Foraging
This hot tip comes courtesy of our friend and foraging expert Imogen Davis. When on a walk with Imogen, it’s hard to get anywhere fast, due to her abundance of knowledge and keen eye for all things edible – in the hedgerow, on roadsides, along footpaths and growing on trees. There’s an abundance of free food at our fingertips and we’re here to help you discover nature’s larder.
Alexanders are an abundant plant similar to celery and parsley. It is championed as a “forgotten vegetable”, with countless uses from root to seeds and every part edible, it boasts a variety of flavours.
Imogen explained how the stem would be compared to celery whilst the seeds hold a powerful peppery flavour and can be used in place of the exotic Sichuan pepper. The whole plant can be used from root to tip, so once you’re confidently ID-ing, the possibilities in the kitchen are endless.
Foraging for Elderberries
In late Summer and early Autumn, there is an abundance of hedgerow berries to forage – rosehips, blackberries and sloes to name a few.
At Grow, Cook, Eat, our favourite is the elderberry. They are found along country lanes, garden verges and in woodland. Growing in small clusters, densely packed with purple berries, they are valuable in providing food for insects, birds and humans alike.
Elderberries are championed for their immunity boosting properties, packed with antioxidants and vitamins. They’re nature’s Berocca!
An important approach to take when foraging (as coined by foraging expert, Imogen Davis), “the foraging rule of thirds”:
- Take one-third
- Leave one-third for others
- Leave one-third for the future