COOKING AU NATURELLE
Do you fancy a plate of elderflower fritters washed down with a mug of nettle beer? Or how about veal cooked in dandelion leaves followed by a dessert of wild cherry clafoutis? You don’t have to be a professional chef to cook up meals as adventurous as this. Anyone can do it just as-long-as you’re prepared to scour hedgerows for the wild plants that can’t always be found on supermarket shelves.
Childhood friends Ginny Knox and Caro Wilson know all about hedgerow foraging. As youngsters they spent their summers combing nearby forests for blackberries and other seasonal goodies. In 2011 they turned that expertise into a full-time business and founded the award-winning company Wild at Heart which sells traditional preserves made from native British plants. The Hedgerow Cookbook is the latest string to their bow. The one hundred recipes are beautifully photographed with easy to follow instructions and useful kitchen hints. What’s even better is that all the ingredients are free! Why spend a small fortune on marsh samphire (glasswort) when it’s already growing in coastal areas? Six full cups of dog rose petals make excellent Turkish delight, while the humble chestnut gives a dash of sweetness to a chorizo soup. This book celebrates the best of what nature has to offer without the hassle of trying to find it; and you don’t have to live in the countryside to enjoy the benefits as wild plants also grow in towns.
Given what’s out there it’s hardly surprising the authors have been forced to exclude things, including seaweed (impractical for those who don’t live by the sea), and mushrooms (they require a separate book as the consequences can be serious if they’re misidentified). And talking about identification, ramson leaves smell of garlic when they’re crushed between the fingers, unlike the “seriously poisonous” lily of the valley which they’re often confused with.
Ginny and Caro are passionate about their subject and it isn’t hard to see why. Having turned their backs on successful careers in the food and banking industries, they’re on a mission to re-connect the public with an activity that was common amongst our ancestors. The book includes a calendar showing the seasonal availability of plants; helpful advice on sterilising bottling equipment, plus a section on the law. A little bit of common sense goes a long way as the legal boundaries aren’t always clear. However, you do need permission to enter land that isn’t yours (especially if it belongs to the National Trust or Forestry Commission), while it is technically illegal to take plants from Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
Foraging for wild food can be an enjoyable all year-round activity, bringing friends and families together in a shared pursuit that reminds us “of what food should be: natural, local and fresh.” In a world where what we eat is either artificially flavoured or packed with disturbingly high levels of sugar and additives, this book wonderfully illustrates how the unassuming hedgerow can offer a clean, healthy alternative.
Reviewed by Juliette Foster
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