Foraged Condiments: Wild Plant Recipes for Sauces, Chutneys, Ferments and Drinks

A unique and lavishly illustrated cookbook exploring how to forage for wild plants and how to use them in everyday food and drink. Natasha Lloyd invites readers to delve into the treasure trove which plants can offer, outlining a stunning selection of recipes which explore the culinary and medicinal bounty of plants and how to use them in the kitchen. The recipes in the book offer twists on traditional condiments, as well as modern cocktails ingredients and everyday drinks, all made with wild plants. These include pear and dandelion root chutney, beetroot and hogweed seed sauce, limeflower tonic water, hawthorn bitters, as well as many more. Complete with charming full-colour illustrations and photographs, Foraged Condiments also offers a fascinating introduction to the traditional Scottish uses of a selection of plants, alongside their clinical uses, history and scientific integration. Through her thoughtful discussion of Scotland’s ancient connection to the land, Natasha invites readers to consider their own relationship with nature, through connecting with the plants themselves. From an author who has dedicated her life to working with plants, Foraged Condiments provides a superb foundation for those looking to integrate foraging and wild cooking into their daily lives without fuss or complication, while also guiding readers in resonating with the beauty of nature in a deeper, more intimate way.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Part 1 - Beginnings Part 2 - Plants  Jack in the hedge Common hogweed Valerian Wild raspberry Rowan or Mountain ash Rosebay willow herb Hawthorn Bramble Yarrow Pineapple mayweed Bogbean Silver birch Ground elder Part 3 - Recipes Dipping Sauces Chutney Ferments Jams Aoili and Pesto Salad Dressing Seasoning Salts Vinegars Hot drinks Tonic waters Vermouths Syrups Bitters Part 4 - Wild Food Month Preparation Day Logs Results About the Author

About the Author :
Natasha Lloyd grew up around the joys of plants learning from her mother and a well thumbed copy of A Modern Herbal by Mrs Grieves, foraging with her mum since she was a child. She had a croft and a small holding before qualifying in Herbal Medicine in 2013. With the harvests from her mother's allotment and once older, from her own croft and smallholding, she would make condiments. In 2018 she joined the team at the Fife Arms Hotel where she initially helped create and make the condiments for the hotel, as well as the first cocktail menu as the in-house forager. She now takes guests on foraging walks. She qualified in medicinal mushrooms in 2021. Her clinics are with Napiers working remotely for the general clinic in Edinburgh and for the CLAID (Covid, Lyme and Infectious diseases), an integrated research clinic. She was appointed a director of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists in 2023 and Finance lead in 2024. She lives in the Cairngorms in Scotland with her two dogs and cat, and you can often find her roaming the hills looking for plants and fungi enjoying being out in nature.

Review :
“This is a special, soulful, practical, and meaningful book. With tasty beneficial recipes and stunning plant images representing the appearance, nature and soul of the featured plants. I adore it.” Vivienne Campbell, forager and herbalist “This is not just another book about foraging. This is a work of art, and a book with real soul. It is gentle and life affirming. Natasha has been hiding in the forest for far too long! Her skill as a medical herbalist and a forager is interwoven with her understanding of plants, place and planet. I love the simplicity of the recipes, and stunning photography.” Dee Atkinson, senior herbal practitioner at Napiers the Herbalist “In Foraged Condiments Natasha has done something quite extraordinary. Using her own experiences, ideas, recipes and more, this book is so much more than a mere tome about condiments. Her beautiful heartfelt words, astounding images, innovative recipes and, of course, the book itself is destined to be a classic.” Adele Nozedar, forager and author “Anyone who has had the privilege of taking a walk through the wilderness alongside Natasha will know how extensive her knowledge of wild plants is and how generous she is in sharing it. This book is a window into her passion for foraging as well as a way for readers to be inspired by the incomparable beauty of the Scottish Highlands and introduce more wild, foraged foods into their diets.” Corrina Allen, food and travel journalist "This book is itself a garden of earthly delights... I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon foraging with Natasha in Scotland- how wonderful that her deep knowledge of plants, nature and history is distilled in this rich recipe book." Genevieve Gaunt, actress