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Recipes

Flowering currant blossom syrup

A delicate pink syrup that captures the fleeting essence of spring flowering currants. The gentle heating process preserves both the color and subtle floral … Continue

Yarrow purée

Method Pick, wash and dry some handfuls of young leaves. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the leaves and simmer … Continue

Sorrel and cucumber soup

This vibrant sorrel and cucumber soup is a refreshing blend of zesty sorrel, cooling cucumber, and creamy sour cream, with a gentle kick of … Continue

Creamed bramble stems

Ingredients Method Blanch the Bramble stems in boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain and set aside. Fry the onion until translucent. Add the flour … Continue

Gorse petal ice cream

Ingredients 150ml milk2 medium egg yolks150g caster sugar200ml double cream2 generous handfuls of gorse flowersA pinch of sea salt Method Begin by soaking the … Continue

Sarson ka saag

Enjoy this hearty Punjabi dish, perfect for cold winter evenings. The earthy flavours of the greens pair beautifully with the rustic, slightly sweet makki … Continue

Crispy fat hen fritters

Indulge in these golden, crispy fritters bursting with the vibrant flavours of fat hen and aromatic spices. This unique twist on a classic incorporates … Continue

Rowan berry pie

Home > Plants > Rowan The Ryabinnik festival is a forgotten Russian folk celebration tied to the symbolic significance of the rowan tree (known … Continue

Rowan bud syrup

Home > Plants > Rowan A flavourful syrup with a subtle almond aroma, perfect for cocktails, mocktails, coffee, teas, or even in baking. Rowan … Continue

Elderflower cordial

Home > Plants > Elder Elderflower cordial is a sweet summer drink. It captures the fragrant essence of elderflowers in a refreshing syrup. This … Continue

Polish Pickled Cherries

I was given this recipe by my friend and fellow forager Marta Udalowa who lives in Italy. Ingredients If possible, your cherries will have … Continue

Wild Horta

This is a traditional Greek dish known as Horta Vrasta, which translates to boiled greens. This dish is simple, healthy, and quite delicious. In … Continue

Strawberry Tree Vinegar

This week I’ve been collecting the ripe fruits of the Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo). The fruits look like strawberries, and if eaten directly from … Continue

Dandelion & Burdock Wild Soda

Ingredients 20g dried burdock root 20g dried dandelion root 800ml of spring water 50ml maple syrup 50ml sauerkraut brine starter Instructions Put the dandelion … Continue

Hawthorn Flower Syrup

One of the things I love about researching plants is having a damn good rummage through ancient manuscripts and cookery books scouting out long … Continue

Sea Buckthorn Syrup

To make a syrup, snap off 500g of frozen berries and bring them to a gentle boil in a saucepan, then strain through a … Continue

Maundy thursday soup

Robin Harford takes you on a forage looking for nine wild greens to include in this Maundy Thursday soup. A contemporary take on a … Continue

Guelder rose shrub drink

Home > Plants > Guelder rose For ages, I have been experimenting with making wild shrubs. A shrub is a cider vinegar drink popular … Continue

Black mustard soup

Home > Plants > Black mustard This black mustard soup recipe came about from wandering. Wandering carefree through the hedge. For a few days, … Continue

Smooth Sowthistle Salsa

Sowthistle is delicious. One of my favourite Springtime greens its texture is similar to little gem lettuces yet it has so much more flavour. … Continue

Braised Dandelion Greens

Quick and nourishing, this dandelion greens recipe worked really well. The maple syrup offsets any bitterness, and the Korean red pepper flakes add a … Continue

Persian Nettle Stew

This plant-based stinging nettle recipe was inspired by my love of Persian food. I love culture-blending. Whether it is food, ideas or some other … Continue

Braised Magnolia Flower Buds

Ingredients 2 tablespoons of Hikari koji miso (or another sweet miso) 100ml hot/boiled water 10 Edible magnolia flowers and/or buds. 1 tablespoon of olive … Continue

Magnolia Flower & Tempeh Dumplings

Ingredients 200g tempeh 2 tablespoons miso 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 tablespoons mirin 50ml boiling water 80g edible magnolia flowers Instructions Cube the tempeh … Continue

Wild Water Pepper Tade Su

Ingredients 30g fresh water pepper leaf and tips. 6 tablespoons of high quality mirin (most are full of junk chemicals). 6 tablespoons of Japanese … Continue

Salad Burnet & Tomato Salad

Ingredients 1 or 2 tomatoes 1-2 tbsp. salad burnet leaves – young 1 small onion or shallot 1-2 tablespoons of plain yoghurt ½ tablespoon … Continue

Grain-Free Sea Aster Tabbouleh

It’s hot. 1976 hot. Scorched grass. Withered plants. It’s times like this that the farmer gets twitchy. Images of dust-bowls and draught go through … Continue

Silver birch boucha tea

Step 1 Gather some silver birch twigs. I use twigs between 1mm to 2mm thick. I used twigs picked from the ground, and they … Continue

Laver sauerkraut

Thank gawd for lacto-fermented probiotic foods! Having recently found myself in the hospital with what can only be described as ‘nuclear grade Domestos’ being … Continue

Wild Garlic Kimchi

The sun is shining. The wind is fresh. And there’s that inevitable feeling in one’s bones that Spring may well have finally sprung! Excitement … Continue

Aged beech leaf tea

It’s been a chilly old Winter this year, and I trust you have had lovely festivities over the past couple of weeks. Winter is … Continue

Sea Beet Bhijia Curry

I visited my local estuary the other day now devoid of tourists. The sound of the birds doing their thing that only birds do, … Continue

Butcher’s Broom Coffee

This weekend I wanted to make a coffee substitute, something that tasted ‘rich’. Something that I could ‘chew’ on. My shop bought coffee-alternatives include … Continue

Guelder rose jelly

Home > Plants > Guelder rose This Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) jelly recipe is quite simply divine. The plant is deciduous, and usually found in … Continue

Nettle & Barley Risotto

The oldest recorded recipe in Britain according to the Centre for Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Wales Institute in Cardiff is one … Continue

Noble Nettle Gruel

Gruel down the centuries gets a bad rap, courtesy of super snobs with their pretentious pontificating on what deems ‘good taste’. The phrase ‘food … Continue

Magnolia Syrup Recipe

This Magnolia syrup recipe is beautiful, sensual and delicious. There are a number of different species of edible Magnolia flowers that you can use. Ask … Continue

Kelp Lasagne

Seaweed is highly nutritious and tasty as this kelp recipe will show, and something that we need to be eating daily as it is … Continue

Nettle Seed Cheese Straws

Wandering the fields and hedgerows, phone left at home. I sense a deep peace and freedom. Unplugged, my awareness stays present with the moment … Continue

Sowthistle Tempeh Salad

Smooth Sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus) is cropping up everywhere at the moment. I skip out to my local patch to gather some of these tasty … Continue

Sea Purslane Potato Cakes

Rummaging around in my very empty fridge, I chanced upon some renegade potatoes. “What are you doing in there?” I asked quizzically. The reply … Continue

Sea Purslane Hummus

Sea Purslane (Atriplex portulacoides) has a gorgeous, salty leaf with a nutty crunchiness to it. I remember about five years ago I took a young … Continue

Tansy Pancakes

Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) has always intrigued me. Her smell is heady and intoxicating, which is hardly surprising considering that she contains thujone, a psychotropic, … Continue

Wild Gomasio

I’ve been meaning to make a Pendulus Sedge (Carex pendula) recipe, and while gathering the seeds which are so easy and quick to do, the … Continue

Wisteria Flower Syrup

Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) is one of my all-time favourite edible flowers. The plant bursts forth in great clusters of sweet-smelling lilac coloured flowers. … Continue

Sea Aster Pate

Young sea aster (Aster tripolium) leaves are just coming up down at the estuary where I forage. I have a love affair with this … Continue

Oxeye Daisy Capers

Delicious Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) are budding forth as I write this. One of the most unique taste sensations in the hedge, I have … Continue

Sea Beet Chowder (Well Maybe)

Sea Beet is young, tender and the precursor to chard and beetroot. With her earthy taste, and uber nutrition, Sea Beet (Beta vulgaris maritima) is … Continue

Six Wild Greens Soup

With an abundance of wild green in the hedgerow at the moment, I felt compelled by my bones to make a tasty spring time … Continue

Wild Garlic & Nettle Nut Loaf

With the Wild Garlic aka Ramsons (Allium ursinum) filling the hedgerows at the moment, along with lovely Stinging Nettle tips (Urtica dioica) I was … Continue

Wild Garlic Pakoras

Spying some pakoras in my local India delicatessen, I pondered on whether Wild Garlic/Ramsons (Allium ursinum) would work as a replacement to the usual … Continue

Oxeye Daisy Tabbouleh

Oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) is one of the most delicious and uniquely flavoured wild herb-vegetables that I use in the kitchen. Savoury, herby and … Continue

Oxeye Daisy Bruschette

It’s bitterly cold outside and I’m wandering around my local foraging area looking for something to gather. My body is wanting something with lots … Continue

Rowan Turkish delight

Home > Plants > Rowan Although I am not a big consumer of sweets or deserts, I do have somewhat of a sweet tooth … Continue

Crispy black mustard

Home > Plants > Black mustard Oh my gawd! When it comes to a simple black mustard recipe (Brassica nigra), then these ‘crisps’ are … Continue