Discover how wild food artist Roushanna Grey invites cooks and nature lovers to slow down, reconnect, and cook from the landscape through foraging workshops and seasonal recipes.
In a rush for convenience, slowing down and moving with intention becomes ever more necessary as an antidote to the fast pace of modern life. For wild food artist and Veld and Sea founder Roushanna Grey, foraging offers exactly that — a practice rooted in presence, curiosity, and a deep respect for the natural world.
Through Veld and Sea, Roushanna weaves education, celebration, creativity and community into an approach to food that begins with harvesting wild, seasonal ingredients from the land and sea. The intimate act of gathering plants by hand fosters reciprocity and joy. “Foraging allows us to engage with nature in a way where we begin to see the land and sea not just as resources, but as an ecological community to care for. If we look after nature, nature will look after us,” she shares.
Veld and Sea’s foraging workshops offer participants a way to reconnect with the environment through hands-on exploration of wild greens, coastal botanicals and indigenous perennials. Each experience shifts with the seasons, reflecting the rhythms of Cape ecology and encouraging a flexible, responsive approach to cooking.
The unpredictable nature of growth cycles, and the physicality of harvesting, encourages a slower, more attentive relationship with food. “The veld and mountains teach patience and resilience,” Roushanna says. “They remind us that everything has seasons, even us humans, and there is a quiet medicine in slowing down, because through dormancy comes growth.”
By tuning into nature’s pace, Veld and Sea rekindles curiosity and cultivates care — for our bodies, our communities and the earth. Its workshops, gatherings, and soon-to-launch foraging cookbook (publishing summer 2026) invite cooks of all ages to rediscover the land and sea with a sense of wonder.veldandsea.com
Wild Berry Carrot Cake (with Numnums)
A wild twist on a classic carrot cake — bright, spiced and studded with tart, vitamin-C-rich numnums (Carissa macrocarpa).
Makes: 1 × 20–23cm cakeTime: 15 min prep + 40–45 min bake
Ingredients 3 large eggs 1 cup (200g) sugar 3 tsp ground cinnamon 1 cup (240ml) neutral oil 1½ cups (190g) plain/all-purpose flour 3 tsp baking powder Pinch of sea salt 2 cups (about 220g) grated carrots A handful of numnums (or cranberries/blueberries/any firm tart berries)
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C (fan 160°C). Grease and line a 20–23 cm cake tin.
- Beat eggs and sugar until pale and creamy.
- Whisk in oil, then add flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Mix until smooth.
- Stir in grated carrots, then gently fold through berries.
- Spoon into the tin and bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool completely, then ice with lemon/lime buttercream or cream cheese frosting. Finish with edible flowers.
Forager’s note: Harvest numnums only from clean, pesticide-free areas. Perfectly ripe fruit should feel slightly soft.
Wild Greens Pesto
A versatile pesto to use in pasta, grain bowls, soups, vegetables or roasts.
Makes: 250ml
Ingredients 80g mixed wild greens (stinging nettle, coriander, beet tops, oxalis, chickweed, mallow, fennel, rocket, basil) 50g parmesan 50g toasted sunflower seeds 1 sprig wild garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) or ½ clove garlic 60ml olive oil Juice of half a lemon Salt and pepper
Method
- Pour boiling water over nettles to deactivate their stinging hairs; strain and squeeze dry.
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse for 1 minute.
- Scrape down the sides and pulse again until smooth.
- Decant into a jar and top with a thin layer of olive oil to keep the colour vibrant.
- Refrigerate for up to one week, or freeze for soups and stews.
This article was originally published in the November 2025 issue.
Text by Nabeela Karim.
Images: Alex Oelofse & Supplied
