A Toast To Ukrainian Christmas: Wild Winter Berry Uzvar

January 6, 2022.Reading time 9 minutes.

I shared this lovely healthy Uzvar recipe with my Gather patrons last year, but I’m sharing it tonight in honor of Ukrainian Christmas and my beloved mother-in-law Rosie who passed away late November 2021. For the many, many years I’ve been married, I loved hearing her remembrances of this holiday, how the house was full […]

Queen of The May: Enchanting Hawthorn Blossom Cordial

December 15, 2017.Reading time 12 minutes.

“May, queen of blossoms, and fulfilling flowers, what pretty music Shall we charm the hours? Wilt thou have pipe and reed, Blown in the open mead? Or to the lute give heed, in the green bowers.”— Lord Edward Thurlow Sacred to fairies, witches, and the goddesses of old, no tree is more central to “Going a […]

Wildcrafting the Shrub: Osoberry Delight

June 3, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Ripening now in the Pacific Northwest – the Osoberry. Like a cross between cherry, cantaloupe and cucumber, its flavour is unique. Here is a recipe for Osoberry” shrub,” a kind of vinegary cordial popular with the cocktail set. I ended up using it more like a syrupy balsamic vinegar in salads, marinades and glazes. Not […]

Stoke Your Digestive Fire & Nourish Your Third Chakra with Yoga & Herbal Tea

September 7, 2015.Reading time 8 minutes.

Well, it’s no secret that digestive disorders are epidemic. Which is pretty serious considering that 80% of our immune system is housed in our gut and that digestion shapes every aspect of our physical and emotional well being – even depression has been linked to poor digestion. But the good news is that both yoga and […]

Nature Spirits: How to Wildcraft Vermouth In Three Easy Steps

August 20, 2015.Reading time 12 minutes.

Recently Gather had the great pleasure of presenting a wildcrafted aperitif for Moonrise Creative’s first Eat Together Dinner. And it was such a magical occasion! Seeing the guests laughing and chatting together in the beautiful setting of field and forest—while sipping our sparkling summer elixir—nearly brought a tear to my eye. Really. After all, this […]

Wildcrafted Summer Libations: Herb and Blossom Infused Sake

July 22, 2015.Reading time 5 minutes.

What can be more delicious, cool and reviving on a warm sultry evening than Herb & Blossom Infused Sake served chilled over ice? Who knew that Sake, a dry Japanese rice wine, made such a gracious host for herbal and floral infusions? Well, the Japanese of course – but more on that later. Infused Sake […]

Wildcrafting the Shrub: Osoberry Delight

July 2, 2015.Reading time 8 minutes.

This year our warm and early summer not only brought us an abundance of Osoberry but unusually luscious ones. Trailing branches over every roadside, every forest path, and every park trail, were hung so fat with plump blue-black clusters that they practically begged to be picked. But the big question – how to preserve the […]