Calluna Wildcraft

Another heathland fruit whose leaves, shrubby growth and habitat mark it out as a relative of Bilberry.
Known as Cowberry in the UK, Vaccinium vitis-idaea may be more familiar to many as Lingonberry - especially if you're a frequenter of IKEA.
These fruits will ripen to a deep red, and are similar to cranberry in their astringency - hence their Scandinavian popularity for jams and jellies.
Unlike Bilberry which ripens in summer and is deciduous, Cowberry is evergreen and its berries can persist well into winter.

July saw me working on the flanks of Ben Wyvis, surveying a fabulous montane woodland. Timing was perfect for ripe bilberries - blaeberries in Scotland - our native form of blueberry.
Smaller but just as tasty, I gathered a good bagful and dried them on the dashboard of my car. Looking forward to using them at a later date, or possibly making a powder for desserts.

~Flower-shaped flower shortbread~

Our Dunsop Bridge foraging walk in early June focused on floral flavours, and I love making treats to share using the wild ingredients currently available.

These little flower biscuits are make with Sweet Woodruff infused caster sugar, and SW is hands-down my favourite for sweet tasters. Once dried, it has the delicious scent of new-mown hay, with vanilla notes. It's a simple job to top up a jar of dried herb with caster sugar, ready for use in cakes, custards, ice-cream, panna cotta...wherever you might use vanilla.
A native woodland plant, it's easily available but care MUST be taken that it's properly dried before storage, as any moisture can lead to toxins developing.
I topped my shortbread with gooey Spruce tip syrup, for a citrus contrast to the sweetness.



wildfood

Just nudging into June.
It's all about floral flavours now, in this peak of the flowering season. Forest of Bowland National Landscape invited me over to lovely Dunsop Bridge to take a wander with a super-enthusiastic community group from Preston.
I do love introducing folk to power of Elderflower, or the sweet aniseed joy of Sweet Cicely. Our hedgerows are full of intense scent which can be captured in all kinds of culinary ways, not to mention having really useful medicinal qualities too.

Classic feta filo parcels, switched up with nettle instead of spinach. Different plant, same job.
Paired with a wild tzatziki - yoghurt, onion, pickled Wild Garlic seeds and wild garlc salt. Lush.

May saw me back in Avenham Park with the fabulous crew, introducing a culturally diverse Preston group to the joys of early summer foraging.
I made wild Tiropita - Greek filo parcels - replacing spinach with nettle to showcase this abundant and super nutritious plant. Flowers featured heavily too, as we explored the flavours available at this time of year, with wild teas to taste along with 'champagnes' and cordials.

Towards the end of May, Wild Garlic flowers are losing their petals to reveal their seed heads.

Wait too long and they'll be tough and fibrous, losing flavour; if you collect them quickly, still green they have a nice crunch and pickle well. This is what I've been using for the wild garlic 'capers' which have featured in some recent posts.

Into May, and it's time to get the fizz on. I've been making elderflower champagne for years, and these days I like to switch it up a bit - intensely scented petals from Japanese Rose is one of my favourite additional flavours. I've also used mint and Sweet Woodruff for a novel take on an old classic.

It's a simple enough process, and at 500g of sugar per gallon I keep it pretty light. Lemon juice brings acidity, a dash of white wine vinegar adds a real freshness to the flavour, then it's over to the natural yeasts on the blossom to get things bubbling.

Well, it transpires that Dryad's Saddle works very well barbecued once misted with oil and seasoned. I managed to create some rather fine burger stacks along with halloumi, a liberal spreading of wild garlic pesto and a scattering of wild garlic seed capers.

All salads need a good dressing.

A few years ago a bottle - not just a bottle, but a magnum - of elderflower champagne I'd made popped its cork behind my back. By the time I noticed, it had developed a plug of gunk in the neck which transpired to be a vinegar mother, and the result was considerably more exciting than the fizz.
I've eked it out for special occasions, and it makes a lovely dressing, with wild seasonings, for a foraged salad.

April is the finest time for wild salad. Young, tender Lime (Linden) leaves make a great base, while Beech gives citrus notes - I've used copper Beech here for colour. Elm samaras give a fresh-tasting little crunch, young dandelion leaves a hint of bitterness, and sorrel for acid bite. Wild garlic blossoms are perfect visually as well as delicious, and I added a scattering of wild garlic seed 'capers' too.

Trying to impress the WI #2...

Sweet Woodruff sugar shortbread with minced green Sweet Cicely seed, topped with dandelion 'honey' and fresh dandelion petals.

I was complemented on the quality of my shortbread, which my be the proudest moment of my life.
One does not simply 'bake' for the WI 😆



sweetcicely