SSWBF 2023: Autumn Foraging & Kitchen Recipes

Below are a couple of the recipes which we shared with you at the Southside Wellbeing Festival 2023 in Glasgow. They are simple, tasty recipes to bring wild, foraged plants to life and to make the most of easily available, affordable ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.

Elderberry Shrub – a shrub is a sweetened vinegar, often drunk as a long drink with still or sparkling water. It is also often a more palatable way of taking medicinal vinegars, especially for people with a sweet tooth.

1. Remove Elderberries from their stalks – this is easier to do if you have frozen the berries first
2. Place the Elderberries in a jar and pour over enough Apple Cider Vinegar to cover well – you could also use White Wine Vinegar if you need to but Apple Cider Vinegar brings it’s own medicinal value
3. Leave in a cool, dark place for 4-6 weeks
4. Strain and reserve the liquid – you can use the vinegary Elderberries in a crumble or other dessert, just add enough sweetness to counteract the tart berries
5. Place your infused vinegar in a saucepan and add about half as much sugar as vinegar, warm gently until the sugar is dissolved
6. Pour into sterilised bottes, label and store – the shrub will keep for several years and you will find the taste develops and deepens over time.

Beetroot & Horseradish Dip – this easy to make dip or spread looks great and costs less than £1 for 2 jam jars full.

1. Place the contents of a bag of ready-boiled Beetroot in to a large bowl
2. Add a heaped teaspoon of Horseradish sauce
3. Blend using a stick blender or mash very thoroughly
4. Place in sterilised jars and keep in the fridge
5. Enjoy on bread or crackers or as a dip for raw vegetables

We hope that you find these recipes useful and do share your thoughts on them with us on Facebook or Instagram. If you have any questions about these or other recipes discussed at the festival, contact hello@grassrootsremedies.co.uk – you can read more about one of the recipes – Fire Cider – here. Some of the techniques used are explored in more detail in our online course Kitchen Herbal Medicine