BACK TO THE WILD (and into a pie)

Last year we foraged. We foraged a lot. Every Friday and Saturday evening menu was dotted with vegetables, herbs, fungi and fruits diligently collected from the wilds of Woodbridge and Suffolk beyond. Indeed this time last year we made a collection of wild mushrooms from the woods so close to us that would have made any continental forager envious. We have not been so fortunate in our opportunities this year but a few gatherings have been made.

This week we are adding some of this year's mushrooms and last year's dried mushrooms to wonderful Darsham Red Poll beef shin, local venison and sticky jus and putting into a pie – a pithivier – but definitely a pie.

We have also gathered some tangy, tropical sea buckthorn bushes from a very large bush very close to the North Sea. We shall be making jelly and relish and chutney and these will be appearing in various places over the coming weeks. (We may well repeat last years' triumphant sea buckthorn treacle tart.)