The Wild Cooke

《《 INGREDIENTS 》》
Here are some of the wild ingredients I've used for today's workshop. You'll have to wait to see the end product as i always like to suprise my guests ☺️🙌🌿

Tell me what can you see? 🌱

《《 WELSH FORAGE & CAMP 🌿🍒》》
Nearly Wild Camping presents a Foraging Weekend hosted by The Wild Cooke at the beautiful Belan Bluebell Woods. Join us in the Cambrian mountains near Llanidloes for a wonderful weekend exploring the wild Welsh countryside.

Tickets include:

● A welcome drink
● Foraging walk
● Wild food lunch
● Demo/workshop

There will also be an opportunity to purchase evening pizzas and BBQ

Nearly Wild Camping members can join us for £20 plus the pitch cost. If you fancy it but aren't a member, you can join for as the bargain price of £24 and have access to many stunning, secluded sites across the UK like Belan Bluebell Woods 🤗🌲⛺️

for pitch booking
for membership &event booking

See you there, happy campers!!

Happiness = forest gold ✨️ 🌲💛

Chanterelle // Cantharellus cibarius

Who is coming?! 🌿🤗

《《 PEONY 》》
I've been feeling mighty inspired by my pal as she takes us through some of her favourite flowers in her latest book, Buds & Blossoms. The peony has always been a favourite of mine too, but without a garden (don't 😭), I presume it was off the cards for me this year... until I noticed some growing semi wild on the roadside yesterday!! Wooohoooo, don't mind if I do! Now what to do..... 🌸🤗🌿👌

How exciting?! 💚🌱

《《 HOGCHEESE 》》
The common hogweed is at the wonderful preflowering stage here (I forgot to take a photograph oops), so I did what any sensible person would do - smothered it with a cheese sauce. I also threw in some cauliflower and decorated it with oxeye daisies. Delicious 🌱😊🙌

LAST CALL!

SUMMER FORAGING WORKSHOP 🌿❤️🙌

Join me for an introduction to Summer Foraging at my regular location in North Ballachulish. We enjoy several hours of seasonal wild food highlights across several nabitats, discuss species to avoid, foraging identification, harvesting, preservation, and cooking techniques. A lovely morning is then finished off with a wild food picnic

Location: North Ballachulish
Date: Sunday 30th of June
Time: 10.30 - 2pm
Cost: £45 pp
Private message to book!

《《 SUMMER 》》
Things are getting pretty exciting out there just now..... it's a happy day when you collect fungi, flowers, foliage, and seaweed!

I still have some spaces on this Sundays workshop in Ballachulish. Please get in touch to book 🙌☺️🌿

《《 PORCINI 🍄》》
The happiest of days yesterday. My first cep of the year! There is nothing quite like the feeling of finding these beauties in the woods 🪵😍💚🍄🙌

Porcini ~ cep ~ pennybun // Boletus edulis

We need help getting the site ready for our Open Day on 6th July.

Woohoo I can't wait to play with flowers and drinks! 🥰🌸🙌💚

Blooms that make you smile 🫶🏼

《《 YESTERDAY'S LUNCH 》》
Eggs with dandelion leaves, chive, chickweed, spinach, nasturtium, rose petals, crout, and pickled runnerbeans 🌿🌸🙌

I am starting to think about the menu for next weeks introduction to Summer Foraging course at North Ballachulish... this is the fun bit! 💚👌😄

《《 HAPPY SUMMER SOLSTICE 》》
To one and all. Regardless of the weather, my bank account, or the to-do list - around comes the elderflower, rose, and chanterelle. The saltmarsh is swelling. The summer fruits begin to ripen. The bees are buzzing. There's plenty to celebrate and be thankful for 👌😄🍄🥰

In honesty, I write to you from my sofa, in my jammies, nursing a head cold type thing with a sore tooth monster toddler in bed and a hubby doing exercises on the floor. Oh, to be dancing around a fire with a headpiece on. There's always next year!! 🌱💚🌸😎

☠️ PRETTY BUT DEADLY ☠️
I am just checking in with my local patch of hemlock water dropwort. It's looking gorgeous just now with its delicate white flowers, but do not be fooled... this is labelled as the most poisonous plant in the UK. This is not just because every part of it contains toxins that can induce vomiting, seizures, paralysis, hallucinations, and death, but also due to it being an umbellifer or Apiaceae (Carrot) family member. It looks edible with its parsley/carrot/celery leaves and stems, and that is where the problem lies....

Hemlock water dropwort // Oenanthe crocata

《《 UPCOMING WORKSHOP 》》
Join me for an introduction to Summer Foraging at my regular location in North Ballachulish. We enjoy several hours of seasonal wild food highlights across several habitats, discuss species to avoid, foraging identification, harvesting, preservation, and cooking techniques. A lovely morning is then finished off with a wild food picnic.

Location: North Ballachulish
Date: Sunday 30th of June
Time: 10.30 - 2pm
Cost: £45 pp

Private message to book!

《《 RUST FUNGUS 》》
How beautiful is this rust fungus found on nettle species?! It begins as an orange blister that swells with the fruiting body and goes all pink and cool. It's not something I tune into until the nettles are tall and flowering/seeding 🌱🌿🍄

It is worth noting that we do not normally harvest nettles once they are flowering as the plant contains cystolith crystals, which we find hard to pass through the body. Cut them back to encourage young growth or wait for the edible seeds (on the female plants) or leave let them be 🙌☺️🌱

It's also called nettle clustercup. I like that. Have you seen any?

Rust fungus // Puccinia urticata

《《 FOREST GREETINGS 》》
This is the way to be welcomed home by the land. A fruiting of charcoal burners - a lovely edible Russula mushroom. The chanterelles are also pinning but far too small to harvest (the ones on the plate had been dislodged from their spot by critters or toddler fingers, so I brought them home to honour and eat) 🍄🌿🙌

These gifts from the forest went into a fish curry to help bulk it out. I love mushrooms for that - not needing to always take centre stage but happy to support the headliner. The larch needles were lovely zingy in the paste, too. Yay! The fungi are rising, and I'm home! 🍄💚😃

Charcoal burner // Russula cyanoxantha

The beautiful plate is made by my good friend 💚

《《 CHEEKY 》》
I almost forgot to share these pale tussock moths having sexy time during my
workshop. Quite distracting!

Pale Tussock // Calliteara pudibunda

《《 HOME TIME 》》
Despite the weather, we've had a lovely time in the Shire. It was so wonderful to get to hang out with my fellow ☺️🙌🌿 at the festival. I cannae wait for the next one!

📷 at the 🌱

《《 GARDEN SALAD 》》
It was a baked tattie, cheese, and beans kinda night at my sisters house last night. As she was sorting it out, she mentioned that we didn't have any salad. Fear not, dear sister, for I am a nature wizard. Five minutes rooting around outside, and here we have our garden salad. Packed full of flavour, texture, and nutrition. Seven different plants, all topped with my black forest balsamic 💚🙌🌿

Supermarkets 0 foraging 1

《《 PETALS & WILD TIPPLES 》》
We are so excited to share a new event with you all.... The Wild Cooke meets The Petal Passion Flower Farm for an afternoon of flower frolicking! 🌻💐🌷👌🙌

Guests will be welcomed with a glass of fizz and taken on a tour of the beautiful Petal Passion Flower Farm. Katie, the owner, will give you insights and tips into growing your own cut flowers. Lucy will then mix you a wild cocktail as you create your own flower posy. Then, it's time to experiment with Lucy's collection of foraged tipples as she tells you how to make your own wild infusions at home. They will be a selection of lovely canapés to accompany the cocktails. We are so excited 😊🤗🌿🍸🧉

We have an early bird price for the next couple of weeks, so do not miss out! It would be very sensible for you to arrange a lift to and from the Farm, but mocktails are available if you prefer 😉👍🌱

Sunday 4th August
The Farm @ Monkhopton
£75 pp EARLY BIRD £70 pp
PM To book 😚👌🌸

Such a beautiful place. I cannot wait to host a foraging/foodie weekend there this Summer! 🙌🤗👌🌿💚

It may be Scotland's best kept secret: The shortest ferry ride to the island nobody's heard of We holiday to a luxurious new destination

How mouth-watering do these look?! 🤗😍

《《 BIRTHDAY CAKE 》》
My rose petal jam was beautiful in Mara's birthday cake along with some whipped cream. For some reason, she's suspicious of cake.... oh well. More for the rest of us! 🤣🤗🙌

《《 LAST CALL FOR TICKETS 》》
I still have places on my Introduction to Summer Foraging workshop this Saturday in Much Wenlock. Enter the wonderful world of wild foods and come on a slow adventure through fields and hedgerows looking at this seasons best bits. We discuss identification, dodgy lookalikes, harvesting, ethics, preservation, and cooking techniques. Finishing up with a foragers picnic 🌱🙌👌

Much Wenlock
Saturday 15th June
10.30- 2(ish)
£45 pp

PM To book 🙏😊

《《 DAY TWO 》》
Are you ready?!

《《 BRITISH WILD FOOD FESTIVAL 》》
We are here and we are so excited for a weekend of wild foods !! Woohoo!! 🙌🌱👌💚😊