Well, the nettles are getting as high as the sun, and we are off to ITVs bakeoff in Mousehole this weekend. Alongside the bakeoff there will be a farmers market, with lots of lovely local Cornish products. Well have our Cornish Stingers gift packs, as well as lots of fresh seaweeds-well have some tasters and demos how to cook it- along with lots of other wild foods that are out now....

Ive just tasted pignuts for the first time- Henry from My Cornwall tv has come to do some filming with Miles-pignuts will be on your screens soon!  They're really delicious, slightly hazelnutty..mm 

Well be in Dorset next weekend...Miles is entering the nettle eating competition in Dorset. The Bottle Inn hold the event anually, and we are going to take our stall and our stinging nettle booze-as well as Miles tastebuds and spread the Cornish stingers word :)

Dont worry if you cant make Dorset tho, well be at the St Ives food and drink festival, and the Rock oyster festival too. Come and find us!

Febuary trying to be Spring, but still frosty for most of us...but the wild still holds delicious treats.

We foraged and filmed for myCornwall.tv  last week, taking with us some wild meat- pigeon and pheasant a happy treat in these months- and gathering cleaver tips (sticky grass!) pennywort, 3 cornered leek, alexanders and sorrel, some gorse flowers would have been a colourful addition.

To view our new video go to http://www.mycornwall.tv/?bcpid=27761084001&bclid=27610387001&bctid=66071781001

Walking around and about the Helford estuary is stunning if a little brisk, but armed with your winter salad, a pigeon and some sticks for a fire, a veritable feast ensues...

Helston held the first farmers market on the 6th of Feb, there were alot of people out, a winter sunny day helped and our Foodswild stall sold a few cases of Cornish Stingers to boot!

Aswell as wishing the new sprigs of wild garlic and nettles to show themselves, we have spent Febuary booking ourselves into markets and events for the coming months. Any suggestions for events greatfully welcome-email us.

Foodswild has been very much concentrating on perfecting and bottling our stinging nettle booze Cornish Stingers over the Autunm and winter months. As you may know local brewery Keltek based in Redruth has begun bottling Stingers for us, with Wine in cornwall distributing.

The Eden project is now stocking Cornish Stingers gift packs in their shop, you also may have seen us at local farmers markets, and christmas markets selling our wares.

One of the other things weve been doing this winter is getting together with My Cornwall Tv. We have begun filming forays, identifying different wild food along the coast, in the woods and selling Cornish Stingers at some christmas markets...discovering that stingers goes very nicely with cheese-amongst other things!

Click on this link to see our first video filmed at prusia cove and let us know what you think !

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid63348017001

The snow killed off most of the seabeet and rock samphire near us, but its begining to make a comeback. Pennywort just seems to love the snow, and wild garlic and alexanders dont seem to be to bothered about it. We also made a delicious jews ear soup this week. mmm

Let us know what you think of the video and tell us what youve seen growing , been picking and eating near you.  

We had a fantastic day selling our Bunny burgers and Cornish Stingers at Porthlevens food festival, to the likes of local chefs and foodies and Antony Worral Thompson! The interest in seweeds and razor clams lead much of the conversation at our Foodswild stall, and although they are edible raw we were putting the razor clams on a wild ransom leaf and popping them on the hot plate!The weather was not kind to us all but there were times when the rain and wind stoppped together, although everyone seemed to smiling anyway :) We met loads of lovely and interesting people, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed our nettle brew.

Well im off to have my rock samphire and eggy breakfast.Mmm.

Well see you all next time :)

http://www.fodswild.com

Wow the weather is here! If you live anywhere near the sea you have to find out what Alexanders are ,a succulent leafey bushey plant growing up to 2 metres ,looking like a massive parsley plant with greeney yellow flower buds,glossy leaves grouped in 3 at the end of the leaf stalk .The best bit of the plant in my humble oppinion are the stems growing at the base of the plant , this delicious plant is very fragrant .Strip the stems plunge into boiling water for two minutes then fry in butter with a sprinkle of suger if you fancy.This is just one of the ways .

Stinging nettles are popping their heads up everywhere now, and this is the best time to get them, eat them- make a soup, or add it to pasta, pasta filling or sauce its good all ways! If you like a drink you must try turning them into booze ! Brewing nettle beer is an extremely satisfying thing to do with them, and quick !! Only taking 5 days until you can drink it, if you have never tried it, it is more like a gorgeous scrumpey cider champagne! In the currant climate brewing will be very rewarding if you fancy email me for a recipe! Or email yours  - miles@foodswild.com.

Ok its gone cold again ,but that didn't stop foodswild foraging and supplying. Found two types of seaweed at last, one was entamorpha intestinallis to us sea grass, found at the top of the tide line often following a stream down and looking like a bright green carpet, keep in mind all seaweeds
around the british isles are edible and this one is the original crispy seaweed,deep fry and place in a chefs jaunty angle on top of a nice fillet of white fish.

Wow it really has warmed up but for how long .Wild garlic is taking over in a few woods and at last i am seeing tiny bushes of green springing from hawthorne bushes. Tomorrow off to get Alexanders, two types of garlic, Sorrel and Wood Sorrel, Mustard , Pennywort ,Cabbage and hopefully Rock Samphire...

This week looks like the wine is going in - Alexanders and Gorse - better get some good gloves...cant wait for the tasting ..get out there and get picking .

Drove in a big zig zag from Cornwall's north west coast  to Carlyon bay  south east ish and wiggled back through St Mawes Truro and home .This morning at 6.45  was stunning and quite uplifting ,you could almost see spring just up ahead ...i stopped , jumped in an old wood and started picking wild garlic (ramsons). I picked a few other things gorse flowerssea cabbage penny wort and sorrel then off on my rounds .The big zig zag.

Feast details comming up soon.....

Hello folks, it seems we have started, not spring but something similar.Wild garlic in warm pockets of cornwall is now up to 3 inches high! pennywort and three cornered garlic are ready,  sea spinach seems to be thinking of the new year so to is sorrel and wood sorrel!! Not too suprising as temperatures hit 15c in some sheltered spots.

You will be seeing Cornish wild garlic in london next week and if you are eating in Cornwall the above might well be on your plate .

Ok the sun is here, and i have seen three cornered garlic (actually a wild onion), probably the best part of this plant in my opinion is the flower, a spring onion flavour and it looks amazing on top of soups and salads, seems only to like the south west though.

Alexanders, planted by the Romans and a horses favourite, very perfumed smell. I think maybe in 2 weeks time will be perfect, the stems when 6 inches high are best peeled and blanched in sugar water (with a tiny bite of chilli) and then fried in butter. Wow.

Ok i will be giving you alot more info shortly as it warms up!!

03/02/09

Today we have snow!! rare in Cornwall & not the best for foraging ,

better go check the brewery. I am waiting for those fat coconut smelling

gorse flowers to fill the hedgerows so i can start the wine year off.

Better go build a snowman.