Beth Al Rikabi<\/a>, a free range chef creating seasonal, foraged vegetarian food for retreats and supper clubs, shares the joy of finding wild food in your garden, what edible plants <\/a>you can find, plus four recipes for you to try.<\/p> You may also like<\/strong><\/p> In the first lockdown, as with lots of other people, I was gifted a lot of time because all of my work was cancelled. I explored my local area and went on lots of walks. That\u2019s really when I started looking around me and seeing what was in the surrounding fields and hedgerows<\/a>, and in my own garden. I got very excited!<\/p> I wasn\u2019t really going to supermarkets during lockdown. I remember I wanted to make a pesto<\/a>, so I just wondered into the garden and picked dandelions, primrose leaves, cleavers and some sage, and blitzed all that up with some nuts, garlic and oil. The best thing of all was that my daughter Esme ate it. It made me very happy to know that I could just grab a handful of stuff from the garden, blitz it and say \u201cHere you go, dear.”<\/p> It connects you to the place that you\u2019re in \u2013 you\u2019re literally connecting with the roots of where you are. To belong and to connect with where you are is the simplest human need.<\/p> Also, engaging with the seasons gets you into more of a cyclical mindset. You might see some elderflower that\u2019s passed its best and think \u2018Oh no, I didn\u2019t get to do anything with it\u2019, but then you remember it will be back next next year. I\u2019m one for looking back and reminiscing a lot, which makes me feel sad, so the more I can connect with nature and the seasons, the more I find comfort in the cycle of things.<\/p> Knowing that there are things around you that you can eat, it makes you question what you\u2019re spending your money on, and where you\u2019re sourcing your ingredients from. It makes you ask yourself, \u201cDo I really need to buy that supermarket bag of basil from Kenya?\u201d.<\/p> Sorrel. I first discovered it on a walk with a foraging guide and I remember tasting this tiny green leaf and getting this explosion of lemony zestiness. It blew my mind. Recently I had it sliced up and sprinkled on asparagus.<\/p> On a lawn you can find yarrow, which is great added to salads, and cleavers, also known as ‘sticky willy’. Cleavers are a very nutritious, cleansing herb \u2013 I like to infuse it in water in the fridge for a few hours. It imparts a cucumber flavour. All parts of a dandelion are edible \u2013 I like to use the petals to make honey, and the leaves go nice with pecans in a pesto. Some people might have elderflower, hawthorn or cherry blossoms in their garden. All of these are good infused in cordials, syrups or jams.<\/p> Beth shares her recipe for dandelion flower honey<\/a>, a sweet syrup that can be spread on toast, drizzled on pancakes or stirred into a summer gin fizz cocktail.<\/p> Beth’s recipe for cherry blossom jam<\/a>, which has a delicate, almondy flavour.<\/p> Beth’s recipe for a tasty and nutritious pest<\/a>o, using cleavers and nettles foraged from the garden.<\/p>Beth, how did you start foraging?<\/h3>
Tell us more about foraging in your garden \u2013 how did that come about?<\/h3>
What is the joy you find in foraging?<\/h3>
How else can foraging change one\u2019s mindset?<\/h3>
What\u2019s your favourite ingredient to forage?<\/h3>
What edibles can you typically find in the garden?<\/h3>
Beth’s garden foraging recipes<\/h2>
Dandelion flower honey<\/a><\/h3>
![\"Dandelion\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-134644898-69b2577.jpg\")
Cherry blossom jam<\/a><\/h3>
![\"Cherry](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2022\/05\/21DD4522-CECD-4795-AADB-CD7E0539145E-5593d4d-e1652172485959.jpg\")
Cleaver and nettle pesto<\/a><\/h3>
![\"Cleaver](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2022\/05\/50AB27B5-8F09-4DFF-B5B0-D83D0852BCBE-afedac4-e1652172625801.jpg\")
Elderflower cordial<\/a><\/h3>
![\"Elderflower](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2022\/05\/IMG4182-a5dfac1-rotated-e1652172707103.jpg\")