Louise Gray

Environmental journalist

I love foraging for my own food in the wild and cooking it. It helps to have a book about your local flora and this one is the best. Fi includes photos and tips on identification, as well as recipes. The wild garlic pesto has become a tradition at family drinks parties but we have to warn the guests their breath will smell! I believe foraging is so popular at the moment because it makes people feel empowered. We are mostly in thrall to the supermarkets and what they choose to sell us. Foraging gives you an opportunity to do everything yourself. It forces you to take note of the seasons, your surroundings and wild flavours. If you want a more wide-ranging book try Richard Mabey’s Food for Free or look out for Tiffany Francis’s new book Food you can Forage.