A beginner’s guide to summer foraging

Method

Step 1

Add the wild garlic, parmesan, pine nuts and olive oil to a food processor and blitz to a rough paste – you could also do this with a pestle and mortar.

Step 2

If the pesto is too thick, add extra oil to thin it out, then season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Method

Step 1

Shake the elderflowers to make sure there are no insects hiding inside, then add to a large saucepan and cover with water.

Step 2

Add lemon zest to taste, then simmer for 30 mins, topping up the water, if needed, to ensure the flowers are always covered. Once ready, strain the mixture through a muslin cloth or tea towel, squeezing gently to extract all the liquid.

Step 3

Measure the strained liquid, then return it to the pan and add 350g granulated sugar and the juice of half a lemon for every 500ml. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar, then bring to a gentle simmer and skim off any residue, before setting aside to cool.

Step 4

Once cool, use a funnel to pour the cordial into clean, sterilised bottles, stopping at about 1cm below the top. Seal with swing-top lids, sterilised screw-tops or corks and store in the fridge for up to four weeks.

Method

Step 1

Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and grease an 18cm square baking tin with butter.

Step 2

Add the blackberries and caster sugar to a small saucepan with 2 tbsp of water and simmer over a low heat with the lid on, stirring occasionally. When the berries have softened, mash roughly with the back of your spoon, then set aside to cool.

Step 3

In another saucepan, gently heat the butter, brown sugar and syrup until melted, then add the oats and mix well.

Step 4

Press half the oat mixture into the baking tin, then add the blackberries in a single layer and press the remaining oat mixture on top. Bake for 25 mins until golden, then cut into 10 bars and leave to cool in the tin.