For many, their foraging journey starts by looking for “free food”. Yet as we continue down this amazing path, we begin to realise that we are actually being fed on many levels. Not only the physical but mental and emotional. The very act of gathering wild edible plants takes us on a deep journey into … Read more
Fermenting foods has finally come of age. Back in 2010, I interviewed the godfather of the modern fermentation revivalist movement Sandor Katz. I was speaking with him because he and my plant mentor Frank Cook had both been instrumental in bringing foraging and fermentation into the mainstream. Sadly, the interview was to cover his memories … Read more
For the last few years I have taught on my plant courses about the Moken sea gypsies, and the extraordinary relationship they have with their environment. Little did I realise that I would ever get the chance to meet them. I had tried back in the Winter of 2015 while visiting Myanmar formerly Burma, but … Read more
Reverence exists all around. The smile of a child. The kiss of the rain after a long dry spell. The smell of Land as she sighs in delight for simply existing. Reverence for self and soil. The first meeting point starts with breath. Where we go from there is up to us. With so much … Read more
Today I want to share with you a little about what I have learnt as a forager. And it goes against the grain about how we usually look at food. I have an aphorism: “Wild culture is not mono-culture”. “What the bloomin’ heck does that mean Robin?” I hear you think. Let me explain. Note: … Read more
I generally like to play in the kitchen. I use recipe and cookbooks simply as guides. And although I create recipes and post them on this site. I really try and encourage people to NOT slavishly follow my recipes or any recipes they find in books. Cooking is about creatively interacting with your imagination. Your … Read more
Autumn is the season of fruits, nuts, roots, berries and seeds. I am acutely aware of the Autumn smells on the wind. The freshness in the air as it strokes my face. The frost on the ground. As we slip into the dark months, I love going out late afternoon to gather. There is a … Read more
I have written this brief profile as a result of some confusion on social media as to whether Field Horsetail Equisetum arvense is edible. And to whether there could be a problem with consuming too much of it. I list the research that I have briefly done, along with citing sources for traditional food use … Read more
When I first encountered Dandelion intimately, I fell in love instantly. Out came my camera, and clicking through the countryside I went, taking snapshots of sunbursts. Only to return to my computer and stare mesmerised at the wonderment in front of me. I’d blow up the flower pictures until my mind melted in the ecstasy that … Read more
Each year I set the intention to gather pine pollen, and each year I miss the season. That’s one of the frustrations about foraging. With so many plants out there, sometimes there just isn’t enough time to gather them all when they are at their best. Yet out of this frustration comes forth a delight. … Read more
A week or so ago I mentioned that I was pondering what to do with hawthorn berries. Something a little different to the usual sweet dishes that they are used in usually. At the weekend while out with the grand-urchins I gathered a small bag of hawthorn berries. I was wanting to experiment. If you’ve … Read more