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First Harvest

© Bob Ewing

As I sat down to write this week's column, the sky just opened up and dropped a lake on us. The past two weeks have been a period of intense thunderstorms. This is not unusual, after all this is how the City and the Bay got the name Thunder.

Everything is blooming and growing green and strong. We have been harvesting peas from our balcony garden for about 10 days. This year's pea crop will be as bountiful as last year's and for that we are grateful. Sitting on the balcony and picking and eating fresh peas while you enjoy the view and feel the air is a delightful experience.

The following book review was first published on the Suite in October 2001; I feel that it is particularly relevant to this time of year.

The Neighbourhood Forager: A Guide For the Wild Food Gourmet

by Robert K. Henderson

published by Chelsea Green Publishing Company

White River Junction, Vermont 2000,

ISBN: 1-890132-35-7

The original version of this review was written as we neared Last Harvest or Samhain. It is fitting to visit it again as we near First Harvest or Lugnasadh

The Neighbourhood Forager is a powerful work. The author acknowledges the early work of foraging pioneer Euell Gibbons as he outlines foraging's history. Gibbons brought foraging into the mainstream for a brief period. Drawing on this rich tradition, Henderson provides us with a tool that if used properly takes the reader a long way down the road to food security. It is not an easy journey. There is much to learn but the author gives us a solid foundation upon which to build the skills we need to gather dinner while taking a walk in our community.

This well written reference work not only helps you to discover food sources that you had never previously considered, but shows you how to preserve them as well. The recipes that accompany each section help the reader uncover ways to serve and enjoy the harvest.

Chapter Two: Ever Eat A Pine Tree? The resinous herbs, gives a new insight into to the Christmas tree. We don't usually think of its food possibilities when out shopping for or cutting down a tree for our Christmas celebration. Nor do we think about the Vitamin C content of the evergreen we are decorating; yet evergreens are high in this vital nutrient.

This is a must have book, if you are committed to your family's food security, not only will you increase the diversity of dishes that appear on your dinner table, you will also decrease the dollars you have to spend to do so. Once you have mastered the skills that Henderson articulates, you will have taken a major step on the path towards self-reliance. You will be able to stroll around your neighbourhood and gather your supper at the same time.