Foraging for wild foods has become hugely popular worldwide, especially among nature-starved city dwellers (even Martha Stewart has recipes on her website). But it’s also great to grow a few of your own. "We have seeds, leaves, herbs, roots and bark capable of imparting a very different flavour and taste to those found in conventional cookbook recipes... If we were to take our cooking more seriously, we would utilise our indigenous treasures from veld and kloof." - C Louis Leipoldt, doctor, poet, botanist and gourmet cook, writing in 1942.It's taken a while - and a few nudges from sustainability and paleo-dieting - for South Africans to take up Leipoldt's challenge. But local food fundis are now enthusiastically experimenting - and encouraging a new appreciation of the richness of our countryside and flora. This month's Kirstenbosch Plant Fair is devoted to indigenous edibles: A Feast of Fynbos takes place on April 18 and 19 2015 (visit botsoc-kirstenbosch.org.za).Foraging is a very enjoyable way of learning more about the environment and what you can and can't eat - ancient knowledge lost to modern city dwellers, but not to a large percentage of our rural population, which remains reliant on wild plants for medication and, directly or indirectly, for sustenance.story_article_left1Of course, foraging must be done with great care - one, because many plants are toxic or may be growing in toxic environments (especially in populated areas) and two, because respect for the environment and the survival of plant species must take priority. So, while it's lovely to get out and sample nature's abundance, it also makes sense to grow a few of your own wild delights.Herbs and salad leaves are the most useful year-round:Wild garlic (Tulbaghia violacea): the onion-flavoured leaves and flowers make a tasty addition to all kinds of dishes.Suring (Oxalis pes-caprae): a traditional flavouring for stews that is also excellent in salads.Brakslaai (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum and similar species): annual mesembs with a delicious salty succulence.Spekboom (Portulacaria afra): also delicious in salads.Wild rosemary (Eriocephalus africanus): softer and spicier than classic rosemary and very good with chicken, steak or fish.Scented pelargonium leaves: peppermint (P. tomentosum) for chocolate desserts and cakes, lemon (P. citronellum) for cordials and iced drinks, and rose (P. graveolens) for stewed fruits, especially quinces.Fruit to eat fresh or make jams, jellies, cordials and mampoer:Waterberry (Syzygium cordatum)Kei apple (Dovyalis caffra)Stamvrug (Englerophytum magalismontanum)Num-num (Carissa macrocarpa)Wild plum (Harpephyllum caffrum)Marula (Sclerocarya birrea)Tortoise berry (Muraltia spinosa)Waterblommetjie (Aponogeton distachyos) is a must if you have a pond, but is also easily grown in a deep tub of water.Don't discard universal weeds; the nutrient-rich young leaves are good in salads or stir-fries:PurslanePigweed (amaranth)PlantainChickweedDandelionBlackjack..