The elderberry is a tree which produces berries that are used for making syrups and wines, while the flowers are used for wine or cordials or may be dipped in batter and fried. Elderflowers are also a traditional accompaniment to gooseberries in crumbles. In France the flowers may also be used to flavour a confection. Folklore has it that elderberries gathered on St John's Eve (23rd June) protect against witchcraft. I am not sure I have ever seen an elderberry ripe for picking so early in the year. The dried berries can be used as a substitute for raisins in barm brack. In England there is a tradition that you should thank a tree when you remove the flowers or berries.
Elderflowers are used for wine or cordials or may be dipped in batter and fried. Elderflowers are also a traditional accompaniment to gooseberries in crumbles. In France the flowers may also be used to flavour a confection.
A variety of tomato which grows on a large, loose vine. It is deep red and good flavour and thin skin, making it ideal for salads.
The elegant cuttlefish is found from western British coasts through the Mediterranean and to Swedish Africa. It has a pink flush on the upperside and grows to less than 8 cms long (3”). It is slender, ending with a minute keel on the back of the shell. It is often thought of a baby cuttlefish but it’s full grown size is very small.
A very short variety of chilli which tapers to a point and comes in bright yellows, oranges and reds.
The woodapple or elephant apple is a jungle fruit about the size of an orange from India and Sri Lanka. The shell is hard and woody, not surprisingly, and rough grey in appearance. The best way to get into it, rather as for a coconut, is by throwing it onto a concrete floor. It can be eaten raw or mashed with sugar and water to make into sherbets. The pulp is used, grated, with chilli powder, onions, salt and lime juice to make a sour sambal. It is also known as the elephant apple because elephants are thought to consume the woodapple whole. When their droppings are examined they are found to contain whole shells which, when opened, are found to be empty of their contents. Could it be that the elephant digests the pulp without the shell?
Elephant garlic, or wild leek, is actually not a member of the garlic family (allium sativum) at all but is closer to the leek, to the flavour of which it bears a close resemblance. It looks like garlic, having a swollen bulb at the base, and roasts well. It will keep well if hung in a warm, dry place.
Indian spinach. This is most likely to be Basella alba, a tropical climbing plant that can grow as high as 2 meters (6 ft), the leaves being harvested as the plant grows and cooked in the same way as spinach or stewed in oil with spices. It is a type of amaranth, which includes many varieties of a sweetish green leafy vegetable known by many different names, including callalloo, elephant’s ear, African/Ceylon/ Chinese/Indian spinach, Surinam amaranth, etc.
False morel mushrooms. They are deadly poisonous if not cooked, closely resembling real morel mushrooms, being wrinkled and brown in the same way. However, morel mushrooms are symmetrical while false morels are irregular in shape and look like a brown brain, while true morels are more like a sponge. True morels have hollow stems while those of false morels are solid. Be careful to check each of these features before attempting to eat one. They have a fine flavour and are generally parboiled. They are popular in Nordic countries and in Finland especially.
