The edible Hairy Bittercress has carved out a neat little niche for itself. For starters (we will come back to that), it is a winter annual, germinating in autumn and overwintering as a rosette. With the forest floor laid winter-bare, it is easily seen and just as easily identified.
It is a small, low plant, not a bushy one. Most of it sits flat to the ground at first, like a little green doily. Later it sends up a few thin, wiry stems, but it never gets tall or chunky.
The leaves are rounded and soft-edged, arranged like a tiny ladder along a stem, with a slightly larger leaf at the end. They look gentle, not jagged or spiky. The whole plant feels faintly delicate.
The explosive part is not just in its fiery, peppery taste. After flowering, tiny white four-petalled flowers from February into March, the plant grows long, thin seed pods that stick out like little matchsticks. Touch them when they are ready and they snap, flicking seeds everywhere. If you brush past and something pops, that is Hairy Bittercress.
For starters?
𝐁𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐬
Blanch the bittercress briefly to tame the heat, squeeze it dry, then chop finely. Fold it into mashed potato, or a potato and celeriac mix, with a little onion or shallot cooked gently in butter or olive oil. A touch of nutmeg works well. Shape, crumb, and fry. Plain yoghurt, or a cucumber raita, finishes it off nicely.
Disclaimer - you eat at your own risk. I write about things I can eat safely, your body is your responsibility.