.

Each session will be led by Livvy de Graaf and assisted by Lynn Shore. Lynn is a professional foraging teacher (member Association of Foragers) and consulting herbalist. Livvy, is Dutch-British and has been harvesting and eating wild food for longer than she can remember. She is Lynn’s daughter.

We will be mainly in the River of Herbs foraging gardens, behind Huize Frankendael, which Lynn has run as a community project for the past 10 years.

Price per session
1 child – €15
1 child + 1 parent – € 25
[8 spaces available in total – no spaces available for adults alone]

Sugar and rain
As the beautiful Dutch saying goes, we are not made of sugar. So our events go ahead come rain or shine. We will postpone (and refund) if severe weather is forecast, such as a storm, because that could make the outdoor event unsafe. Otherwise, as the other saying goes – There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing..

To Book
Please Email stating your preferred date of event and how many children/adults.
To secure your place, payment must be received by bank transfer. We will send you the payment details when you email to book. Please look out for that reply as without payment, your booking is not complete and only a small number of places are available for Livvy’s events.

Refund Policy – Fully refundable up to 24 hours before the event. If you need to cancel after that time (so less than 24 hours before the event start time) a refund can only be made if we can fill your place with someone else.

Nettles – Urban Foraging Event

Foraging, Urban Herb Walks, Wild herbs, , , , , , , , , , ,
White deadnettle
Stinging nettle
Purple deadnettle

It is nettle time!
Learn how to identify, ethically harvest, craft, eat, grow, use and generally make the most of locally growing nettles, so Stinging nettles (Urtica species) and several Deadnettles (some of the Lamiaceae family), with Livvy de Graaf, assisted by Lynn Shore. Lynn is a professional foraging teacher (member Association of Foragers) and consulting herbalist. Livvy, is Dutch-British and has been harvesting and eating wild food for longer than she can remember. She is Lynn’s daughter and certainly knows her way around the woods and foraging orchards, where this event will take place. She looks forward to sharing some of her skills with you. The walk will be primarily in English.

Location
We will be working mainly in the River of Herbs foraging gardens, which Lynn has run for over 10 years, so unusually will be able to dig up some of the stinging nettle roots, to plant elsewhere or for you to cook/preserve/process at home.
Meeting at main entrance of Park Frankendael, closest to Middenweg 72, Amsterdam (Restaurant Merkelbach / Huize Frankendael).

Handout
Written info and recipes will be provided. You will learn about and try different preparations made from the focus plants (including a cup of tea). You will then be able to make your own potions/creations at home, using what we forage together and the handout.

Who is Stinging nettle’s sister?
Yellow deadnettle
Stinging nettle

The plants
Different “nettles” are up and forageable in Amsterdam all through the year, but at this time the Stinging nettles are growing strongly, and different Deadnettles begin to flower. This is the best time to start using them in simple remedies and to enrich food. As you learn about Stinging nettles and Deadnettles, you will also meet some other amazing wild herbs that are around at the same time. For instance, wild garlic is also in full growth at this time, so you will be able to dig some of those bulbs up, from legal places, if you want that and have uses for them.

Please bring along
cup/mug
paper bag (grocery small bag to take the harvest home)
pen/pencil to add to the notes.
hand trowel / handschep (we will have a few to share if you don’t have one).

Booking
€15 per person, paid in advance
Please email to reserve your place and receive the bank details for pre-payment. Your place is secured when your payment has been received.

Cancellation policy
100% refund if cancellation more than 24 hours before event start time. Cancellation after that time (so less than 24 hours before the start time) can only be refunded if we can fill your place with another person.

We are looking forward to meeting you!

Wild Garlic (Daslook) Ethical Foraging Event

Bulbs, Foraging, Urban Herb Walks, Wild herbs, , , , , , , ,

Extra Date: Saturday 17th February, 10.00 – 11.30, Park Frankendael. Amsterdam

This is an event for wild garlic lovers!

Learn how to identify, ethically harvest, craft, eat, grow, use and generally make the most of wild garlic (Allium ursinum) or Daslook, with Livvy de Graaf, assisted by Lynn Shore, professional foraging teacher and herbalist. Livvy, is Dutch-British and has been harvesting and eating wild food for longer than she can remember. She is Lynn’s daughter and certainly knows her way around the woods of Park Frankendael, where this walk will take place. She looks forward to sharing some of her skills with you.

We will be working mainly in the River of Herbs foraging gardens, so unusually, will be able to dig up some of the fresh wild garlic bulbs, to plant elsewhere or for you to cook/preserve at home.

Handout with wild garlic info. and recipes, and a cup of herb tea will be provided. You will learn about and try different preparations from sweet, sour, savoury to medicinal. And will be able to make your own potions/creations at home, using what we forage together and the handout.

Wild garlic emerging from the early spring soil, heralds the start of the main foraging season. As you learn about wild garlic, you will also learn to recognise other amazing wild herbs which are around at the same time.

Please bring along:
drinking cup
Paper bag (grocery small bag to take the harvest home)
pen/pencil to add to the notes.
hand trowel / handschep (I will have a couple to share if you forget or don’t have one).

Cost: 15 Euro per person – Payable in advance
Please email urban.herbology.lynn@gmail.com and you will receive the bank details for payment. When payment is received your place is booked.

Cancellation Policy:
If canceling, for any reason, 24 hours or more before the start of the event – Full refund.
If canceling after that time (so less than 24 hours before the start time of the event) you will be refunded only if we have a replacement.

Looking forward to meeting you!

Urban Herb Love

Food, Foraging, Wild herbs, , , , , , , , , , , ,


Yesterday was our seventh anniversary, here is what we cooked: Scallops, marinated in the juice of half a lime, a sprig of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped and a small nugget of fresh ginger, squeezed. After cooking in the marinade, the scallops and sauce were laid on wilted spinach and Elderflowers were sprinkled on top.

Next came grilled lamb cutlets served with a caprese salad and most importantly, Mugwort vegetables. The taste of a top of almost flowering Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) infused into mixed vegetables, as they cooked in one of my magical cast iron pots. It was served sprinkled with detached individual Red Clover flowers. Mugwort (Cronewort, Artemisia vulgaris, NL: Bijvoet)  is extremely tasty and aromatic when cooked in this gentle way. Just a splash of olive oil, finely chopped leeks softened then chopped aubergine and courgette added to the pan. Lid on and simmer gently for ten minutes or so.

Umm, now that’s Urban Herb Love!