Wild things in July: Rose

For the last few months, my friend Butter and I have been hosting a round up- every month we pick something that can be found in the wild (and often times on your block) and encourage people to come up with recipes, and submit them to wildthings.roundup@gmail.com. You can read the whole introduction and past months’ roundups on the tab up there that says “Wild Things”.... Read More

Oeufs en cocotte

I have a nettle patch in my back garden. Did I ever tell you about it? It’s right outside my little office window, where it rubs backs with the blackberry bush and a lemon tree with the biggest spikes I’ve ever seen. I planted them because I was nostalgic. They both remind me so much of my childhood, since they grow so abundantly in Scotland. This morning I was outside... Read More

Nettle pesto

This story isn’t about me. It is about Jam, and a patch of nettles. When he was nine or so, Jam got the reputation for being a bit of a wild boy. A group of older boys in school wanted to show him who was boss, and so they attacked him, throwing him into a patch of nettles. Which would be fine if you were fully clothed, but English schoolboys had to wear those little shorts... Read More

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

I have a thing for wild mushrooms. I’m pretty sure that everyone who is into foraging does. See, at least for me, they’re elusive. Earlier this year, I was out looking for chanterelles every day. I’d found them in this spot last year, so as far as I was concerned it was a no-brainer. Well, let me tell you. I found a whole bunch of plants that were very interesting... Read More

Blackberry-Elderflower Galettes

I will not complain about this weather. I won’t. A month ago I wrote something on Facebook about how I hated the heat. How I was eating a watermelon in my underwear and sweating and was in a very very bad mood about the whole thing. Then a friend on the East coast said that she’d just had yet another snow storm. And I realised that I was being a brat. So I went out... Read More

California Lamb

I never knew how much I loved silence until I moved to Los Angeles. From Palm Desert where I’d lie on the floor of my favourite canyon and just listen to the desert hum, to LA where, for the first few months, I’d sleep with ear plugs and a pillow over my head because the noise was just so intense. Silence. I love it. Crave it actually. So I go gathering plants- where... Read More

Dandelion and fennel= yum

Oh jeez. I’m sorry, I’ve been the worst blogger ever. I’ve been working my you-know-what off trying to launch a website (CSS and web design are WAY harder than they look!), and then I went to Korea with some friends, and only really got back yesterday. Korea was amazing; I wish I’d had longer than a week there. I’d always had this strange attraction... Read More

Maple roasted rhubarb

This week, on ‘Ridiculously easy and therefore dangerous desserts’, is one of my favourites. In Southern California, where our seasons are beyond comprehension to the layperson, rhubarb appears in the spring and fall, but only for a few weeks in each. I don’t know if it’s the same where you are. When it’s available, my favourite little restaurant... Read More

Elder. Immune booster. Somewhere near you.

It’s no wonder that the elder is a plant steeped in mythology. Just looking at the big bushes, with their clouds of tiny white flowers dancing in the wind, or with the clusters of blue black berries dangling seductively at the end of each branch, you can tell that there is something magical about it. This is a plant that dances on the edge of different worlds. And it’s... Read More

The prettiest sight I ever did see

Findings from the market today… Blackberries (for jam… coming soon), sweet peas, yarrow and ranunculus flowers.  Read More