Family Food Foraging by Dora Fitzgerald
It is wonderful to think about the foods that are growing all by themselves which will make a great snack as we are out for a walk. Sheep sorrel and miner’s lettuce come to mind often found close to a path. Their tender leaves and lively taste are fun to discover and nibble. Not to rain on this feast, but a word for attentiveness: many of us, me included, walk with our beloved dogs along these paths. Dogs are such great companions, and, as you’ve noticed, they do have a habit of lifting their legs or having a quick squat now and then. Keep that in mind when you pick your snack.
Your garden will also give you tasty food at this time of year, not necessarily from the stuff that you planted but from the weeds that come up all by themselves. Chickweed, dandelion greens and pepper grass are often ripped out to make way for our own plantings, but they are delicious and nutritious greens to enjoy by themselves or added to whatever salad we might be preparing.
A picnic idea, for totally biodegradable plates to eat from, (no dishes to wash when you are finished), use skunk cabbage leaves. Don’t get carried away and try to eat your plate. The only part that is good medicine is part of the root, but that takes a lot of drying and processing, so for now just enjoy your single use, entirely expendable green plates.
The Food Program’s “Soup for Seniors” project began a number of years ago when we were looking for a way to provide easy, locally made meals for our seniors. In the first year volunteers came together once a month and made big batches of soup, which we’d freeze and distribute to any senior that wanted them. Whenever possible we use local ingredients from our island farms.
The Food Program will hold a Soil and Compost Workshop on Sunday, May 11th from 10:30am-12:30. Barry New and Roger Pettit will lead a discussion and demonstrations about the soils we encounter on Galiano.
The Food Program is hosting Ken Cameron, instructor, on Saturday, April 26 to teach the Conservation Outdoor Recreation Education (CORE) course, a program for BC residents who are 14 years of age or older. It covers conservation, ethics, law and regulations, first aid and survival in the wilderness, firearm safety, and animal and bird identification. This course is required in order to get a hunting license.
Join cheesemaker David Asher Rotsztain as we explore the fascinating realm of cheese. David will demonstrate and explain the techniques for making three basic styles of cheese: paneer, yogourt cheese and camembert, an aged rennet cheese. These lessons will provide a solid foundation for those interested in making cheese at home, or anyone who wants to know how their cheese is made.
This years Nettlefest will be happening on Sat April 5th at 5:30pm at the South Community Hall.
For the spring of 2014 we will begin on Saturday, March 1st, which isn’t all that far away. Everything grew really well last year and we harvested many varieties of tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers and more. Cantaloupes worked very well too. Last year we tried early carrots, pakchoi and peas before the main summer crops; something we should try again. We also grew artichokes at the greenhouse for planting at the Garlic Co-op site.
Are you interested in eating more local food and cooking with wild ingredients? Come spring, stinging nettles are among the first edible plants to burst from the ground in the Pacific Northwest. In an intimate setting just an hour’s ferry ride from the mainland, join us for a fun celebration of local wild abundance on beautiful Galiano Island April 12th and 13th, 2014, and learn all about nettles—their health and nutritional properties, how to harvest them, and how to cook and preserve them.
Foraging for food has never been more popular, and come spring, stinging nettles are among the first edible plants to burst from the ground in the Pacific Northwest. Join Cedana in learning how to create nettle products so you can enjoy the benefits of this healthy-giving wild plant all year round.
“One of the first real signs of spring, and one of my favourite wild foods, are the new nettle shoots that start poking out of the ground early in the spring. At a time when we’ve been living on frozen veggies, or cabbage and root vegetables, fresh greens are a welcome sight. Plus nettles are actually good for us! Nettles are extremely rich in vital nutrients, including vitamin D, which is rare in plants; vitamins C and A; and minerals, including iron, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium.” -Dora Fitzgerald