Staying In

Make The Most Of Wild Garlic Season

Nothing heralds the beginning of spring like the unmistakable scent of wild garlic. Around this time of year, the pungent plant begins covering woodlands – hence its popularity with foragers. But how to begin if you’re new to the world of wild food? First thing’s first: be respectful of the forager code, says plant-based cook Bettina Campolucci Bordi. ‘Only take a small amount for yourself and leave enough for your foraging comrades and furry critters that thrive off the land,’ she says. ‘Even though the bulb is edible, make sure to leave it behind and pick right at the soil root to ensure it grows next year for you to enjoy in all its wild glory again.’ If foraging isn’t for you, the spring herb is also easily found in farmer’s markets and shops – ‘look for a rich and vivid colour and avoid any signs of wilting,’ Bettina advises. And how to cook with it? ‘Treat as a more aromatic version of the leafier spinach and wilt down and drape over artisan baked pizza bases, whizz into a homemade pesto to stir through pasta or risotto, or add to breadcrumbs to top fish before baking.’ This simple pasta recipe will go down a treat.

Going Out

Celebrate World Book Day

If you haven’t had the pleasure of sending a child to school in a slapdash costume this morning, PSA: it’s World Book Day. And before you head online to order a new tome, remember there’s nothing better than whiling away the hours in a cosy bookshop. Luckily, London is home to some of the most beautiful, historical and unconventional out there (including Europe’s largest, Waterstones Picadilly). But it’s the indies that need our love and support, and Londoners are blessed with everything from a bookshop on water to the oldest bookshop in the country. If you’d rather follow your nose, start in Camden, Hackney or Richmond – the city’s official independent bookshop hotspots. Otherwise there’s the breathtakingly beautiful Daunt Books Marylebone where books are arranged by country, not the alphabet; BookBar where you can pair your next favourite read with a glass of red; bookshop on a barge, Word on the Water; and seven more of our favourites here.

Property Of The Day

Located on Chalcot Square in Primrose Hill, this stunning Grade II property, designed by Taylor Howes, sits just a couple of doors down from Sylvia Plath’s and Ted Hughes’ 1960s home.

On the market for £9.5m, knightfrank.com

Little Luxury

Award-winning British Nigerian designer Tolu Coker has brought her signature tailoring and sculptural silhouettes to an 18-piece capsule collection for Topshop – which made its debut at London Fashion Week. We’re especially loving this uber-chic co-ord set made up of a jacket (£95) and jeans (also £95), crafted from a non-stretch denim in a brown wash and featuring an on-trend barrel cut fit. Check out the full collection at topshop.com

Competition Time

We’re offering the chance to win a two-night stay in a suite at the historic De Vere Latimer Estate in the heart of the Buckinghamshire countryside, with a three-course dinner included. Enter here.

Psssst…

Your annual reading list is here – at least that’s how we at C&TH HQ treat the Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist. Frontrunners this year include Susan Choi’s Flashlight, Rozie Kelly’s Kingfisher and Wendy Erskine’s The Benefactors; find the full list here.

Whatever You Do, Don’t

Use your phone after 6pm tomorrow (Friday 6 March). It’s the Global Day of Unplugging, an American initiative which encourages people to put down their phone and reconnect IRL from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. Here’s how a digital detox could help us all.