Edible Leeds - Wild Food Foraging Courses and 4 Wild Seasons Pop Up Dining Events

Another flash back to 2015: Trying to stock up as much as possible before moving house this weekend. This pickle is an absolute cracker! Big on flavours but at the same time mellow, fruity & unctuous. This version is tweaked from a recipe in Roger Phillips, Wild Food book.

Recipe:

600g Elderberries                                        
3 Apples
1 Red Onion (finely chopped)
65g Soft Brown Sugar
250ml Cider Vinegar
50g Sultanas
Ground Hogweed Seed
Spignel
Ground Wood Avens Root
Ground Mace
Ground Ginger
Chopped Fresh Ginger
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Salt


Strip and wash the elderberries and put in a pan with the chopped apples and cider vinegar, bring to the boil and simmer until the apples are soft. Remove from heat and push the fruit pulp through a sieve into a clean pan. Add the sugar, onion, sultanas, fresh ginger and all the herbs/spices except the salt (add that at the end). Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for approx 20-30 minutes to reduce some of the liquid content (it may take less time…

A flash back to 2015. After making a Hawthorn only version last year I thought I'd experiment this year. Autumn is the season of fruits & seeds among many other lovely wild treats so why not combine a few to create something even more delicious and use some of that available abundance. Hawthorn & Apples go well together and I've got quite a love affair going on with common hogweed seed which, in my opinion, is one of our finest native wild spices - I've been putting hogweed seed in just about anything I can! This ketchup is fruity, zingy, aromatic and down right delicious and has many uses.

Recipe:

750g Hawthorn Berries
2 Apples (large)
Powdered Toasted Hogweed Seed (to taste)
350ml Cider Vinegar
300ml Water
150g Golden Granulated Sugar
Salt & Pepper

Strip the haws from their stalks, wash, drain & place in a saucepan. Chop the apples and add to the same pan. Add the vinegar and water and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for approx 25-30 minutes. Remove from…

I was approached by David Laycock, creative visionary and driving force behind Independent Life Magazine: Leeds and York in Spring 2017 and after several conversations and a meet up over coffee, I wrote my first article for them in July 2017: https://leeds.independentlife.co.uk/wild-gathering/

I've been contributing regularly as an independent food writer for their publications ever since then and hope to continue doing so.

My latest offering explores the theme 'What The World Needs Now' in relation to current global food systems, the issues with them and offers beneficial, logical and sensible alternatives to those damaging practices and of course wild and feral foods as part of those new, innovative, biodiversity beneficial, integrated global food systems. I hope you enjoy reading it: https://issuu.com/independentlife/docs/il_mag_vol17_june_3

Links to my other articles for Seasonal Eats:
https://leeds.independentlife.co.uk/seasons-eatings/
https://leeds.independentlife.co…

'What The World Needs Now' with regards to, environmental sustainability, was the topic for the most recent publication of Independent Life Magazine (formerly, Independent Leeds), published in June.

My article is on page 10: https://issuu.com/independentlife/docs/il_mag_vol17_june_3

In the article I explore and discuss the potential use of wild, feral and foraged foods to be part of new, innovative, global food production systems - we waste 40% - 50% of what food we grow in the UK alone. We totally neglect wild food sources, with, I estimate, as much as 90% of what grows wild and feral being left to rot, what a tremendous waste, especially given food, energy and fuel price hikes. Food banks and wonky veg aisles are nothing to be proud of.

4 Wild Seasons will be popping up in Barnoldswick, Lancashire, to cook and serve you a summer menu that is seasonal, natural, different.

A 3 course taste journey, featuring the harnessed yet untamed flavours of coast, forest, hedgerow and meadow, bringing you the very best in wild, seasonal, foraged flavours.

All foraged & non-foraged ingredients will be ethically sourced & lovingly fermented, cured, smoked, pickled, prepped, cooked & served.

All you need to experience this wilder side of Summer is a sense of culinary adventure and: £27.50pp (payment required on booking).

A wild inspired gin summer cocktail is available for £5 only when booking (usual price of cocktail is £7.50). Please mention this offer when booking (price will be £32.50).

Booking essential. Email: edible.leeds@gmail.com

I have a very different ethic with regards to food and the quality served to my guests than most restaurants and food chains. I spare no expense on ingredients and always source with the…