Raised in rural Ontario, I’m a big supporter of local eating. I grew up knowing exactly where my food came from. My grandfathers were both farmers (as were many relatives and family friends), my Dad hunted and my Grandma had three enormous gardens that fed our entire extended family. You’ve probably heard the term market to table, well we lived farm and forest to table skipping the middle men completely. It was fresh food heaven and I was spoiled (not that I knew it at the time – a belated thanks to my hunting and gathering kin).
I miss those days of good eating so over the long weekend I planned a visit to my parents’ house. Not just for a good home cooked (and it was so good), but also to contribute to the process. The early spring harvest season is one of my favourites and now that asparagus, ramps, fiddleheads and morels are in full swing I decided I would forage for my supper.
First stop, Barry’s Farm Market located just outside of Hanover, Ontario. Well known in the area for its delicious asparagus bounty, they have been supplying local markets, grocery stores and restaurants with produce for more than 10 years now. Admittedly this doesn’t count as foraging but I was easing into things and it was pouring on Saturday. Yes, I know I would have never made it as a pioneer. At any rate the asparagus was incredible. Just picked that morning, all I had to do was snap the woody ends off, toss the spears with oil and grill for about five minutes. Amazing! (You could also try it wrapped in prosciutto.)
Then on Sunday it was time to get serious. I asked my Dad to be my forest guide and we set out scavenging some of his top secret spots. Thankfully T, my brother and my brother’s girlfriend came along, the more eyes the better for searching I say. Our first stop, turned out to be more of a walk amongst the trilliums than hunt as it only yielded a handful of fiddleheads. However as it turns out that was more than enough. I don’t know what to do with them and they are still tucked away in my fridge. (Advice anyone? Drop me a line in the comments section below.)
Insisting I wanted a taste of morels, my brother suggested we visit a good friend’s farm. He had been helping them out in the fields a few days earlier and had spotted a patch of my coveted wild fungi so he was predicting success. And how right he was, between the five of us we were able to spot about two cups worth of the woodsy gems, just enough for a wild omelette feast. I was also able to add some wild ramps (aka leeks) to the mix, thanks to the generosity of my farmer friend. The omelettes were delicious, (as evidenced by the fact that I ate my finished product without snapping a picture) and definitely worth every minute of the effort.
What are you most excited for in the spring harvest? Have you tried ever tried foraging beyond the market? Share your stories below.
Thought that was sweet? You’ll enjoy: