For most of us a walk in the countryside is just that - a walk. But if you're into foraging, a rural ramble can result in a culinary delight. Stroud-based freelance journalist Sarah Edghill has just finished working on a TV series presented by Matthew Fort, who also lives in the Five Valleys, looking at the amazing array of ingredients on our doorsteps.

THIS new series, The Forager's Field Guide starts this week and sets out to reveal the secrets about the profusion of wild food growing all around us.

We will show you how to identify it, gather it safely and turn it into all manner of culinary delights.

The six-part series is presented by the Guardian's award-winning food editor, Matthew Fort, who has lived in Stroud for five years. Matthew admits that he's partial to good quality fare, expertly prepared and cooked.

But he's also a keen advocate of growing your own food, eating to tie in with the seasons and keeping things as natural and wholesome as possible.

As such he can regularly be found wandering around Stroud Farmer's Market, his basket brimming with fresh, local produce.

But before making this series he wouldn't have considered going out to gather wild ingredients to add to the pot.

"Like most people, I knew about blackberries and field mushrooms, but that was about it," he said.

"I had no idea of the range and richness of the wild foods available in the British countryside. "The wonderful thing is that anyone who enjoys the great outdoors can go and do this, it's all out there waiting for us."

Foraging is an age-old art, and our ancestors had no choice but to grow their own food and gather it from the land around them.

Nowadays we're so spoilt for choice when it comes to food that we expect local supermarkets to stock exotic fruit and vegetables all year round.

With such a variety of food available to us, it's perhaps not surprising that we overlook the fact that there's an abundance of plants growing in the wild that can be incorporated into our daily meals.

During the course of the series, Matthew and fellow presenter Christopher Robbins gather and cook with a whole range of wild food. From dandelions, nettles and rosehips, to plants that few of us can identify, like sea lettuce, tansy and burdock.

As well as being an expert forager, Christopher is a herbalist who runs his own practice in Ross-on-Wye. He has extensive knowledge about the medicinal significance of the plants they discover and can explain the way in which many are still used today as herbal remedies.

"Most of the plants we found have certain qualities which are recognised traditionally, and I found it fascinating to learn about their medicinal aspects," said Matthew.

"The more we know about what we're eating, the more interesting it becomes. It's very satisfying to learn that wild plants are not only versatile enough to create a whole array of delicious dishes, but are also doing us good in the process."

The series was made by Stroud-based production company Quintessence Films, so all the locations are in the south west.

As well as visiting local settings, such as the Golden Valley at Chalford, Matthew and Christopher travel further afield to the Forest of Dean, the hills around Bath and the Exmoor coast, looking at the variety of wild food available from spring through to late autumn.

In each episode Matthew sets up a field kitchen in the countryside, and uses his culinary expertise to rustle up an instant recipe using whatever he has gathered - from wild mushroom soup, to blackberry pancakes and tempura, made with comfrey, elderflower and clover.

He also takes a selection of wild plants back to his own kitchen to rustle up a more substantial meal - including lamb stuffed with wild garlic, pork and crab apples, wild damson and elderberry crumble, elderflower champagne and wild mushroom strudel.

"Foraging gives you a new way of looking at things," said Matthew.

"It lifts the scales from your eyes. For the first time we can look at plants as a source of nourishment. Many of us see them every day and just don't think about them, we're not aware of all they have to offer.

The leaves from plants like hawthorn and lemon balm are wonderful in salads, while comfrey leaves and dandelion roots can be boiled like vegetables and wild fennel seeds add fantastic flavour to fish dishes.

Completely converted to the art of foraging, come the spring Matthew intends to step out regularly to make the most of his newfound knowledge.

"The great thing about foraging is that it gives you a reason to be going out and about, rather than just thinking I must take some exercise," he said.

"It also makes you look more closely at what's around you. There's the initial pleasure of finding things, identifying a leaf or a berry that you've read about and know you can cook with.

"Then there's the immense satisfaction of gathering and taking home all this food that's wholesome, delicious and free."

* The Forager's Field Guide starts on ITV1 on Thursday, January 5 at 7.30pm.

DO THE RIGHT THING

When you go foraging you should always follow the Countryside Code and also bear in mind the following rules:

* Always ask the landowner's permission before picking wild plants.

* Know what you,re picking - take a good guidebook with you to help identify different species. If you're uncertain, leave well alone.

* Stay away from roads and other sources of pollution.

* Only pick part of a plant: gather small quantities, leaving the lower section and root intact, so it can regenerate and act as a food source for local wildlife.

Factsheets containing recipes and information about the plants featured in each episode can be downloaded at www.itv1west.com.