56 New Year, New You Healthy, alternative food & drink (veganuary) O


Promotional Content • Saturday 8th January 2022


nce upon a time, foraging was humankind’s means of survival. Today, it’s a fun pastime that can


spice up a plant-based diet, save you money and get you out and about discovering the edible surprises that your local environment conceals. It’s also a great activity to do with kids, teaching them where food comes from. Always be sure to forage on


common land, and for personal consumption only, leaving at least half of what you find, otherwise you’ll fall foul of the Countryside Act. Go for the four Fs: fruit, foliage, flowers and fungus — and always seek expert advice on mushrooms.


Foraging stock


Get in touch with nature in 2022 and discover the wild plants that will bring your vegan dishes to life. Also learn how to dry them for a year-round larder. Words: Rhonda Carrier


Foraging mushrooms PHOTOGRAPH: GETTY


What to forage and where Foraging isn’t all about mushrooms and identifying edible varieties (for which one of the best sources of information and advice is WildFoodUK). Other wild plants you might happen upon growing close to your home, depending on where you live, include wild garlic, which flourishes in abundance in moist British woodlands, especially along the banks of rivers from late winter into spring. Wild garlic (also known as ramsons) is brilliant for a home- made pesto or alternatively simply as torn-up leaves in a tofu stir-fry or as part of a dish of wilted spring greens.


Always be sure to forage


on common land, and for personal consumption


only, leaving at least half of what you find


Wood sorrel grows in similar


places and can be used in the same ways, and young tender beech leaves are also edible — most gatherers use them to make noyau, a nutty, gin-based liqueur. More common are dandelions for salads and nettles for soups, pestos and even as a pizza topping in place of spinach or rocket (don’t worry: they lose their sting when cooked, crushed or dried). Pineapple weed, which can often be found in the poor, well-trodden soil around the entrances to fields or along foot paths, is another perky addition to salads. Less common is coastal wild


spinach or sea beet, which appears year-round but is at its best in spring when the leaves are more delicate. You can use it anywhere you’d use regular spinach, raw or cooked — for instance in sag aloo or a dhal with chickpeas (be careful with adding salt as it’s saline in its own right). And then of course there’s that other salty seaside stalwart, samphire, which is at its best from late spring.


Preserving wild foods Since most wild foods are seasonal in nature, conserving herbs and other edible plants can form the backbone of a year-round larder, allowing you to make the most of nature’s bounty. Wild garlic, for instance, can be oven-dried then blitzed with sea salt to create a powder that can be used all year. Wood sorrel can be oven-dried and stored in a sealed jar to be crumbled over food. Conversely, samphire is best preserved in cider vinegar with the likes of garlic and peppercorns or coriander seeds. Many herbs and plants can also be frozen in ice trays with olive oil or water.


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