Talking about foraging in the garden and in the.. sky
Two great articles just came out on two very different magazines, one is Your Garden, "Australia's longest-running, most respected garden magazine, passionately dedicated to gardeners who seek inspiration and practical knowledge to create the garden of their dreams."
And the second is on Virgin Australia's inflight magazine, Voyeur.
Two very different readerships, both journalists alike in intent: put the spot light on the emergence of foraging as a way to learn new (old) ways to engage with nature.
Robin Powell in Your Garden did an amazing work in making sense of what I do, why and where I come from (both physically and contextually). While Sarah Norries in Voyeur took a wider approach, presenting not only the work of foraging instructors (myself), but also actual commercial foragers (Elijah Holland from Nature's Pick) and chefs from all over Australia, who use foraged food in their kitchen. People like David Moyle from Franklin in Hobart, Jock Zonfrillo from Orana in Adelaide, Rosa Mitchell in Melbourne, to Mike Eggert and Jemma Whiteman of 10 William in Sydney.
The chorus of voices in the article bring forth the need to consider seasons and vicinity to food sources in order to bring out the best taste from produce. The closer the produce is to your table, the fresher and nutritious it will be; attention to selecting what is in season brings on the plate plants at their best; the wilder and most uncultivated is the plant then, the strongest flavours and richest textures a diner could revel in. Read it here>
Foraging for wild plants does not need to be difficult, or laborious. Just look in your garden. The plants the best chefs of Australia rave about are in your garden. Start with amaranth, sowthistle, dandelion, wood sorrel, all common pesky weeds.
The produce that is all the rage right now is much closer to you than you think.
So, put away the magazine once you read it, and step out in the garden with new eyes. Once you land you might find yourself back on the ground. Ground yourself. It's fun.
Some of the most common edible plants living and thriving on the East Coast of Australia