I have a love-hate relationship with marsh samphire. Mostly its love – the wide open seascapes where it thrives, its odd cactus-like appearance and its wonderful salty-fresh succulence. Even the silty, squelchy estuarine habitat where it grows has a “mud-glorious-mud” gooeyness that appeals to the filthy schoolboy in me.

These delicate and beautiful little “weeds” (gardeners loathe them) are a very tasty addition to any salad, though they lose their charm when cooked. They have overtones of rocket and watercress and come in lovely little garnish sized rosettes…

If there is a tastier, more refreshing, easier to make summer drink than this, please let me know!

Making flour from reedmace rhizomes and other roots and tubers is an activity that has being going on for millenia. Mesolithic hunter-gatherers would have used similar processes to those still used by aborigines today. The process is one of capturing and preserving starch in a digestible form. Have a go and get back to your roots!

The season for winter chanterelles and pheasants overlap and they compliment one another very well. Here is a hearty slow-braised stew that is perfect for late autumn and winter evenings…