A Wild Garlic Chase

In the Moylgrove Valley ©Nigel Summerley

The remarkable Belinda Ray whose Wild About Spanish language teaching we featured here last year has now settled into her new life in Boncath, on the edge of the Preselis.

And when we met in reality – rather than on Zoom, as we had done previously – she promised to take me on a hunt for wild garlic.

She whisked us off to the village of Moylgrove/Trewyddel where she first filled up countless containers with fresh water from the spring there (she’s not one to waste time) before heading to the start of the footpath that follows the river down Cwm Trewyddel to the sea.

It soon became apparent that wild garlic was not in short supply. Much of this beautiful valley was decorated with its dark green abundance.

Belinda showed me how to pick the leaves carefully without disturbing the plants’ roots and we both filled bags with our gorgeous-smelling little harvest.

The valley is a place of tremendous peace and it leads you downwards finally to the sea at Ceibwr Bay.

Patches of wild garlic are dotted about beside the river ©Nigel Summerley

Belinda also gave me her recipe for making wonderful pesto: put together wild garlic leaves, olive oil, pine nuts, peccorino/parmesan cheese or yeast flakes (the balance of all these ingredients to suit your own taste) and then put everything together in a blender.

I had my wild garlic shredded with parmesan and oil and eaten with spaghetti… it was a great meal. And the Moylgrove Valley was a great walk.

Belinda told me she has plans to expand her Spanish teaching in new and unusual ways… so keep an eye on Pembrokeshire.Online for more news on this before too long.

Belinda Ray can be contacted on 07879 238382 or bella@wildaboutspanish.com; her website is at https://wildaboutspanish.com.

At Ceibwr Bay  ©Nigel Summerley