Fantastic Foraging – out with the

Fantastic

FORAGING

From fungi to wild garlic, berries to borage, get hunting and start gathering

Foraging is defined as “going from place to place searching for things that you can eat or use”, according to the English Cambridge Dictionary.

Top chef Mark Hix is a foraging fan, and wild food makes a frequent appearance on his menus. He recently teamed up with internationally renowned wild foods expert Miles

Irving to offer a bespoke foraging event. The pair first met 20 years ago, around the time Miles set up his Kent-based company Forager Ltd.

With a mutual love of foraging and firm friendship established, Mark explains that the joint events were a natural progression.

“What Miles doesn’t know about wild food is not worth knowing. Every time I go foraging with him, I learn about new ingredients that I never knew existed. Not only that but the health benefits they bring too.”

The pair’s Hix & Wild events are geared for specific seasons. In spring, guests can

expect to forage for an array of spring greens, herbs and salads. Summer will uncover the world of coastal plants and seaweeds, while wild mushrooms are the focus for autumn. After a morning being educated on wild edible foods, guests enjoy a picnic or BBQ lunch before heading off to a second location for an afternoon of foraging. A 6-course meal, cooked by Mark in his own Charmouth home, completes the experience. “Learning to forage gets people doing what was completely normal for Wild food expert our ancestors: engaging with

Miles Irving surroundings and seasons to find really nutritious and delicious foods,” explains Miles. “Habitually gathering wild foods enables us to think more organically about ourselves and the organisations we are part of.” For details of Hix & Wild foraging experiences, visit Theoysterandfishhouse. co.uk. Miles’ company can be found at forager.org.uk and offers online courses.

WILD IN THE UK

James Wood is the founder of Totally Wild UK and the author of The Forager’s Cookbook - a countryside guide to foraging (find it via his website below). His company runs foraging courses throughout the UK, from rural settings to cities, and he says his main goal is to get people excited about the amazing flavours that can be found in the wild, in addition to sharing knowledge and engaging with the great outdoors.

“I want to make foraging as accessible as possible,” explains James. “Quite often we think that we need to cook something gastronomic with our wild finds but one of my favourite things to eat is a nettle omelette, incredibly quick and super simple. I can grab them from the back garden and have lunch within 5 minutes.

“Often the act of heading out foraging is much more than wild food, we’re engaging with wild spaces, getting our steps in for the day and enjoying all of the mental benefits associated with being surrounded by greenery and woodlands.”

To find a Totally Wild foraging course in your area visit www.totallywilduk.co.uk.

Safe and Sustainable

Food and sustainability campaigners Abi Aspen Glencross and Sadhbh Moore give their top tips for foraging

Foraging, or picking wild foods, is a liberating and empowering act. If you’ve been brought up to pick wild blackberries or apples as you walk along country roads, you may have always been a forager and not even realised.

Being able to identify edible plants helps us to understand seasonality, as well as appreciate the bounty and biodiversity of where we live.

Of course, plant identifi cation can get complicated, and can be dangerous, especially with mushrooms, so the following should be kept in mind: • Never eat any wild food without fi rst being 100% sure of its identity. Start simple, with blackberries, apples and pears for example. • Research the edible plants in your area; fi nd out if any are endangered, how to pick them and be wary of spreading invasive species. Your best bet is to fi nd a reputable foraging class or guided walk. • Get a good foraging guide and familiarise yourself with diff erent leaf, stem seed and fruit shapes and structures. • Take no more than you can process or consume immediately, before it goes bad. Many places in the UK, such as some Woodland Trust land, allow foraging only for personal use, but not commercial purposes. • Take care not to trample biodiverse areas and avoid uprooting any plants. • Seek permission from landowners, or forage on your own land, or public land for which you know you can look up the foraging rules. • Only collect leaves, fl owers, fruits and seeds where they are in abundance, and leave a good proportion in place.

Adapted from The Sustainable Kitchen, Projects, tips and advice to cook, shop and eat in a more eco-conscious way by Abi Aspen Glencross and Sadhbh Moore, White Lion Publishing, £18.99.

WILD AT HARTS

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Abi Aspen Glencross (pictured on the right) and Sadhbh Moore are behind The Sustainable Food Story, a collective that runs ecology-inspired dinners and experiences. They fi rst met in 2017 and have been inseparable as food campaigners ever since.

Abi is a farmer, scientist and environmental entrepreneur and Sadhbh is an eco-chef, and nutritionist. When not knee-deep in the food system you will fi nd the dynamic duo climbing rocks, swimming outdoors or eating homemade cake.

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From Weed to Feed

They may not be welcome on your lawn but don’t rule dandelions out of your kitchen says Dee Dade of Dorset-based Hedgerow Herbs

Dee Dade has been fascinated by plants and nature in general ever since she was a young girl. Now based in the rural Dorset village of

Witchampton, her company

Hedgerow Herbs off ers a range of foraging and herb-related workshops, courses and walks. Here she talks about making use of a common weed.

It is essential to follow the forager’s rules and be 100% confi dent in your identifi cation of what you are picking, how you plan to use it and any special considerations* in terms of safety.

“Dandelions used to be grown as a crop, and still widely are in Europe. In the

UK, they are a long-forgotten kitchen ingredient, but things are changing. Not only are we starting to understand the benefi ts of dandelions for the wildlife around us, but people are also becoming aware again that we can eat them.

“Walking, weeding, and gardening takes on a whole new meaning when we discover that a plant that annoys us when it grows in our lawns, can be used to create healthy, delicious, nurturing food for free. This humble backyard weed is super nutritious and a good source of antioxidants and vitamins, A, C, and K, along with potassium, magnesium, and iron.

“Dandelions are also seen as a liver tonic, helping to create healthy gut health, whilst relieving symptoms like indigestion, constipation, and bloating. The leaves, fl owers, and roots can all be brought into the kitchen to add to food and autumn/winter is the perfect time to make use of the roots.

“Unappealing while in the ground, they are a delicious addition to winter soups like the one here. They can also be used to make a wonderful infused vinegar that extracts all those valuable vitamins and minerals, which can then be added to dressings or used to make pickles.”

For details on Dee’s workshops and courses, visit www.hedgerowherbs.co.uk.

*Certain medications or having kidney issues can make drinking or consuming anything containing dandelion inadvisable. It is also best to avoid if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Always veer on the side of caution and check with your GP if you are unsure or have existing health conditions.

Parsnip & Dandelion Root Soup

There is nothing better than a bowl of warming winter soup, especially after a day out foraging.

SERVES 2 3 parsnips, chopped 1 dandelion root, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 stick of celery, chopped A knob of butter or splash of oil 1 tsp whole grain mustard or a pinch of thyme Salt and pepper to taste

1 Put the onion, celery and butter in a pan and gently cook until tender. Add the parsnips and dandelion root and continue to gently cook for a minute or 2 longer, add the thyme if using. 2 Cover with water/stock and simmer until the roots are soft. 3 Whizz up in a food processor until creamy and smooth, stir in the mustard (if using) and season to taste.

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