The Hedgerow Cookbook by Caro Willson & Ginny Knox

A beautifully presented collection of foraged food recipes to enjoy through the seasons with wise words about the wonders of Wild Food

Hi, I’m Sue and I write about the beauty and ingenuity of Nature, and how we can deepen our connection for our optimum health and wellbeing. Discover more Nature-inspired content on Spiral Leaf, Twitter and my video Nature Channel.

If you think cooking with foraged food is anything like the early days of eating more wholesome foods when organic ingredients were more limited and recipes were less refined, not very tasty and a bit bulky, think again.

The art of going organic requires us to re-shape and adapt our way of living to accommodate the needs of our body and which foods we need to consume to support the continuous healing activities our bodies were designed to perform.

Sourcing organic food is an essential part of the process and foraging for wild food is a natural next step. I was amazed to find there are so many wild plants, flowers and fungi that we can eat providing invaluable trace nutrients, minerals and healing agents that cannot be found elsewhere. I will share some of these with you in my next book review, Food For Free by Richard Mabey which comes highly recommended.

The Hedgerow Cookbook is a beautifully presented and illustrated cookbook that takes the art of creating refreshing beverages, tasty meals and traditional dishes with food found in our hedgerows through the seasons to another level. This is the cordon bleu of wildism and it will be a superb cooking companion through 2024.

With beautiful images the contents are arranged in sections with recipes for Flowers, Hips, Leaves, Berries, Fruit with Stones, Fruit with Pips and Nuts. A lovely introduction talks about Caro and Ginny’s experience rediscovering the pleasure of the wild, native or ancient fruits that had perhpas been overlooked in this supermarket age of perfect Strawberries all the year round.

Handy information includes notes on laws for food foraging here in the British Isles which is mainly common sense wherever you are. There are illustrated sections on preserving (the basics), useful equipment, a seasonal availability chart, bottling and water bath sterilization.

Some favourite recipes I have tried and am yet to try include:

• Dandelion Marmalade

• Rose Petal Jam

• Rosehip Syrup

• Wild Garlic Pesto

• Sweet Onion and Wild Garlic Tart

• Nettle Soup

• Nettle Beer

• Old Fashioned Bramble Pudding

• Elderberry Sorbet

It’s hard to choose from such a grand selection with plenty of traditional dishes included. Each recipe is made with natural ingredients accompanied by clear instructions, a fabulous image and an introduction to explain what it is destined to be.

Wild food is nutritious

I recently wrote about The Joy of Foraging for Wild Food as I increase my efforts this year to learn more about different wild foods and fungi to add to my current list of sesonal favourites. I love to try different recipes and storing methods so that I can make the most of any wild food I find and brobringught home through the seasons.

It's good to note that wild food found in natural environments (far away from fields sprayed with pesticides, etc) are being recognised as some of the most nutritious and nourishing of plants, fruits, berries, herbs, fungi, flowers, leaves and other edibles. They haven’t been saught after by chefs and restauranteurs over the years without reason.

Wild foods are the perfect companion to compliment and enhance nutrients found in organically grown food. They also provide vital minerals, trace elements and beneficial micro-organisms found in food grown outside in good soil in the natural environment.

The fact is that the best quality foraged food grows naturally in undisturbed, ancient woodlands or where there is rich soil. Natural vitimins, minerals, micro-organisms and other trace elements are drawn up into the plant, and it’s these trace nutrients that help to keep our mind and body cleansed and healthy. Any live foods prepared and eaten as close to their natural state as possible provide maximum benefits.

Wild food is worth it

How we collect, wash, prepare and cook natural food is a skill that can be learned step by step. The first time your Nettle Soup tastes delicious (it can take practice) is priceless it feels great! You know how much you have put into it, the goodness it will provide and how enjoyable it has been to bring the perfect recipe into creation.

Not only does it taste delicious, it provides your system with many essential compounds and nutrients needed to build, repair, clean and revitalise you through the day. 

I always take the time to find out as much as I can about wild foods before using them so that I can preserve and cook them properly, and seek them out if I have a particular need or ailment to attend to.

Wild food is a process

Taking the time to prepare, cook and enjoy food in a relaxed state of mind and body adds to the effect of enjoying the process and absorbing the best nutrients and benefits from the food you eat.

In a relaxed state, our heartbeat slows down so that we can take our time to savour the experience and give our bodies time to digest everything properly. Add a few sips of filtered water before and after eating to help it go down and your body will thank you for it in the long run.

A superior cookbook

The Hedgerow Cookbook is a good size (not too big) with heavenly silky and robust paper. The print is clear with stunning photography throughout. There are 24 recipes with ingredients and steps indexed under Flowers & Hips, Leaves, Berries, Fruits with Stones, Fruit with Pips and Nuts as previously mentioned. 

Who could resist creations so temptingly named as Sweet Onion and Wild Garlic Tart, Wild Garlic Pesto, Nettle Soup, Crab Apple Cordial, Old Fasioned Bramble Pudding, Chocolate Chestnut Terrine and Wild Rose Turkish Delight.

This is a cookery book for celebrating Nature's bounty through the seasons (with a seasonal availability chart included). There are ideas for preserving and you are guaranteed to find something special to treat everyone with - with a super-nutritional boost included.

I highly recommend this book for any cook with a penchant for keeping things natural without having to compromise on quality, flavour and style. A perfect gift.

Thank you, Caro and Ginny.

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The Hedgerow Cookbook by Caro Willson & Ginny Knox