Groundwork Yorkshire have created a brilliant digital recipe book bringing together seasonal and foraged recipes from across the web, all viewed through a low-carbon lens – and we are really pleased to share it with you!
It is packed with practical dishes that reflect what actually grows here through the year. There are hedgerow and wild recipes like dandelion honey, nettle soup, gorse cordial and elderflower Turkish delight – simple ways of turning overlooked plants into something delicious. As the seasons move on, so do the recipes: raspberry Bakewell, a selection of crumbles and ways to make the most of fruit when it is abundant rather than imported.
There is plenty for the main meal too. Pea risotto, courgette fritters with salad, hidden vegetable tomato pasta and veg fajitas using carrot, spinach and broccoli are all built around common gluts. There’s a huge selection of soups and hearty dishes as well as fun surprises like cauliflower pizza and beetroot cake!
Food miles are not the only measure of sustainability, but they are an accessible starting point. When we cook pumpkin soup in October instead of buying asparagus in winter, or make plum jam when trees are heavy with fruit, we are cutting down on distance, storage and often packaging too.
Green community hubs are ideal places to have these conversations. Together we can ask and reflect: what is in season right now? What are we growing plenty of? What usually gets wasted? What travels furthest to reach our plates?
And that’s exactly what this recipe book should act as: not a set of rules, but a conversation started and reminder that low-carbon eating does not have to mean restriction. It can mean delicious, inventive recipes too, starting with what’s right in front of us!
