This simple compote works with whatever you've found – blackberries, elderberries, wild plums, crab apples, the lot. Chuck it on your morning porridge or ice cream.

This takes minutes to make but livens up everything from toast to steak. Keep it in the freezer and you'll thank yourself later

A proper winter warmer with a surprising citrusy kick. Packed with vitamin C and that lovely forest smell that'll transport you straight to the woods.

The simplest way to enjoy those stingers. Don't worry – they lose their sting as soon as they hit hot water. Proper refreshing and full of goodness.

Refreshing on a hot day and takes no time at all. Wild mint has a more interesting flavour than the shop-bought stuff – sometimes it's got hints of apple or chocolate.

Dead simple but proper tasty – this smoothie is a great way to use up whatever berries you've found while out and about.

Possibly the easiest hot lunch going. The wild garlic gives standard cheese on toast a proper upgrade.

Chuck it all together the night before, and you've got brekkie sorted. Can't get much easier than that.

Not actual honey, but you'd never know the difference. Great for vegans or anyone who fancies something a bit different on their toast.

This is proper Sunday dinner material. The wild greens sauce is a game-changer and will have everyone asking for seconds.

Pigeon's not just for the posh – it's actually a sustainable meat that's dead tasty. The tangy hawthorn berries cut through the rich meat perfectly.

A proper showstopper that's actually dead easy to make. The wild garlic crust gives this dish a gorgeous colour and punchy flavour that'll have everyone thinking you're some kind of pro chef.

A step up from your standard chicken pie – the foraged mushrooms give it a depth of flavour you just don't get from the supermarket ones.

Game birds like partridge are perfect for autumn when the blackberries and sloes are ready for picking. This dish is proper restaurant quality but dead easy to make.

Don't be put off by cooking rabbit – it's lean, sustainable and takes on flavours like a dream. This Italian-inspired dish makes the most of that wild garlic you've foraged.

This is a bit posh but dead easy. The aniseedy hit from the wild fennel and the floral notes from elderflower make this dish proper special. One to impress that someone special.

A proper hearty dish that'll warm you up after a day in the woods. The earthy flavours of foraged mushrooms complement the rich venison perfectly. One to share with the lads when you're feeling fancy.

Game pies have been knocking about in British cuisine for centuries, but this one's got a boozy kick from those little sloes you've picked from the hedgerows. Proper good stuff.

A proper treat when you've had a good mushroom forage. Just make sure you know exactly what you're picking – if in doubt, leave it out. Or grab someone who knows their stuff to help identify.

Sounds mad until you try it – nettles give these Italian dumplings a vibrant green colour and an earthy flavour that'll have everyone asking for seconds.

Not just an old-school remedy – this vibrant syrup is packed with vitamin C and adds a lovely tang to desserts, pancakes or even your morning porridge.

This isn't your basic supermarket tub – the foraged greens give this classic a proper British twist. Perfect for spreading on your sandwich or dipping your veg.

Forget your Heinz – this tangy, sweet condiment will level up your butties and is packed with nutrients from those little red berries that line our hedgerows.

Don't let those stingers put you off – once cooked, nettles lose their sting and offer a deep, earthy flavour that's packed with nutrients. This soup is proper warming stuff for those slightly chilly foraging days.

Not your average cuppa – this caffeine-free alternative has a rich, roasted flavour that'll surprise you. Great for those who want to cut back on the hard stuff without missing out on that ritual.

A proper springtime classic that'll make your kitchen smell amazing. This wild garlic pesto packs a punch and transforms even the most basic pasta into something special. Perfect for those days when you've spotted patches of wild garlic on your weekend wander.

Not just for the posh folk – this refreshing cordial is dead easy to make and keeps for ages. Perfect for those summer days when you need something proper refreshing.

The classic combination of chicken, white wine, garlic and thyme is enhanced by the rich, woodsy flavour of winter chanterelles in this simple autumnal casserole. Use any chicken pieces you prefer – legs, thighs, or breasts – but remember that meat cooked on the bone will be more succulent. If your preference is for the breast meat, then try to get chicken supremes – chicken breast portions with a peg-bone attached, which makes all the difference.

Cold-weather mushrooms in a tasty cold-weather supper. The rich flavour and meaty texture of blewits make them perfect to use in this dish, but you can use any firm, tasty mushrooms, as long as you remember to cook away any juices they exude. Serve with rice or buttered ribbon pasta, and a crisp green salad.

This is perfect when you want something clean-flavoured but satisfying: a soothing broth infused with the warm aromatics of ginger, star anise and rice wine accompanies soft noodles and fresh greens, with the umami savour of a teriyaki mushroom as the centrepiece. Any fungi with a wide flat cap such as horse mushrooms or the Prince could be used in this recipe, but large, flat parasol caps are superb and cook quickly. Basted with a little butter and some teriyaki sauce, they soften to a deliciously savoury silkiness.

With some of our https://www.wildfooduk.com/wild-food-recipes/blackberry-syrup/ to hand this dessert is quick and simple to throw together – you could almost say it’s foolproof. The only thing to be careful about is that you don’t overwhip the cream: use a balloon whisk and beat by hand, stopping the moment the cream thickens and form soft peaks. This will ensure the fool doesn’t turn grainy when you fold in the syrup.

This intense, zingy reduction of sweetened blackberry juice with hints of lemon and ginger is a doddle to make, keeps well, and is very versatile. Use it as a cordial to mix with sparking water, or try it poured over ice cream, added to a salad dressing, folded into yoghurt or whipped cream to make a https://www.wildfooduk.com/wild-food-recipes/blackberry-fool/. The most labour-intensive part of making the syrup – removing the seeds – requires a little patience, but is made much easier if you happen to have a mouli. This brilliantly low-tech gadget (a hand-cranked food mill, which simultaneously purées and strains as you rotate the handle) is an excellent bit of kit for anyone intending to process large quantities of seeded fruit in the preparation of ketchups, jellies, cheeses, curds and the like. As well making short work of removing pips and fibrous matter, a mouli is a much more effective at extracting every last drop of pulp than by spoon and sieve alone. If you can get your hands on one, fit the finest straining plate and work the cooked fruit sauce through, then simply strain the resulting syrup through a fine sieve before bottling.

Wild cousins of the cultivated blueberry, bilberries have so much more fragrance and flavour. They are also rather delicate, so take care when picking and transporting them home – and if you want to avoid your cheesecake being dyed a uniform purple we suggest you put your bilberries into the freezer overnight. Even then, you need to stir the frozen berries into the batter at the very last minute and as gently as possible to avoid bursting them. The result is well worth the extra care: a luscious, creamy cheesecake marbled with tangy berries and patches of purple juice. At the risk of testing your patience, you should know the cheesecake will slice better if left to chill for a few hours or overnight before serving.

This recipe gives you all the creamy comfort of a risotto, with a lot less stirring. It’s a great method if you’re lucky enough have some really good mushrooms (such as penny buns, orange birch boletes or chanterelles). Rather than being simmered in the stock, which might spoil their wonderful texture and flavour, they’re sautéed separately and stirred through at the end. A few slices of dried mushroom and their soaking liquor bring an undertone of mushroomy richness to the rice. You can use any risotto rice, but we find that Carnaroli gives the best consistency when baked.