Hedgerow

A concise, authoritative and witty guide to the best food for free that the British countryside has to offer John Wright regularly appears on Channel 4's River Cottage TV series, which has over 4 million viewers The latest installment to the River Cottage handbook series that has now sold over 200,000 copies

Hedgerows, moors, meadows and woods - these hold a veritable feast for the forager. This book reveals how to spot the free and delicious ingredients to be found in the British countryside, and then how to prepare and cook them. It includes over 40 species such as: bilberries, blackberries, cloudberries, common mallow, dandelions, and hedge garlic.Hedgerows, moors, meadows and woods - these hold a veritable feast for the forager. In this hugely informative and witty handbook, John Wright reveals how to spot the free and delicious pickings to be found in the British countryside, and how to prepare and cook them. First John touches on the basics for the hedgerow forager, with an introduction to conservation, safety, the law, and all the equipment that you may need. Next he guides you through the tasty edible species to be found. Each one is accompanied by photographs for identification, along with their conservation status, habitat, distribution, season, taste, texture and cooking methods - not forgetting, of course, some fascinating asides and diversions about their taxonomy and history. Fifty species are covered, including bilberries, blackberries, raspberries, common mallow, dandelions, hedge garlic, horseradish, pignuts, nettles, sloes, sweet chestnuts, water mint, bulrushes and wild cherries. After this there is a section describing the poisonous species to steer clear of, with identifying photographs as well as warnings about nasty 'lookalikes'. Finally, there are thirty delicious recipes to show how you can make the most of your (edible) findings. Introduced by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Hedgerow is an indispensable household reference, and an essential book to have by your side for every trip into the countryside.