Get in the foraging groove

WILD and foraged foods are once again becoming part of chic restaurant menus as well as family meals.

Beware; once you get on the foraging groove it becomes totally addictive. Every walk, whether in the woods or the countryside, turns into a foraging expedition and it’s free. Wild foods still have their full complement of vitamins, minerals and trace elements, unlike much of the food we now have access to.

People usually associate an abundance of wild foods with late summer and autumn but we forage throughout the year. At present Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) are growing in profusion along the roadside: peel the stalks, cook the pieces gently in well salted water, then toss in a little melted butter or olive oil. The delicate flavour is delicious with fish or scallops.