Forage Fine Foods has been on my radar for a few weeks as a font of knowledge about British wild herbs and flowers so it was a nice surprise to see some of Liz Knight's products on the sideboard at The Butchery in Bermondsey yesterday. There are quite a few "foragers" out there - some people buy in to it, others don't. Forage Fine Foods strikes me as the real deal. What caught my attention was the fact that Liz has allied a long-held passion for cooking wild food with knowledge she has picked up from talking to her countrywise elders. She has found working in a day centre for the elderly a fascinating education in folklore and some almost forgotten practices. Gathering wild herbs, berries and petals in the Herefordshire/Welsh Borders area, in the shadow of the Black Mountains, she produces Elderberry and Lavender jam, Rose Petal Syrup and Jelly, A Wild Herb Rub and an exotic Wild Rose el Hanout to conjure up Marakkesh. Or there's the piquant 'Pontack' sauce made from elderberries soaked in cider vinegar which I'm looking forward to adding to a beef casserole. Forage Fine Foods currently have a handful of stockists including The Butchery but you also can buy on-line and at special events and festivals. Or you could take advantage of Liz's enthusiasm to pass on her knowledge by booking a foraging course.Sunday 1 July 2012
Forage Fine Foods - Food Find
Forage Fine Foods has been on my radar for a few weeks as a font of knowledge about British wild herbs and flowers so it was a nice surprise to see some of Liz Knight's products on the sideboard at The Butchery in Bermondsey yesterday. There are quite a few "foragers" out there - some people buy in to it, others don't. Forage Fine Foods strikes me as the real deal. What caught my attention was the fact that Liz has allied a long-held passion for cooking wild food with knowledge she has picked up from talking to her countrywise elders. She has found working in a day centre for the elderly a fascinating education in folklore and some almost forgotten practices. Gathering wild herbs, berries and petals in the Herefordshire/Welsh Borders area, in the shadow of the Black Mountains, she produces Elderberry and Lavender jam, Rose Petal Syrup and Jelly, A Wild Herb Rub and an exotic Wild Rose el Hanout to conjure up Marakkesh. Or there's the piquant 'Pontack' sauce made from elderberries soaked in cider vinegar which I'm looking forward to adding to a beef casserole. Forage Fine Foods currently have a handful of stockists including The Butchery but you also can buy on-line and at special events and festivals. Or you could take advantage of Liz's enthusiasm to pass on her knowledge by booking a foraging course.
