Foraging Food experience at Castle Ward

Both sessions are now sold out. Get in touch if you would like to join th waiting list .I'm thrilled to say that I am back at Castle Ward for the first time this year on October 10th. It is a magical foraging location and even if you're already familar with the place this is …

Foraging Evenings

Join me for some balmy and hopefully beautiful evenings in Belfast for a forage in our amazing local parks and walks. I'm running three evenings in a row on the 19th, 20th and 21st of August. These walks will start at 6pm and will last around 2 hours. All walks will conclude with some unique …

Coastal Foraging

Hello! Come join me for a new foraging event on the amazing Ards Peninsula coast on Sunday the 20th of September. At this special site we will identify some unique edible plants and seaweeds and I will share some exciting ways to use these in your cooking. We will be meeting at 11:30am for a …

Dandelion Bao

I have been obsessed with these little fluffy sweet steamed buns. After finding out that shepherds purse (another common mustardy weed) is the usual cultivated green used for these in Shanghai I knew I had to try them. After a few experiments I now truly believe that anything would be delicious inside - so why …

Dandelions, Lentils and Miso Aioli

Dandelions play both roles as a condiment and a vegetable in this dish. I started off by making a recipe inspired by two brilliant books off my shelf. The New Wildcrafter Cuisine by Pascal Baudar and Strudel, Noodles and Dumplings by Anya Dunk. In Dunk's book she gives a recipe for what she calls Magic …

Feasting on Taraxacum

Taraxacum is the scientific name for dandelion and while I'm trying to encourage myself to learn more scientific names to communicate effectively about species I need not bother for this one. Taraxacum officinale is our common dandelion and by far is the most common individual plant that people can happily recognise on my guided foraging …

Feasting on Wild Garlic

  As as a forager Spring is now the most exciting time for me. Everything is emerging in small, tender gorgeousness. There is more light, heat and rain to help everything along and there are so many plants that are sweet and soft before they get better ideas of being bitter and tough to avoid …

Wild Apples

Apples are an easy forage and although all of them are edible some are best left to the birds and other animals. However, if you persevere you will find some have so much more flavour than anything you can buy in the shop and it can make your cooking really interesting. The only way to know …

Sorrel and why it’s class

Sorrel was my first forage. Before gathering blackberries; before picking the unripe red currants that grew in my family's back yard; before discovering that the small ugly bountiful fruit on the trees down the street were edible bitter crab apples. I remember so vividly finding and munching on the sour leaves that invaded the large …

Forest Bathing

This week I took my parents dog out for a walk up Cavehill, walking my usual route on the Upper Cavehill Road but cutting out the difficult hill towards the top and making my way back down via Belfast Castle. The rain which had been light suddenly became torrential so I stopped under a chestnut …