It might be January. It might be cold. The garden might be dormant. However, things are moving in the earth, and soon we will see the shoots sprouting to welcome in the spring and the warmer weather, with the emergence of early snowdrops and the cheery yellow of winter aconites which should start to flower at the end of January. The great news is that alongside this Transition Bath has some inspiring food workshops to look forward to, running from February to November.
In February there will be a talk on Why Forage? In March you can go on a foraging walk to discover the ingredients for making wild pestos, which will include demonstrations and tasters. April brings two courses, one on wild salads and the other on wild cordials (both including a foraging walk and demos and tasters). May will offer a course on making natural drinks – including water kefir, ginger beer, drinking vinegars (shrubs) and kombucha.
June will see a specialist perspective on soft fruit with bottling demonstrations and tasters, and September of course brings apples with techniques for hot water bottling, juicing and pasteurising. The secrets of fermented dairy and non-dairy yoghurt, kefir and labneh will be revealed in October and in November a course with a multitude of ideas for reducing food waste.
Foraging can become part of your seasonal routine. You just need to remember never to take more than you plan to consume, only to collect from plentiful populations and seek permission if you need to. All courses will include advice and practical techniques. Watch out for further news on these courses, with venues and dates.
Photograph: Milkweed (Asclepias) is a delicious wild vegetable, with many different parts that can be used in everything from savoury dishes to desserts.