Nettle soup is a forager’s classic. Rich, delicious and deeply nutritious. This recipe is wonderfully simple, but I suggest some extra wild options that make it even better.

Its a mistake to think nettles are only delicious as a super-nutritious savoury food. You can be naughty with them too. I highly recommend making syrups and cordials with them, to make quenching soft drinks in summer, or as a sophisticated addition to cocktails.

The blossoms and young leaves of flowering currant come right near the top of my early spring not-to-be-missed delicious list.

Of the very many delicious things you can do with wild garlic, this is possibly my favourite. Its a simple preparation but you can jazz it up with some wild aromatics in the pickling solution.

As foraging grows more popular, some public bodies have moved to try to ban it in certain areas. But is this practical, legal, or even helpful in a world that already undervalues the natural world?