Food from Your Forest Garden ─ How to Harvest, Cook and Preserve Your Forest Garden Produce

Forest gardening—a novel method of growing edible crops in different vertical layers—is attracting increased interest for gardens large and small. When it comes time to harvest, however, making the most out of the produce can be a daunting proposition. This expert guide offers readers creative and imaginative ways to enjoy the crops from their forest garden, from bamboo shoots and beech leaves to medlars and mashua. The book provides cooking advice and recipe suggestions, with notes on every species presented in Martin Crawford’s Creating a Forest Garden. More than 100 recipes for more than 50 species are presented by season, as are a range of raw food options. Information on each plant’s nutritional value is also included, as is advice on harvesting and processing. Readers will also learn how to preserve their produce, whether making traditional jams or ferments and fruit leathers. Beautiful color photographs throughout make this invaluable guide an eye-catching resource for readers looking to get the most out of their forest garden.

Martin Crawford has spent more than 20 years in organic agriculture and horticulture and is director of the Agroforestry Research Trust, a nonprofit charity that researches temperate agroforestry and all aspects of plant cropping and uses, with a focus on tree, shrub, and perennial crops. The Trust produces several publications and a quarterly journal, and sells plants and seeds. He is the author of several books, including Creating a Forest Garden, A Forest Garden Year, and How to Grow Perennial Vegetables. Caroline Aitken is a course cook for a permaculture design course and studied horticulture with the Royal Horticultural Society.