FORAGING, THE ANTICIPATION AND REWARD OF FINDING AND GATHERING WILD FRUITS AND NUTS.
Foraging is without doubt one of the most satisfying experiences of living here in Le Marche. There is an abundance of wild fruits and nuts growing everywhere. As walking in the countryside is one of our favoured past times, it's always a great joy to return home full of food to prepare or cook. From wild asparagus, wild garlic berries, chicory, nuts, apples, pear, apricot, fig, herbs and all sorts of other wild food, theres nothing like the feeling of being rewrded for taking a walk in the surrounding hills and hedgerows with free food!
Not everybody gets the idea of finding food in the hedgerows, in fact some find it too far fetched, but not long, especially in this region of Le Marche and the surrounding valleys of Colmurano where we live, this was and still is standard practice. Competition on the foraging trail is very secretive with good foraging trails fiercely protected, sometimes, with each family laying claim to stretches of hedgerow near their homes. However, its all in the name of survival, eating and gathering food that's free, in season and hugely beneficial.
