Wild Harvest and Edibles
40 West Lynn Ave M4C 3W1 Toronto, ON, Canada

Brigid's Elderflower Flummery. While all things creamy & eggy are traditional Imbolc dishes, this year I decided to try a very old Celtic dish called Flummery. ...This sweet, soft, wobbly and boozy dessert was usually made by steeping oatmeal in water then ‘ boyling it to a thicke and stiffe jelly’. Often flavoured with rosewater, wine or spirits, it was served topped off with cream and honey. While I’ve never heard of it being associated particularly with Brigid, I’m convinced that one or two must have been made for her Feast Day. After all, from Ireland to Scotland to Wales, oatmeal was - and still is - almost a sacred food of its own! For Imbolc I wanted something fresh and light to honour the first stirrings of spring, so I made my Flummery with a sunny elderflower liqueur, lemon and cardamom. Elder is an important plant in Celtic folklore associated with the goddess and the fairy folk and is sometimes connected with Brigid - probably due to its affinity for the sun. I used my own homemade elderflower liqueur but you can usually buy it at the liquor store. Also, you could make this flummery with just oat milk and some kind of non-dairy cream which would make it an old-fashioned vegan dessert. And while oatmeal jelly pudding doesn’t sound exactly delicious - it really was. Recipe coming soon to Gather Victoria Patreon!

Spices! Another post about it. Why? Because they're often the unsung heroes of our dishes, invisible to the eyes but so delightful to explore with our sense of ...taste. First photo are some of my most used local spices: black sage, California sagebrush, wild tarragon, white sage, California juniper berries, California bay, mugwort and more. The rest of the photos show my local varieties. Originally when I started wildcrafting I had a hard time finding local spices because I thought of ingredients like peppercorn, salt, thyme, chili flakes. But one day I read the dictionary definition which reads as "An aromatic or pungent vegetable substance used to flavor food" and I had my little epiphany that there was really no rules on what could be used as a spice. Pine needles, bark, leaves, sap, stems, seeds, mushrooms, roots...anything that has a flavor can contribute to a true local cuisine. And if you are into traditional food preservation like I do, spices are essential to flavor your ferments and other preserves. We are surrounded by local flavors, what's in the store is not a representation of your terroir. In fact, here in Southern California, pretty much none of the spices found in a regular supermarket have anything to do with what the environment actually provide. It's probably true in most parts of North America and Europe but yet WE HAVE ingredients begging to be discovered in the wild. I probably have 50 different spices that I use which could never be purchased in a supermarket. Anyhow, positive rant of the day! As a wildcrafter, spices are key in your quest for local flavors. The photos show some of my local ingredients used a spices.

Did anyone else fall victim to the intoxicating allure of enchanted Turkish Delight after reading The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, only to be vastly disap...pointed when you finally got to try it for yourself? That is the power of literature for you! I think that any confection described in such a way would have been a disappointment, simply because of the unobtainable deliciousness that was this enchanted candy in the author's powerful description. Perhaps contributing to this experience was a lack of understanding of this particular confection in the Western world; since so many who have read this treasured fairytale were unfamiliar with Turkish textures and flavors, we created something in our minds that was entirely different from the real treat, which certainly didn't deserve to be so misaligned. That unobtainable deliciousness was the inspiration behind this beautiful cake creation; I wanted to bake something that tasted as magical as I had *imagined* Turkish Delight to be (long before I tried it for myself), through the lens of my own life experiences. Little gems of elderflower-champagne and rose-rose gelatin peek out from a soft vanilla mousse, sandwiched by tender sponge cakes. Hoar frost crisps add a pleasant crunch and the whole thing is crowned with an icicle crown made of sugar! Is it enchanting? Oh, most definitely. I think you'll like the story behind it just as much as the recipe, too! This is one of the secret recipes I've shared with my patrons <3 If you are a current patron, you can find the post right here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/33228366 See more

Josh Pond in Whiting, Maine, handpicks 2,000 pounds of blueberries a day and packs 30,000 pounds per season.

#sponsored by Forbes Wild Foods. Use promo code OkayChef for 15% off @ https://wildfoods.ca Wild chanterelle toast w. maple vinegar and fried hen’s egg on @p...rarieboybread double sour grain loaf. #chef #toast #toasttok #toasttoronto #tostTO #toastpopup #cooking #chantrelles #chantrellemushrooms #mushroomtoast #mushrooms #foraging #foragedfood

Our Balsam syrup is now up online and available in our showroom. Balsam has a wonderful citrusy sweet and nostalgic flavour that pairs well with gin, try makin...g a Balsam gimlet with equal parts Balsam Syrup, Gin and Lime Juice, shake with ice and pour. https://wildfoods.ca/store/syrups-and-honey/balsam-fir-syrup

We will have Pawpaw available starting Tomorrow October 6th at 2 Matilda St. 10am-4pm and at the Trinity Bellwoods farmers market. 3pm-7pm https://mailchi.mp/702651ca87f2/pawpaws-are-ripening-3310546

Spooky Season has arrived, and I love this time of year! I start dreaming up Halloween costumes and designing recipes like this one, for zesty sumac-encrusted s...weet potato jack o' lanterns that are crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle... But I think we all realize that celebrations this year are just going to be different. The thought of gathering in crowds, exchanging candy, going to wild parties, and generally doing most Halloween-y things is more frightening than the ghouls and goblins could ever be as we are still well in the midst of a global pandemic. That said, even when it is safe to socialize, it can feel more relaxing or meaningful to celebrate Halloween or Samhain at home. That's why I designed a special ritual just for you that can fill your October celebrations with a little meaning and fun. It's adaptable to Halloween OR Samhain, and leaves plenty of space for you to infuse your own spiritual or religious beliefs too. Keep it in mind as you make holiday plans and please please please stay safe out there! You can find the recipe and ritual on my blog, link in profile . . #foraged #sumac #sweetpotatojackolanterns #halloweenritual #halloweenathome #samhainritual #samhainathome #howwegather #pandemichalloween #safehalloween #thewondersmith #misswondersmith

Find Rob on his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/RobJGreenfield/videos or @robjgreenfield on Instagram!

Happy September! Come visit us at your local farmers market! Special offerings include: Bike powered acorn, chokecherry, and plum Chokecherry cream pie toppe...d with edible flowers. Wild acorn seed cheese blended to perfection with fresh herbs Freshly bundled rosemary from Turtle Community Farm See more

One of my favourite magical foods are the bright red berries of the Rowan Tree or Mountain Ash - also known as the Witches Tree. Her crimson autumnal berries ar...e said to have inspired the Tartan plaids and were long used in jams, pies, tarts, wines, ales and enchantments. According to witchy folklore, rowan is potent with magical energies and works to enhance inspiration, second sight, abundance, prosperity and protection, not to mention bestow beauty and renew youth. So click the link below for two of my favourite Rowan Berry recipes - a warming Pumpkin & Rowan Berry soup and Rowan Berry Chutney! https://gathervictoria.com//two-recipes-for-samhain-kitche See more