Recipes

Our recipes showcase the best of seasonal eating with quick, easy, cheap and delicious takes on easily foraged foods.

Drinks Recipes Sweet

An all-occasion wildflower-infused syrup

Something to have in the fridge for a sunny day, this wildflower-infused syrup is the perfect pick-me-up in any cocktail or mocktail.

Serves – This recipe makes a small batch for 6 drinks. Increase proportionately for bigger batches, always using equal measures of sugar and water, and increasing the flowers similarly.

Foraged Ingredients

  • 10 to 15 wildflowers, only using the petals, We recommend lavender, rose, dandelions, marigolds, elderflower or honeysuckle

Other Ingredients

  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1 cup of water

Method

  1. Place a saucepan over medium heat and add the equal parts sugar and water.
  1. Bring the syrup to a low boil, stirring constantly and ensuring that it only bubbles around the edges. Once you have a thick, light-coloured liquid, sprinkle the wildflower petals directly into it.
  1. Let the mixture simmer for half an hour minimum (leaving it longer will intensify the flavour). You may also choose to add other ingredients or aromatics at this point such as vanilla or cinnamon if you desire.
  1. Place a fine sieve over a bowl, and strain the mixture; allow it to cool for several minutes.
  1. Place a funnel in the top of a sterilised glass jar or bottle and transfer the syrup carefully from the bowl into the glass using a cup.
  1. Once all the syrup has been transferred, put a lid on the jar and place in the fridge and allow to cool.
  1. The syrup will keep for about 2 weeks, so use it quickly and plentifully in your summer cocktails or drinks. Serving suggestion below.

Wildflower-infused gin and tonic

Serves – 2 

Foraged Ingredients

  • A glug of wildflower syrup

Other Ingredients

  • A double measure of a gin of your choice – we chose Hendricks. 
  • Tonic of your choice or any other mixer – we chose Fevertree tonic. 
  • One slice of fresh lemon
  • Ice cubes 
  • Fresh mint or wildflower petals for garnish 
  1. In two glasses, add two or three large ice cubes and pour over your measure of gin with a generous glug of the wildflower syrup.
  1. Fill the remainder of the glass with tonic water or your choice of mixer and mix well.
  1. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and a lemon slice for an extra summery zing.
  1. Sit back, relax and enjoy your refreshing wildflower-infused gin and tonic!

Expert’s Tip

If you know you are making this drink beforehand, freeze a few flower petals or mint in an ice cube tray with water or diluted lemon juice for added visual appeal. 

By Rupert Birkett-Eyles / 4 June 2024
Recipes Savoury

Seaside Rock Samphire

In King Lear, Shakespeare warned that the dangers of gathering samphire made it a dreadful trade, but it has never been easier to gather this fragrant, green sea vegetable. We collected ours from the cliffs in Brighton as it grows at the bottom of the cliff as well as the top, so no need to hang over the edge to gather.

Serving suggestions: Use this recipe as a side to a seafood dish for the full coastal taste it provides. We served it with fresh haddock and crème fraîche.

Serves – variable 

Foraged Ingredients

  • A handful per person of rock samphire, freshly picked from the cliffs and rinsed in cold, clean water.

Other Ingredients

  • One clove of garlic per person
  • A splash of olive or sunflower oil
  • Ground black pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon to taste

Method

  1. Crush the garlic cloves with the flat side of a sharp knife. Peel and slice finely. 
  1. Add the oil to a frying pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic.
  1. When the garlic begins to sizzle, add the rock samphire to the pan and sauté on a low heat until tender (about 3-5 minutes). 
  1. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce in the frying pan; continue to stir over a low heat for a minute to combine the flavours.
  1. Add black pepper and a squeeze of lemon to taste. Enjoy!

Expert’s Tip

The samphire is quite salty due to growing next to the sea, so avoid using any extra salt.

By Rachel Keenan / 4 June 2024
Recipes Sweet

Wild rose petal jam

This role petal jam preserves fleeting summer days. With the delicate hint of wild rose sweetness, it provides a sugary floral delight to sweet treats.

Serving suggestions: This aromatic jam is best enjoyed with plain, less overpowering breads and scones, as the taste will be overshadowed by strong flavours such as gingerbread or cinnamon.

Makes – 1 jar 

Foraged Ingredients

  • Wild rose petals – roughly a litre jug or 10 lightly packed handfuls. All variations and types of roses are edible but not all will taste good. The rule is if the rose smells good it will likely taste good too.

Other Ingredients

  • 1 litre of water
  • 200g of caster sugar
  • 1 tsp pectin*
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Note on Pectin: Fruit pectin – a soluble fiber – is typically used as a thickener in cooking and baking. While it has medicinal applications – particularly related to digestion – Pectin is best known for turning watery concoctions into luscious jams and jellies. It functions much like gelatin, but instead of animal-origin collagen, it is extracted from citrus fruit peels. It is available at all major UK stores in sachet or bottle form, usually in the baking section.

Method

  1. First things first – sterilise any jars you will use to store the jam. You can do this either by boiling them in hot water in a pan or by cleaning them and putting them in the oven while still wet at 160 degrees for 10 minutes.
  1. Prepare the petals: carefully pluck the wild rose petals from the flowers, ensuring to discard any stems or green parts as they are not edible.
  1. In a large pan, combine the rose petals, water, and caster sugar. Gently simmer the mixture over low heat for approximately 10-15 minutes, letting the rose petals wilt down. Turn off the heat and leave the mixture to steep for 10-15 minutes.
  1. During this time, the rose petals may lose their vibrant colour. Don’t let this alarm you, as it will be restored later on in the recipe.
  1. Next, introduce a tablespoon of lemon juice into the pan. This addition will not only enhance the flavour, but also restores the vivid colour of the rose petals.
  1. Turn the heat back on. Add the pectin to help thicken the jam. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until it reaches the desired setting point (see our expert’s tip below). Remember the jam will thicken as it cools.
  1. Turn off the heat and allow the jam to cool slightly before transferring it into a sterilised jar. The cooling process helps the jam to set properly, ensuring a luscious texture.
  1. Store the jar in the refrigerator once open, like any other jam.

Expert’s Tip

Finding the “setting point” – or how to tell if your jam is ready – is often tricky for beginners. We recommend taking out a spoonful of jam from the saucepan and setting it on a cold plate for 30 seconds, then making a small indent with a clean finger or spoon. Examine the jam to see if it wrinkles up, as this means it’s ready! Using a white plate is recommended as opposed to a patterned, dark-coloured plate to help see the impression clearly.

By Rachel Keenan / 4 June 2024
Recipes Savoury

Creamy Crayfish and Wild Mushroom Linguine

This dish is a great way to get the most out of our rivers’ most luxurious offering: crayfish. The mushrooms and white sauce provide a silky, nutty base, and the fresh ingredients lift the flavour of the sweet meat (like a milder version of lobster) beautifully. It’s the perfect recipe to impress on a warm summer’s evening! 

Serves – 2 

Foraged Ingredients

  • 2 handfuls of cooked and prepared crayfish tails (or as much as you can catch!) Read our guide on catching and preparing crayfish here
  • 3 large handfuls of mixed wild mushrooms, roughly torn into large chunks

Other Ingredients

  • 150g linguine
  • Splash of olive oil
  • 1 large garlic clove, sliced
  • Small glass of white wine
  • 50ml double cream
  • 1 lemon, half juiced, half cut into wedges to serve
  • Scattering of parsley

Method

  1. In a large pan of well-salted boiling water, cook the linguine according to the instructions on the pack.
  1. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, then add the garlic and cook for 1 min. Be careful that the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the mushrooms to the pan and stir-fry for 2 mins.
  1. Pour in the white wine and leave it to bubble for 1 min. Pour in the cream, stir, and cook for 2 mins. Add the crayfish and lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper. Tear and add most of the parsley, reserving a few leaves to garnish.
  1. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce in the frying pan; continue to stir over a low heat for a minute to combine the flavours.
  1. Serve garnished with the rest of the parsley and lemon wedges.

Expert’s Tip

Crayfish are most active at night. If you are using a trap, consider leaving it overnight to maximise your haul. Check out our crayfishing guide for extra tips!

By Patrick Harrington / 4 June 2024
Recipes Savoury

Rupert’s summer salad 

This dish combines the earthiness of the foraged ingredients with the freshness of the peppers and onions. It is elevated by coating all the ingredients in balsamic vinegar, that cuts through the earthy flavours without overpowering them. The topping of bright flowers and its colourful appearance make it the perfect light, summer lunchtime meal, or a delicious accompaniment to an evening barbeque. 

Serves – 2

Foraged Ingredients

x

  • Three-to-four large dandelion leaves to bulk out the salad 
  • A handful of clovers 
  • A handful of hairy, bitter cress 
  • A few edible flowers such as marigolds, dog roses and dandelions 

Other Ingredients

x

  • Half a green pepper sliced into thin strips
  • Half a yellow pepper sliced into thin strips
  • Half a raw red onion sliced into semi-circles 
  • A splash of balsamic vinegar and olive oil mixed together, for dressing

Method

  1. Thoroughly wash all foraged ingredients with cold water, to remove any dirt or impurities.
  1. In a bowl of your choice, add the large dandelion leaves.
  1. Sprinkle in the clovers and hairy bittercress and lightly toss with salad spoons.
  1. Arrange the peppers and onions atop of your foraged base.
  1. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the whole salad and toss gently, ensuring all ingredients are coated.
  1. Gently place the wildflowers on top of the salad to garnish.

Expert’s Tip

Briar’s Rupert Birkett-Eyles recommends adding a cheese to the salad to add depth of flavour. A sharp parmesan or creamy feta would pair delightfully with this summer salad.

By Rupert Birkett-Eyles / 3 June 2024
Recipes Savoury

Fresh and Feisty Foraged Nettle Pesto

This nettle pesto is astonishingly versatile and can be adapted to whatever you have in your cupboard. If you can’t get your hands on pine nuts – sunflower seeds, cashews and almonds all make great alternatives or, for a dairy and nut-free version, nutritional yeast is our reliable vegan go-to. 

You’ll find the nettle adds an almost umami note to the more traditional basil-only pesto and we love how it turbo-charges pasta sauces, stacked sandwiches and silky risottos with calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C. 
We used tagliatelle on this occasion, but any long pasta would work, and garnished with edible wisteria petals for a little self-indulgent moment!

Serves – 4

Foraged Ingredients

x

  • 5 – 10 nettle tops, as young and green as you can find, and without buds or flowers

Other Ingredients

x

  • A handful of pine nuts, toasted
  • A handful of fresh greens, we recommend spinach, basil or parsley
  • 2 generous glugs of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • The zest and juice of a small lemon
  • Around 3 spoons of parmesan (grated)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. Take a basket – and gloves to avoid a sting – and forage 5-10 nettle tops. These are cut from the upper 6-8 leaves of the stem.
  1. Rinse in cool water to wash off any unwanted passengers and blanch for 1-2 minutes to remove the sting and bitter notes.
  1. Next, heat a pan over gentle heat and cook your pine nuts until golden brown, keeping a close eye so they don’t catch.
  1. In a food processor, add the green leaves, oil, garlic, zest, lemon juice, and parmesan and blitz until a rough paste forms.
  1. To this, add the blanched, dried nettles and toasted nuts, adding a bit at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
  1. Season to taste and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Expert’s Tip

For those looking to offset the slightly more bitter note of nettles picked later in the season, we recommend blanching the leaves for an extra minute and adding a dash of high-quality balsamic vinegar or pomegranate molasses.

By Kate Balding / 3 June 2024
Recipes Savoury

Earthy Nettle Rarebit

This is a quick and easy dish, perfect to whip up as a light meal or afternoon snack. With a hero ingredient of nettles – found in abundance at this time of year – balanced with the depth and boldness of blue cheese, this is a recipe that favours the brave.

Serves – 2

Foraged Ingredients

X

  • Nettle leaves (1 small bag) 

Other Ingredients

X

  • Glug of olive oil
  • Small tub of crème fraîche
  • 1 spoon of wholegrain mustard
  • Small block of blue cheese (or any other strong cheese)
  • Slices of sourdough bread (around 4)

Method

  1. Prepare your nettles by cutting the leaves from the stems, rinsing them in a bowl and draining them in a sieve or colander. Use a spoon to lightly press the leaves in order to remove excess water.
  1. Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a large pan and drop in the nettles. Heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the leaves are completely wilted.
  1. Remove the nettles from the heat and leave to cool for a minute. Then, roughly chop the leaves on a board. 
  1. To a bowl, add the nettles, crème fraîche, mustard and most of the blue cheese. Use a spoon to combine the ingredients well. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
  1. Put the grill on to a medium-high heat, and lightly toast your slices of bread.
  1. Spread the nettle-cheese mixture evenly over the slices, and crumble the remaining cheese on top.
  1. Grill until golden and bubbling, then serve immediately.

Expert’s Tip

The nettle flavour defines this dish, so it is important that they taste good. Try to just use the top 6-8 leaves of young nettle plants to get the best flavour.

By Patrick Harrington / 3 June 2024
Recipes Sweet

Fudgy Foraged Nettle Brownies

Move over raspberry, there’s a new kid in town. These nettle brownies are fudgy, chunky and packed with the perfect summer zing to cut through some thoroughly deserved decadence. 

We love these brownies as failsafe crowd-pleasers at picnics, parties and BBQ’s and the pretty leaf patterns on top will leave even the most sophisticated guests impressed. Just don’t forget the gloves when you’re out foraging!

Serves – 12

Foraged Ingredients

x

  • Around 20 nettle tops, as young and green as you can find, and without buds or flowers

Other Ingredients

x

  • A small squeeze of fresh lemon juice
  • 180g dark chocolate
  • 250g butter
  • A generous pinch of salt
  • 100g milk chocolate 
  • 300g caster sugar
  • 3 medium eggs
  • 85g self-raising flour
  • 35g cocoa powder

Method

  1. Forage your nettles, making sure to wear gloves. You’ll want around 20 nettle tops for this recipe, which means just the upper stem of 6-8 leaves. Rinse the tops in cool water to remove any nasties and set aside 2 stems for later.
  1. Blanch the remaining nettle tops for 1-2 minutes in a pot of boiling water to remove the sting and bitterness from the leaves. 
  1. Preheat the oven to 170C and line a 34 x 20cm tin with greaseproof paper. While the oven heats up, take half your blanched nettles and place them in a hand blender or food processor. Pulse with a squeeze of lemon until it forms a rough paste.
  1. In a heatproof bowl, add the dark chocolate, butter and salt. Place over a pot of gently simmering water so the bottom of the bowl just rests on the water’s surface and stir until combined.
  1. Roughly chop the remaining blanched nettle tops and break the milk chocolate into chunks.
  1. In a new bowl, add the sugar and eggs. Beat until light and creamy. To this, add your slightly cooled chocolate mixture, followed by the flour and cocoa powder. Stir with a whisk to remove lumps and add your nettle paste.
  1. Pour half of the batter into the baking tray and scatter the milk chocolate chunks and remaining blanched nettles over the mixture. Add another layer of batter followed by the rest of the milk chocolate and finally press your reserved nettle leaves onto the top surface.
  1. And that’s it. Pop the brownies into the oven to bake for 40-45 minutes.
  1. Once done, the brownies should be crackled on top and slightly firm to the touch but still gooey. Allow to cool completely –  we mean it! – before slicing to serve.

Expert’s Tip

We’ve adapted this recipe from the wonderfully talented Max Martin, a forager and wild food recipe developer. 

He warns you should only pick nettles without flower buds or flowers because of a substance – cystoliths, microscopic rods of calcium carbonate – that they start producing to attract insects and bees. It might be great for the pollinators but a little demanding for human kidneys!

By Kate Balding / 3 June 2024
Briar DIY Recipes

Forage a full South Asian meal with me

Briar DIY: forage a full South Asian meal

Aysha Imtiaz spells out how to encapsulate the food traditions of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan and apply them to UK-foraged ingredients. We go through trial and error to chase that elusive, inventive spin so you don’t have to

This month’s “Forage a Full…” challenge is based on South Asian cuisine. Known for decadent feasts passed down from the royal courts of Mughal emperors, explosive flavours and eye-watering spices, South Asian cooking might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you’re faced with sprightly dandelions or wispy wisteria blooms. 

Here, Briar’s team spells out how to encapsulate the food traditions of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan and apply them to UK-foraged ingredients. We go through trial and error to chase that elusive, inventive spin so you don’t have to. 

Traditionally, local plant knowledge has been pivotal to sustaining robust food systems in the northern areas of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. While the more arid regions and sprawling megacities (think Bengaluru, Karachi and Dhaka) may rely more on cultivated crops and animal products, the confluence of mountain ranges in the Himalayas is a forager’s paradise… perhaps out of necessity more than demand. 

Drawing from rural traditions and the indigenous wisdom of the northern Punjab regions and the Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Himalaya mountains, these rich recipes are popular for staving off colds and celebrating festive occasions with your loved ones. 

x

Appetiser: Pakoras 

Vegetable fritters such as pakoras and bhajis offer a quick carb hit and energy boost. The base of gram flour and ‘holy trifecta’ of red chili powder, turmeric and salt readily embraces a wide variety of flavours and foraged greens. While spinach and coriander leaves are most commonly used in South Asia, essentially, what you need is any kind of green that can be chopped and mixed into the batter. 

While trying our own version of nettle pakoras we found the peppery, rocket like taste of nettle to meld beautifully with the welcoming canvas, while a more citrusy green such as foraged wood sorrel may be too overpowering. 

Depending on what time of year you’re making this, try watercress, borage, garlic mustard, dandelion leaves and chickweed. Take care to remove the stem and finely chop the leaves. As our correspondent found, the stems can turn very slimy, very fast. 

Take it further: Use your foraged greens for a variety of South Asian fried delicacies, either folded into a mashed potato mixture for samosas or sprinkled over fried garbanzo bean chaat. Just watch out for the ratios and treat it as a garnish rather than the main event, and try to use the younger leaves, as pungent leaves can overwhelm the gram flour base. 

Main: Saag 

Saag is a term used to describe a sumptuous blend of cooked down greens tempered with mustard oil and garlic. It is a favourite in the winter months due to its inherently warming quality, as South Asian cuisine relies on an ancient system of assigning foods with innate warm or cold qualities. The reason saag works so well for foraged meals is because the greens are endlessly customisable – use spinach on its own, add vegetable tops, throw in foraged greens, toss in chopped broccoli or do all of it, all at the same time. The complexity of flavours, here, rather than overpowering the dish, adds to a multi-layered complexity. 

Try dandelion leaves, primrose leaves, sea beet, young shoots of goosegrass, young Hawthorne leaves and even a small handful of boiled nettle. This is a perfect dish for when you have a merry little symphony of foraged greens. 

Take it further: Use edible flowers to top the dish and add a delicate sweetness and beautiful pop of color against the verdant green canvas. Calendula, marigold, basil flowers and violets or pansies can elevate your saag, but avoid rose petals, carnations or wisteria as the sweetness may interfere with the deep, earthy notes of the dish. 

Dessert: Vermicelli pudding 

Nothing says togetherness better than this dessert, which is intricately associated with the festival of Eid. Vermicelli cooked in milk until it thickens and garnished with coconut and an assortment of nuts makes for a hearty dessert on its own, but adding foraged flower-infused sweetness can help impart a more summery taste. 

Traditionally, vermicelli pudding is topped with expensive garnishes such as edible flattened silver leaf. However, using floral notes can bring this decidedly royal dish down to earth. Steep any sweet flowers you’ve foraged in cream overnight, we recommend using measurements from Briar’s recipe. 

Take it further: Instead of making the foraged flowers a small side, it may be worth omitting coconut and dried fruit entirely for a lighter, more cholesterol-friendly version of the dish.

So, there you have it, a beginner’s guide for UK-based foragers to using their plentiful bounty and making South Asian cuisine. With such intricate layering of flavours and elaborate cooking techniques, the cuisine is actually more receptive to foraged ingredients than we had thought. Using local ingredients also helps impart a milder, lighter taste to suit diverse palates.

 What’s next – squirrel biryani? 

By Aysha Imtiaz / 29 May 2024
Recipes Sweet

Wisteria Vermicelli Pudding

Vermicelli pudding is synonymous with festivity, community and joy for the South Asian diaspora. It’s the Eid morning dish after prayer, and now the vermicelli is easily available at most UK grocery stores, this creamy, decadent treat is made with pantry staples, making it a popular choice year-round. Adding foraged blooms adds a hint of new beginnings and elevated sweetness…in more ways than one. 

This recipe requires some prep the night before, but the steps are minimal and the delicate sweet aroma is well worth it.

Serves – 2

Foraged Ingredients

  • A generous handful of wisteria blossoms, petals separated from stalks – 1 on the difficulty scale

Other Ingredients

  • 1 cup cream (heavy or regular whipping or cooking cream)
  • 1 dollop of ghee (clarified butter)
  • 1/2 cup vermicelli noodles, crushed 
  • A handful of nuts, raisins or coconut flakes – whatever you have on hand 
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup condensed milk (adjust to taste)
  • 2 spoons of sugar (omit if using sweetened condensed milk)

Method

  1. Start by carefully plucking the wisteria blossoms. Discard the stalks and any green parts as they are not edible.
  1. Soak the blossoms in cream overnight in the refrigerator. If you would like a stronger flavour, warm up the cream ever so slightly on the lowest possible flame, submerge the blooms and heat gently for half an hour, taking care not to allow the mixture to become too hot or bubble over. Leave a few blossoms outside the cream.
  1. In the morning, strain the blooms and discard. Put the cream aside. 
  1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat the ghee over low heat. Add the vermicelli noodles and nuts, then fry them until they turn golden brown and aromatic. Stir constantly to prevent burning. This step adds a nutty flavour to the dish. Be most careful with the raisins, as they can blacken quickly. 
  1. Once the vermicelli is golden brown, pour in the whole milk and bring it to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the vermicelli simmer in the milk until it softens, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Turn off the heat when the vermicelli resembles spaghetti coated with a very thin, glistening layer of ketchup. 
  1. Add the wisteria-infused cream and stir through. 
  1. Serve chilled, with some fresh blossoms sprinkled on top.

Expert’s Tip

The longer you cook down the milk, the thicker and more decadent it will be.

By Aysha Imtiaz / 28 May 2024