Edible Leeds - Wild Food and Foraging Courses

Hen Of The Woods aka Grifola frondosa, is a late summer to autumn featuring fungus.

It's generally found growing at the base of Oak trees, often older more mature specimens but not strictly so and less frequently found with Beech. Made up of numerous tiered brackets ranging in colour from dark grey/black/purple, to chestnut brown on the topside of the bracket and consisting of white/cream coloured undersides sporting firm sponge-like pores. These brackets hide the more bulky base and central section which is firm, solid and white, this too makes good eating and preserving. It has a desirable aroma of mild mushroom, nuttiness & earthiness, taste wise it rocks! Hen of the Woods is also known for its medicinal qualities, reportedly attracting, binding to and removing heavy metals from the human body - bet your doctor never told you that!
In Japan they go by the name of Maitake and you may hear them referred to as such even in the UK and the Japanese rate them very highly and eve…

The versatility of wild mushrooms astounds me! 
There are so many ways to make use of the seemingly vast array that grow in the UK. Freshly cooked, dehydrated, powdered, added to desserts, candied, infused in booze, fermented into wine, eaten raw in the woods as you gently amble along searching for your intended & unintended fungal quarry.

Medicinal applications too, are another aspect of wild fungi, species such as Chaga, Turkey Tail, Reishi, Hen of the Woods & Jelly Ear are all well documented for their medicinal qualities (oh how we are kept in the dark on this by the authorities & health services): food is medicine, medicine is food. 

This post isn't about delving into all of the above but is about a fantastic boozy infusion, created using 4 specific species (research, knowledge & experience will provide you with alternatives to this recipe). 
I'm upping this recipe due to various online requests in response to my recent post. The following drink is highly alco…

The season of abundance is upon us!

There is so much to pick and preserve for the coming winter
months and beyond.

On this course you will learn how to safely identify and explore a range of in season fruits, berries, seeds, spices, herbs, roots and greens, how to preserve and cook with them, mindful gathering techniques and other hints/tips.

The seeds/roots/spices will add new dimensions and flavours to your pickles, preserves, home-brews and store cupboards compared to the usual imported, carbon-footprint-heavy varieties. The location I've chosen is one of my favourite wild urban sites, it's teeming with fabulous edibles, some of them rather unusual, all of them super tasty, nutritious and above all, free.

Includes wild snacks & drinks refreshments and an outdoor cook up.

Adults £40. Under 18's £10. Under 8's Free.

To book email: edible.leeds@gmail.com or call 07899752447

Enter the fascinating world of fungi...

Fungi are an ancient, intelligent organism, intrinsic to the
healthy functioning of our ecosystems.
They come in all manner of shapes sizes, colours, aromas, tastes and textures.
They can be edible, medicinal, toxic & useful (in a myriad of ways).

On this course you will learn and explore key identification techniques, how to mindfully harvest, how to cook and preserve and the wider roles that fungi perform within our ecosystems.

Our senses play a vital role in the identification of fungi and we will explore these sensory aspects and apply them on the day. Up to date and accurate field guides are also an essential resource for aiding with species identification and you spend some time exploring this aspect - books provided on the day.

The course includes edible snacks and an al fresco woodland cook up of some of our days gatherings. I will also bring along a range of mushroom based preserves for sampling.

Adults £40pp. Children (under 18) £…

I love Mackerel! It's a much under-rated fish except by those who have sampled its excellent
culinary qualities. Mackerel are members of the tuna family and are always present in UK waters. Summer is the best time to fish for these oceanic beauties when they congregate in great shoals lured closer to shore by the warmer waters. They are tastiest when freshly caught - I find they don't respond well to long term storage - and given how easy they are to catch, you'd be crazy to miss out on the fun and fine feasting they offer. Mackerel will eat just about any bait you offer them and you only need 1 large or 2 small fish per person to satisfy appetites.
It's very easy to get carried away when fishing for them due to their ravenous appetites, so adhering to a strict mindful, ethical code of practice is essential - I've caught a full-house on many an occasion and quite often after my first cast: a full-house is when you are using mackerel feathers as bait, these feathers…