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Gather Victoria

ANCESTRAL FOOD. HERBAL WISDOM. MAGICAL COOKERY. SEASONAL CELEBRATION.

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Posted by Danielle Prohom Olson

Whether its through wildcrafting, plant medicine, kitchen witchery or seasonal celebrations, I believe we can enhance personal, community and planetary well-being by connecting with mother nature!

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Hello & Welcome!

Danielle Prohom Olson

Danielle Prohom Olson

The way I see it, gathering food is our oldest, most primal relationship to the earth and “wildcrafting'' (transforming the raw elements of nature into food, drink, and medicine) is the world's oldest magic. So join me. From spring, summer, autumn to winter, I revive the ancient culinary arts of bringing blessings to ourselves, our families, communities, and to our Great Mother, the Earth - one delicious bite at a time!

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Popular Posts

The Perfect Lilac Shortbread & The Art of Enfleurage
An Easy Old-Fashioned Creamy Dessert: Honey Lilac Posset
Recipes for a Feast of Light: Reviving the Magical Foods of Imbolc
Black Madonna of Montserrat: Chocolate Rose Crown Cake
Queen of The May: Enchanting Hawthorn Blossom Cordial
Sweet Magic: Summer Solstice Honey Cookies
Spell-Binding Fairy Beauties: Lilac Cream Tarts
Savory Sage Blossom Pesto: A Culinary Spell for Youth, Beauty and Wisdom
"Soul Cakes" for an Old-Fashioned All Hallows Eve
Wild Foods Are Ancestral Foods
  • The Perfect Lilac Shortbread & The Art of Enfleurage
  • An Easy Old-Fashioned Creamy Dessert: Honey Lilac Posset
  • Recipes for a Feast of Light: Reviving the Magical Foods of Imbolc
  • Black Madonna of Montserrat: Chocolate Rose Crown Cake
  • Queen of The May: Enchanting Hawthorn Blossom Cordial
  • Sweet Magic: Summer Solstice Honey Cookies
  • Spell-Binding Fairy Beauties: Lilac Cream Tarts
  • Savory Sage Blossom Pesto: A Culinary Spell for Youth, Beauty and Wisdom
  • "Soul Cakes" for an Old-Fashioned All Hallows Eve
  • Wild Foods Are Ancestral Foods

Recent Posts

Gather Victoria

The Perfect Lilac Shortbread & The Art of Enfleurage

The Perfect Lilac Shortbread & The Art of Enfleurage

Black Madonna of Montserrat: Chocolate Rose Crown Cake

Black Madonna of Montserrat: Chocolate Rose Crown Cake

Lilac Madeleine Cookies: Remembrance of Fragrances Past

Lilac Madeleine Cookies: Remembrance of Fragrances Past

The Goddess Feasts: The Magic of Gratitude, Pleasure and Plenty

The Goddess Feasts: The Magic of Gratitude, Pleasure and Plenty

Hawthorn Berry Brownie Cake w/ Hawthorn Berry Buttercream Frosting

Hawthorn Berry Brownie Cake w/ Hawthorn Berry Buttercream Frosting

A Toast To Ukrainian Christmas: Wild Winter Berry Uzvar

A Toast To Ukrainian Christmas: Wild Winter Berry Uzvar

Mother Holle Cloud Tart w/ Cranberry & Hawthorn Berry Curd

Mother Holle Cloud Tart w/ Cranberry & Hawthorn Berry Curd

Enchanted Crabapple Galette for Morgan Le Fay

Enchanted Crabapple Galette for Morgan Le Fay

Marchpane Cookies for the Rose Queens

Marchpane Cookies for the Rose Queens

Bewitching Maibowle Cream Cake For Beltane

Bewitching Maibowle Cream Cake For Beltane
For More Magical Cookery Check Out Gather Victoria on Patreon!

"featured autumn tag" "featured spring tag" "featured summer tag" "featured winter tag" "imbolctag" allium vineale Brigid chickweed Chocolate cake coastal mugwort conifers dandelion dandelion roots douglas fir edible flowers flower lore food magic forage foraged garlic mustard Goddess grand fir finishing salts Halloween herbicides Imbolc invasive plants lavender lovage magical herbs nettles oregon grape pesticides pine plant magic round-up spring spring greens wildcrafted wild food wild greens wild mustard Wild roses women's magic Wood Sorrel yule

I am enamored of lilac. For over a decade I have attempted to capture her glorious scent in baking and every year I learn yet another lesson about her culinary intricacies. Through trial and error, I discovered what perfumers knew long ago, lilac’s intoxicating fragrance is notoriously difficult to preserve! Then two years ago, inspired by research into an ancient perfumery technique, I created this Lilac Shortbread for Gather Victoria Patreon – and it comes as close to lilac perfection as I ever have been able to get! And it was so simple. "O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today! Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May." May is the sacred month of the Blessed Virgin Mary and in Roman Catholic tradition, roses are the emblematic flower of the Blessed Virgin Mary – and roses will be blooming shortly! On May 31st a “crown cake” is typically baked “affirming the pre-eminence of the Virgin Mother of God in her royal dignity.” This dark chocolate Crown Cake features mountains of meringue in homage to the Virgin of Montserrat. On her feast day in Spain, sponge cakes are made with “mountainous decorations” in honor of “the dark-skinned lady of the mountain”.The Virgin of Montserrat is only one of the hundreds of mysterious paintings, icons, and statues whose shrines are amongst the world’s most revered Marian sites – and controversial. While she once bore the inscription ”Nigra Sum Sed Formosa” ( I am Black, but Beautiful) the Church’s official position is that her skin color is the result of accumulated centuries of candle soot. However scholars believe her blackness is far from accidental, it is not only the color of the fertile earth (the darker the more fertile) but the sacred color of the dark mother who once gave birth to all material existence. Recipe up at the Gather Victoria website. #blackmadonna #virginmary #May #crown #cake #rose #chocolate #chocolatecake #sacred #goddess #seasonalfood #cakesofinstagram #baking It's time for spring greens - and blossoms! This Wild Pilaf is inspired by a dish called Sabzi Polo traditionally consumed the night before Nowruz, the 13-day Persian New Year. This spring equinox holiday with its menu of classic and symbolic dishes has been celebrated continuously for at least 3,000 years! Sabzi refers to herbs (sabz means "green"); polo is pilaf, a style of cooked rice. Fresh green herbs are said to represent the earth and the regeneration of spring and recipes typically include garlic chives, coriander, dill, scallions, fenugreek and parsley. Many recipes also include a dash of rosewater, aromatic saffron, and cardamom - some of my most favorite flavors! I added a selection of local wild spring greens, plenty of chive-like wild onion (Allium vineale), and flower petals of forsythia and red flowering currant. Recipe coming soon for Gather Victoria Patrons! #nowruz #springequinox #pilaf #persianfood #saffron #forsythia #redfloweringcurrant #rice #wildfood #edibleflowers #forage #celebratespring #wildcraft #herbs #spring #springgreens #springfood Sweethearts: Wild Violet Sugar Valentines. Affiliated with Venus, Aphrodite, and love, the violet (according to the American Violet Society) was the original official flower of Valentine’s Day – not the rose. Violets, of course, have a long use in love spells, and in the magical language of flowers, violets represent lust as well as faithfulness, protection, peace, and healing. Seductive & bewitching, the rose has been associated with love since time immemorial. So why not conjure up a little amour with these Persian-inspired love cakes? Made with almond flour and dressed with a pretty rose sugar glaze, they’re scented with cardamom and rose water. For the glaze, I ground dried rose petals with sugar and added some homemade cassis liqueur but you can use anything pink - like pomegranate syrup. Which would be the perfect addition actually - why didn’t I think of that? You can find the recipe for these easy peasy Valentine cupcakes at Gather Victoria Patreon - just enter “ glazed rose cupcakes” into the search bar. Hawthorn Berry Brownie Cake w/ Hawthorn Berry Buttercream Frosting. What more appropriate treat could there be for an occasion of the heart like Valentine's Day? After all, many herbalists consider hawthorn berries the ultimate heart tonic and every kitchen witch knows that hawthorn opens the heart to love. And well, dark chocolate is not only a legendary aphrodisiac, it releases chemicals in the brain similar to those which make people swoon with amour. Plus its full of polyphenolic compounds like antioxidants and flavonoids which reduce inflammation and improve cardiovascular health, all of which make this cake really good for you - and those you adore. This golden Calendula, Cedar & Rosehip Body Scrub is brimming with antioxidant compounds which protect against nasty free radicals and even reverse the damage of environmental aggressors (sunlight, radiation, pollution, harsh weather).Calendula has been used since ancient times for its phenomenal abilities to heal and restore skin. Rosehips are a source of vitamins A and E, their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects help calm irritated skin, reduce redness and stimulate cell renewal. Cedar brings antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial effects as well as it’s healing aroma. Cottonwood buds also smell divine, and help calm inflammation, stimulate skin cell turnover, and protect from environmental stress. Last year Patreon changed its community rules, no longer was anything herbalicious to be imbibed! This meant my seasonal Gather Goody Boxes (filled with herbal salts, floral sugars, tonic syrups, herbal elixirs, oxymels, electuaries, vinegars, tinctures, etc) were no longer allowed for consumption. Only topical applications permitted- so thank goodness -my skincare goodies are still okay! So now the smaller renamed “ Botanical Beauty Boxes” are done - and I’m so pleased! From wild rose, rosehips, calendula, chamomile, elder blossoms, red clover, cottonwood buds to conifer needles and pine bark, I’ve handcrafted a batch of aromatic infused oils, serums, balms, lotions, bath soaks, and hydrating mists, that will not only soothe, moisturize, nourish, heal and regenerate your skin, but it will also revitalize your body, uplift your spirits – even suffuse your heart chakra with love! Here's a sneak peek at a few of the items. Going out soon to Gather Victoria Botanical Beauty Box Patrons!
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