Summer Cooking with Foraged Foods
“Summer cooking implies a sense of immediacy, a capacity to capture the essence of the fleeting moment.”
Elizabeth David,
Ah summertime! Right now there are some delicious foods that can be foraged for. Whilst late summer and autumn are the heavy hitters when it comes to foraging hauls, there is so much good stuff around right now that you can use to create fabulous foods at home for your nearest and dearest.
Food is so important. When you are struggling to survive, when you don’t know where the next meal is coming from or are constantly worried about how to feed yourself and your family, it is exhausting. It becomes all you can think about. But aside from the fact we need food to survive, food is so important to us. A good meal can bring families together and forge bonds, there’s a reason why the kitchen is often called the heart of the home. Foraging for food is an almost forgotten skill and is a great way to begin to connect with the natural world or deepen the connection you already have. Here I will share with you some of my favourite foraged foods and recipes.
Linden Flower Tea
Linden or lime flowers are often very overlooked and underrated. I have a huge mature linden tree in the corner of my garden and there’s nothing better than picking the flowers in the early morning freshness when the day is new and full of potential. Linden flowers have a delicate, refreshing taste. Loose leaf tea is the best thing to do with linden flowers, sweetened with only a touch of honey. Get yourself an infuser and stuff it full with linden flower before steeping in freshly boiled water for around five minutes.
I also like to make infused honey with flowers. Take a clean jar and fill it with flowers before filling with honey. Leave for a week or two and strain the honey into a clean jar. I love this honey on warm buttered toast or on pancakes.
Yarrow Greens
Yarrow is one of those witchy herbs that you often see added to incense blends and so on but the plant is actually edible and pretty tasty too! The leaves are good in soups and stews or added to salads, but my favourite thing to do with them is saute them in butter and serve as a side dish. You will need:
2 tablespoons of butter
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
A handful of yarrow leaves
Chopped parsley
Melt the butter in a pan and gently saute the onion and garlic until soft. Add the yarrow leaves and cook for a couple of minutes until wilted. Sprinkle with the fresh parsley and serve on thick crusty bread.
Foraged Berry Smoothie
There are many types of berry that will be ripe for the picking at this time of year including wild strawberries, cherries, flowering currant, barberries and many more. These fruits are bursting with all kinds of goodness and what better way to enjoy them than in a refreshing fruit smoothie. Simply pop equal amounts into a blender with either milk or fresh orange juice and give them a whizz. Pour over crushed ice for a chilled out drink.
Alternatively you can enjoy them added to ice cream or serve with fresh whipped cream. Fresh fruit and pancakes make a delicious dessert or try making overnight oats with them for a healthy breakfast.
Gooseberry Jam
Gooseberries are delicious though their tart taste can be a little much for some. Gooseberry jam is delicious and often makes the fruit more palatable for those with a sweeter tooth. To begin, weigh your fruit and place in a pan with an equal weight of sugar. Add a little water and heat gently until the sugar has fully dissolved before bringing to the boil. Make sure you stir the mixture often. After around half an hour, test the texture and firmness of your jam by placing a little of the mixture onto a cool dish. Give it a moment to cool and see how it feels. Once you are happy with the texture pour into a sterilized jar and seal whilst hot.
Elderflower Cordial
Elderflower is one of my favourite blooms to cook with. There’s something so deliciously floral about the taste and this cordial is like drinking summer itself. Take your elderflower and place in a pan. Add water so that the flowers are just covered and simmer until the water has reduced by half. Remove the flowers, pressing as much liquid from them as possible, then add an equal amount of sugar to the water and heat gently until dissolved. You should end up with a liquid that is quite syrupy though if it is too thick, add water until you have reached the desired consistency. Remember this drink should be diluted so you do want it to be a concentrate. Pour into a clean bottle and store in the fridge until needed. Serve by adding cold water and pouring over ice. Add a slice of lime and a sprig of mint for a refreshing twist.
Elderflower Fritters
These fritters are a delightful fried treat! I know frying is not the in thing but a little of what you fancy can do you the world of good! You will need:
2 cups of flowers removed from the stem
1 cup plain flour
1 ½ cups of milk
1 egg
2 tbsp sugar
Icing sugar for dusting
Oil for frying
Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. In a large bowl, combine the milk, sugar, egg and flour and whisk together until you have a silky smooth batter. Add the elderflowers and mix until they are evenly distributed. If you use a tablespoon to add dollops of the mixture into the pan then you should get decent sized fritters. Fry for a few minutes on either side or until the batter is golden brown. Remove from the pan and while still hot, dust in icing sugar. Eat them while they are still warm or serve with ice cream. You can make these fritters with any edible wildflowers.
Wild Garlic and Dandelion Fritters
If you’re more of a savoury person then these fritters are for you. You can follow the same method as above, just leave out the sugar and add a little salt and pepper instead. Finely chop an onion to add to the chopped garlic and dandelion leaves and add to the batter and fry until golden brown. These are perfect served with salads or just for eating as a snack.
Wild Fruit Crumble
There is no better way to spend a summer's day than out picking wild fruits. Plums, crab apples, gages, berries galore, all are great to use to use and the crumble topping is delicious. For the recipe you will need:
400g of plain flour
200g of sugar
100g butter
Wild fruits for the filling, enough to cover the bottom of your tray
Cinnamon.
In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon before adding the butter, using your fingertips to mix it in until you have a breadcrumb like consistency. Roughly chop the rhubarb and spread across the bottom of the tray, sprinkling with two or three tablespoons of sugar (you can add more or less depending on your own tastes) and cover with your breadcrumb pastry mix. Place in a hot oven and cook until golden brown. Serve with fresh cream.
So there you have it, my favourite foraged foods for this time of year. Don’t be afraid to chop and change these recipes as you see fit or to make the most of whatever you forage for yourself. Foraging is an adventure and creating delicious dishes with your foraged finds is part of it.
If you’ve enjoyed these recipes then be sure to check out my new book Reclaiming Food. Enjoy!
EMMA KATHRYN
Emma Kathryn, practises traditional British witchcraft, Vodou and Obeah, a mixture representing her heritage. She lives in the sticks with her family where she reads tarot, practises witchcraft and drink copious amounts of coffee.
You can follow Emma on Facebook.