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

I'm usually the one to blog, when i get round to it and now I have been blogged about. To see what was blogged check out:  www.walkingfestivalsuk.com , scroll to the bottom of the sites page and click on the link titled Otley Walking Festival - Saturday 22nd. There were so many wild food plants on this walk and here we are looking at and talking about Pignuts. 

Well, completed the first of my two walks with the Otley Walking Festival on Saturday 22nd June. Great group, great fun all in the great outdoors. Lots of fantastic wild foods to be had and sampled, even found a water shrew, on dry land, in middle of path, needless to say it was not on the menu...far to small! Thanks to everyone that came along and made it such a fabulous walk, thanks for all your great comments/feedback. Looking forward to walk on Sunday 30th June on the Chevin. Happy foraging, Craig. Having a giggle while discussing potential uses of the Beech Tree. Group picture.

Nature is really getting into the swing of things.There has been a plethora of wonderful plants bursting into life over the past 8 weeks. When it comes to choosing what to put in my basket and bags for eating I feel blessed and spoilt for choice - fresh young, vibrant greens, colourful, scented blossoms and at last the long awaited St Georges mushrooms!! Hope you are all enjoying the seasonal variety, lovely food and a happy harvest.

St George's Mushrooms (Calocybe gambosa) are one of the first edible, wild mushrooms to appear in the  uk 'wild mushroom calendar'. Their preference for fruiting or 'basiodoming' is in the spring and, weather pending, can appear any time between mid-march and late May. Many guide books will make reference to the 23rd of April aka St George's Day but, in my 9 years of experiencing them, I'm noticing wide ranging fluctuations with regards to dates of appearance. Last year I picked the first of the season in late March then due to the weather, they refused to fruit until the middle of May!   

Fungi can be found all year round but the most abundant season has to be Autumn. However, climatic changes taken into account mid-summer is also proving to be fantastic for fungal finds. Not all fungi found at this time of year are edible but there is a very good selection out there, its knowing where to look and which ones to eat.