Recipe: Wild Garlic Pesto

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The South Devon hedgerows around Beeson Farm Holiday Cottages offer an abundance of edible flora whether its Sloes in the Autumn for gin or elderflowers in the early summer for making cordial.

This spring the hedgerows are bursting with wild flowers and lots of wild garlic. Our favourite spots to forage for wild garlic are Stokenham Woods (up the lane opposite the church) or Loddiswell Woods (by Avon Mill Garden Centre), though wild garlic, and its cousin, three cornered garlic, can be found in virtually every lane where there are bluebells.

We love the Riverford Organic recipe for making wild garlic pesto which you can find here https://www.riverford.co.uk/recipes/view/recipe/wild-garlic-pesto

This pesto is wonderful served through warm pasta, with jacket potatoes, roast lamb or as an accompaniment to summer BBQs. This recipe makes 1 large jar which will keep for at least a week in the fridge

Ingredients

  • 100g wild garlic
  • 50g Parmesan grated
  • 50g hazelnuts, skinned & toasted
  • Olive oil
  • Lemon juice, to taste
  • Salt & pepper

Method

  1. Thoroughly wash your wild garlic and place in a food processor, blitz until fairly well broken up.
  2. Next add your Parmesan and process further, this will help to break down the garlic leaves.
  3. Finally add your hazelnuts. When the nuts are added you will want to have your olive oil to hand; turn the machine back on, and add olive oil to your desired consistency.
  4. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
  5. Enjoy your taste of South Devon!

National Walking Month

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May is National Walking Month, so if you fancy packing your walking boots and booking a holiday at Beeson Farm  we’ve pulled together a quick guide to our favourite 5 walks for you!

There are numerous footpaths and bridleways to explore in the local area and throughout May they are lined with the most beautiful wildflowers- and often offer tantalising glimpses of the sea. The South West Coastpath runs through Beesands (less than a mile from Beeson Farm) and offers some stunning walks along the coastline, where you can discover shipwrecks, the Lighthouse, lost villages and hidden coves.

Each cottage at Beeson Farm has an ordanance survey map and a folder of local walking routes and maps.

Walk 1: Beesands to Hallsands 3.5 miles (and closest to Beeson Farm) Children particularly will love this stroll past the ‘Village that Fell into the Sea’. It is easy to understand the massive power of the ocean on a windy day here, when the waves crash on the rocks, dashing spray high in the air, and there is the muted roar of the shingle being dragged back and forth on the seabed. ‘Hallsands looks as if it properly belonged to the sea,’ wrote James Fairweather in his 1884 Guide to Salcombe, ‘and had only been borrowed from it for a time.’ 30 years later a massive storm (combined with the effects of dredging the sea for shingle to build the dockyard at Plymouth) The route follows a number of ancient lanes, and is also the route that the children in the lighthouse took too and from school in the small hamlet of Huccombe every day. it may be wet or muddy in places, so wear good footwear. There is free parking at Beesands

Dowload the walking guide here https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/walksdb/83/

Walk 2: Slapton Ley Nature Reserve (family trail 1.5miles)

Slapton Ley is the largest natural freshwater lake in the south west, separated from the sea by a shingle beach. As a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) it was declared a National Nature Reserve (NNR) in 1993. The Nature Reserve is 1.5 miles long and covers over 490 acres of natural woodland, marshes and reedbed habitat, making it a wildlife haven for all types of birds and vegetation. Slapton Ley is a great day out for families, wildlife enthusiasts and anyone with a passion for nature.  Check the Slapton Ley field study centre website as there are often free activities and events happening throughout the year on the reserve and the beach to help you learn and understand more about the environment Parking is available nearby at 3 car parks (the Memorial Carpark and in Slapton Village).

Download the trail here  http://www.slnnr.org.uk/media/3737131/2195-Slapton-Ley-walks-leaflet-2016.pdf

Walk 3: Start Point Lighthouse Walk 1.2miles

A short 1.2m easy walk from Start Point Car Park to Start Point and the Lighthouse – part of the South West Coast Path. Start Point is the most southerly tip of Devon, with stunning coastal scenery across Start Bay and lots of wildlife to spot, including seabirds and the odd seal. See the remains of Hallsands Village, wrecked by storms on 1917, the Day Mark Tower on the Dart Estuary, and on a clear day, you can see along the coastline to the Isle of Portland. This short walk takes you from the Start Point Car Park down to the Start Point Lighthouse, built in 1836 to protect the ships sailing around this coastline. There is a steady descent down the old lighthouse road to the headland. It is suitable for many mobility scooters, and push chairs. Parking charges apply. The Lighthouse is open to the public on selected weekend and in school holidays (height restrictions apply to climb the tower and admission is cash only)

Walk 4: East Soar and Salcombe 7.5 miles (challenging)

Follow the well marked paths to visit the exotic garden at Overbeck’s or discover hidden coves for a quiet dip or picnic. Either way you’ll be rewarded with dramatic seascapes, estuary views and miles of green, rugged cliff-tops grazed by beautiful Highland cattle or in the summer, Dartmoor ponies. This walk showcases the dramatic coast around Salcombe, walking from East Soar to the charming secluded beach at Soar Mill Cove. After a rest on the beach, journey around the jagged rocks at Bolt Head and discover fantastic views as you walk up the Salcombe Estuary

The walkers hut at East Soar Outdoor experience is a great place to stop for homemade cakes and treats!

Download the trail here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/salcombe-to-hope-cove/trails/bolt-head-walk

Walk 5: Charleton and Frogmore Creek 4.5 miles

The Salcombe – Kingsbridge Estuary is a glittering jewel in South Devon’s crown. This walk explores one of its loveliest creeks, teeming with wildlife, along with some of the areas ancient green lanes. Be sure to pop in to Springfield farmshop afterwards for a cream tea and to stock up on locally produced goodies!

http://www.southdevonaonb.org.uk/explore/walks-trails/charleton-and-frogmore-creek