Autumn Foraging

Along with the transition of summer into autumn, I find myself with a little free time for the first time since July. 

I do love my job but it's nice to get out foraging again, 4 day weeks have been a more than welcome development!

Yarrow and Mugwort artisan crackers made with chickpea flour

So the season of fungi, berries, nuts and seeds is upon us and to be completely honest, Autumn isn't my favourite season for foraging (although it is without a doubt my favourite season). Perhaps it's because when I was a lot younger my limited knowledge led me to forage haw berries, sloes, blackberries, rosehips, chestnuts and cobnuts over and over. Don't get me wrong I made a whole load of jellies and jams but the flavours are less vibrant and being a savoury-toothed kinda lady the whole prospect of using them for puddings completely disinterested me.

I will never forget the time I attempted a rosehip jelly for meat at the age of about 15, I got the flavours right but no one ever told me they were filled with tiny little hairs so I decided to wack the lot into a blender- all I can say is that the result was akin to what I can imagine consuming a cactus to be! 

Mugwort Thai clam soup

This time of year, foraging blogs are filled with beautiful and interesting fungi- chicken of the woods appears to be a favourite of foragers but I always feel at a loss with this kind of foraging. I am not a mushroom expert and would not venture past the giant puffball and beefsteak mushroom arena, needless to say that I don't find the flavours all that exiting. I wouldn't recommend any beginners starting to forage mushrooms either so I cannot really speak on the subject. Of course, I wish I could. Mushrooms and endlessly fascinating. 

Still a few saltmarsh edibles about: top left: scurvy grass, bottom left: Glasswort or marsh samphire, centre l-r: sea plantain, sea purslane, sea aster, top right: Rock samphire, Bottom right: Sea Beet

So what do I do when I reach this kind of dead end feeling in the field? Use the few plants that I have to work with and make it interesting. Mugwort and Yarrow are my best friends this time of year. Here's a few of the things that I have made this year for inspiration: 

Haw, chilli and garlic sauce 

Haw Berry Ketchup

Blackberry and liquorice jam

Rowan Berry liqueur 

Rosehip jelly - N.B. DO NOT BLEND! 

Truffle mash with mugwort and sliced (shop bought) mushrooms

Warming Creamy mushroom and mugwort soup

Spiced soups with wild aromatics

Yarrow abundance- add it to anything and everything although it's not worth cooking- the flavour is better (and less bitter) raw

Alcohol infusions/home made wines and beers 

Sea Spinach is always a safe bet and available all year round

And if you're still not inspired just sit tight and wait for halloween, bonfire night and all of the beautiful autumn walks that can be had this time of year with a hogweed and pumpkin spice latte or alexander seed spiced mull.

Mugwort thai clam soup

Water pepper hot sauce 

I will be posting some of the recipes for these in the near future.

Happy Foraging Autumn squirrels!