When I saw this recipe for gooseberry and elderflower cordial in Fiona Beckett’s book How to Drink Without Drinking, I knew I had to try it. Elderflowers are a highlight of my early summer foraging routine and I’m always looking for new ways to use them. Elderflower cordial is always the first thing I make. …
Elderflower Cordial Cocktail
This elderflower cordial cocktail is affectionately called “the bump start” by me and its friends. Feel free to read the origin story below, a tale of adventure of a different kind than you’ll normally see on this website. Or scroll to the bottom for the recipe (mocktail suggestion included). If you made elderflower cordial this …
Wild Elderflower Cordial
Wild elderflower cordial is a spring foraging classic, one of my first go-to recipes when the elderflowers start to appear in the hedgerows in May. But this cordial isn’t just for drinking with sparkling water; it’s endlessly versatile. You can use it to make cakes, ice cream, cocktails, and more. That said, it’s worth making …
Dandelion Jam
Dandelions are proliferous in spring and this dandelion jam recipe is a great way to encapsulate their cheerful yellow petals into a delightful jam. The resulting dandelion jam has an almost honey-like quality. Springtime in a jar. Dandelion jam is super easy to make from foraged dandelion heads. The most laborious part is picking enough …
Spiced Pickled Blackberries
These pickled blackberries have become an autumn ritual with the autumn blackberry glut. The original recipe comes from All Good Things Around Us by Pamela Michael (copyright 1981), recommended to me by Tim from Homewood Cheeses. This book is a great source of inspiration for all kinds of “good things” found in the wild. Sick …
Nettle Spanakopita
One of my favourite all time uses for foraged nettles is this recipe for nettle spanakopita. This Greek filo pie is traditionally made with spinach, but we’ve used nettles which work amazingly well here. To make this spanakopita you’ll need quite a lot of nettles, so involve your friends in the picking if you can, …
