Along the still edges of salt marshes lurks the quiet presence of Marsh Samphire (Salicornia europaea). Also known as Glasswort, Samphire Grass, Salty fingers or Pickle weed. Marsh samphire is quite a popular wild food, due to its availability in Fishmongers and Supermarkets. Here in the in the UK its popularity soared after it was […]

I love, love, love Rock Samphire (Crithmum martimum) though it has taken me a while to get used to it. When I first tried it, having plucked it off the rocks on the south coast of Cornwall I just thought it tasted 'unusual'. Fifteen years later I understand and appreciate it's complex flavour more and […]

  Back in the warmth of the summer, I had a glorious few hours with singer Kelsey Michael. We'd been getting excited about words and tunes and at last had found a moment to share a walk and sing together outside. This quick video is of us singing, what Kelsey now calls; The Foraging Song. […]

'You just have to try that green stuff' (participant on a foraging course) Luscious wild greens; Rock Samphire (Crithmum maritimum) makes the perfect base for a Salsa Verde (green sauce) and it tastes so great that hardly anything else needs to be added. Over the years my version of this Rock Samphire Salsa Verde has […]

Malta is deceptively wild! Like every piece of fertile land across the world, there is potential for wild food to grow. Common wild foods are the best to harvest as they're the most abundant and giving. Here are 5 common wild foods you can find and enjoy in Malta. If you would like to find […]

Love and foraging: A natural pairing Foraging and love. Love and foraging. Do these two naturally go together? I believe they do. Let's explore why love should play a central role in our approach to foraging. "Life is the flower of which love is the honey." — Victor Hugo "Love is not what makes the world […]

Deepen your connection to nature through foraging Bringing together people, places and wild food plants since 2007. Highly acclaimed guide and award-winning author on foraging and cooking. Fun, informative and delicious. Rachel is brilliant. Very inspiring and engaging. Jamie Bespoke Private forays, workshops, talks and slideshows on foraging, sustainability and resilience. Foraging Books Rachel's foraging […]

It's here! A little book (perfect for taking out with you) focused on foraging in the diverse county of Devon. This is where my foraging journey truly began, so I'm delighted to write a book based on the wild foods available here. What's in the Wild Food Foraging in Devon book? 18 wild edible plants, […]

In 2021 I was approached by community artist Emma Smith who was commissioned by Cornwall council to create artworks for the new footpath and cycle path connecting Penzance and Marazion. The project was named: Gwelen. Inspired by the submerged forest that existed in Mounts Bay thousands of years ago, she invited me to talk about […]

This simple, vegan Salsa Verde recipe uses four different wild greens that grow here in Cornwall. They are spring greens that you can also find in Southern Europe and coastal areas. The four wild greens I use for this recipe may surprise you, they surprised me! The first and main ingredient are the leaves and […]

Alexander seeds are an amazing spice, known for their peppery, aromatic tang with a hint of bitterness. An unusual flavour when bitten into, sometimes it's hard to know how to use these seeds. Here I share 6 of my best recipes for Alexander seeds. 1. Alexander seeded bread A beautifully wild seeded bread recipe. Alexander […]

Beautiful wild carrot flowers (Daucus carota) delight me and inspired me to write this song! Wild carrot is a wonderful, summery, coastal flower with a particular story and mythology attached to it which I explain below. I also love its shape, colours and subtle scent in the summer breeze. Wild Carrot is also one of […]

I was brought up on cake and outdoor adventures. Desserts heavy with white sugar were a daily affair. On leaving home I started experimenting with alternative sweeteners and different ways to create sweet edible treats. Combining the outdoors and food excites me, and this fridge cake, infused with wild mints, transports me to a shady […]

The Umbelliferae (Apiaceae) family, also known as the Carrot family is a large family of plants, all with the similarity of umbels - think structure of an umbrella with a handle, spokes and canopy. There are some fantastic edibles within this family and also some deadly poisonous plants. A little foraging knowledge can be dangerous […]

Nothing beats homemade pizza, it's quick and easy to make and just requires a little planning. Let's face it - pizza is all about the toppings, so here I share some ideas to turn your pizza wild to enjoy the foraged flavours of summer!

I'm so pleased with this recipe for wild crackers - they're so easy! Prepared in minutes and slow-baked to create a crisp texture that lasts well and is ideal for wild salsa verde, local cheese with wilds or how ever you like to top your crackers! I used wild-harvested seeds from common weeds (see below) […]

These are quite a rustic version of wild nettle pakoras and are very simple to make, you can use many different wild greens if you like. I had three cornered leek to hand, rather than wild garlic, or you could use a clove of cultivated garlic. I've also learnt a few things while making these […]

Can you see the mistake? There actually aren't any winkles (Littorina littorea) on my dinner plate, these are mostly topshells with a hidden whelk or two. Topshells and whelks are also edible. Winkles, also known as common perwinkles have been eaten for thousands of years by humans. They're an abundant univalve (they have no hinge […]

My memories of Summer are, inevitably, interlaced with foraging. Plants and food, namely wild food, has long been an integral part of my life. One that I choose not to live without. Earlier on in Summer I wrote about keeping things simple and shared easy ways  I turn picnics and barbeques into events with a […]

Alexander seeds are one of my secrets. Okay, so perhaps a secret I've shared with a few people. Even so, it's a lesser known wild spice that goes unnoticed by the majority of folk. I call it a secret because even if you bite into it raw, the chances are you won't want to taste […]

(Organic flour, gutweed (Ulva intestinalis) and dulse (Palmaria palmata)) Picnics, according to BBC food, require planning; as much as I agree that some planning is needed, I also want it all - good homemade food and little fuss. With our erratic UK weather, sometimes an impromptu picnic is a great adventure too, though if I […]

I'm sitting listening to Radio 4 (again) and the episode of the Digital Human called 'Tribe'. This particular episode includes a focus on the role of hunting and gathering as a way of working together and supporting each other. Indeed, our ancestors worked together closely to ensure that food, shelter and sustenance was provided for […]

It’s a fresh winter morning and I am sitting watching the sky lighten and the day begin. I am just sitting, doing nothing, while the day is offering nothing less than a performance. Blue sky starts to peek through, charcoal grey clouds move slowly in front of me, then disintegrate. White gulls glide elegantly past, […]

Cornwall is the 9th largest county in the UK, it’s boarder mostly by the sea (and Devon, of course) and is almost 1500 metres squared in area. We have amazing access to coastal areas, 422miles of it, where foraging is rich and includes fish, mollusks, seaweed and coastal plants. We have abundant hedgerows, fields, coast […]

I love the diversity of Cornwall; here I am writing by the South coast, and next week I'll be down an estuary (image above), near a beautiful creek, stepping over a slightly different range of plants and edibles. Though hang on a minute. Foraging isn't meant to be all about 'take, take, take', it's about […]

I'm often asked what my favourite time to forage is, well spring is fantastic, though honestly, winter is becoming an increasingly wonderful time to forage. The quiet, the abundance of plants and the unexpected joys of finding food (not in the supermarket) this time of year.     On January 2nd myself and a small […]

Testimonials Hi Rachel many thanks for the foraging course last Wednesday, we really enjoyed it and Dave and the boys have already been back to forage bladder rack, Irish moss and pepper dulce and made some soup! He cooked and added it to a carrot based soup!  - all made up! Cathy, Cornwall Just wanted […]

  Lapping waves, sweet smelling hedgerows, and glorious walks and forays in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly were the inspiration for writing my first book; Wild Food Foraging in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Which does what is says in the title. Something worth sharing, I thought, something regional, specific and practical for […]

630 miles of coast line. That’s 630 miles of pathways, steps, beaches, cliffs, pebbles, sand, shingle or boulders. 630 miles of potential coastal plants, as well hedgerows, fields, even woodland growth. That’s 630 miles of varied and possible foraging ground. I’m a forager, a walker, a stalker of plants and a lover of sea views […]

Unique Island Foraging Really, like nowhere else. Sudi Pigott, food journalist and author compared Gourmet Foraging and Dining on Scilly to an experience at Noma - Rene Redzepi's  Copenhagen restaurant, which, at least twice has won best restaurant in the world awards (S. Pellegrino 50). Noma specialises in using foraged and seasonal produce and has […]