Did you survive – the answer….

The Poison Garden, Deadly or Delicious?

London Pecuiliar, Yellow split pea and mushroom soup

Giant Hogweed, more colloquially known as Cartwheel Flowers is a phototoxic plant. Its sap causes blistering burns when the contacted skin is exposed to ultra violet light. Not quite deadly but awfully painful for several weeks while avoiding the sun.

Levisticum Officinale. Lovage, a siz foot high celery plant that we adore at The Ethicurean. It has strong flavour of rich vegetable stock and a delicate curry-like aftertaste. Delicious.

Lamb cannon, glazed carrot & beetroot blood served along with Persian spiced bulgur wheat salad

All mushrooms are edible, some are edible only once!

Slipper Jack. This slimy capped Luteus mushroom has symbiotic ectomycorrhizal relationships with living trees. Kit is highly prized and well regarded as tip top eating. You chose wisely, delicious.

Jack’O Lantern.  A wonderful biolumescent mushroom. Their gills literally glow in the dark as much as fireflies do! Often mistaken for the Chanterelle this mushroom is poisonous to humans and while not lethal will case horrible cramps and sickness from both ends.

Corn Smut. In Latin America this is a most prized mushroom. A pathogenic mushroom that parasites corn or maize and keeps it ‘sleeping’. While it prevents the growth of the corn the dark black mushroom is considered a delicacy. Certainly delicious.

Castor Bean Oil. This oil can carry quite a risk if not prepared stringently. It ricin, one of the most lethal naturally occurring plant poisons, is not completely removed, a lengthy painful demise over several days can be expected. Touch and Good Night.

Mortuary pudding

Wolfsbane. These beautiful blue flowers have killed people on contact. You’ve gone.

Carnation or Gilliflowers have a flavour that closely resembles clove. Almost forgotten about in culinary terms, but if a witch tries to kill you, you should hand her a red carnation, as she will have to count the petals, giving you enough time to finish your Mortuary pudding and escape any nasty spells. Delicious and your escape from certain death.

Text by The Ethicurean

Would you of survived?