Spicy & Sweet Hawthorn Ketchup: Reviving a Traditional Recipe

December 15, 2017.Reading time 8 minutes.

Thick and robustly tangy, my all-time favorite condiment is good old-fashioned “Haws Ketchup”. Made from the bright crimson berries of the Hawthorn tree (which you can find a stone’s throw away from wherever you stand in Victoria) it compliments roasted meats, scrambled eggs, and a big basket of steaming homemade fries equally. A mainstay in […]

Deeply Nourishing Seasonal Medicine: Delectable Dandelion Root Treats!

November 7, 2017.Reading time 4 minutes.

Tis the season for harvesting that super nutritious and medicinal powerhouse—dandelion root! According to herbalist Susun Weed, dandelion roots are best harvested in late fall when they are sweetest and highest in medicinal potency. And while they’re mostly used in tinctures and teas for their many amazing health benefits, my favourite seasonal way to enjoy […]

Foraging & Cooking with Coastal Mugwort: A Salt, A Honey & Vinegar

October 25, 2017.Reading time 11 minutes.

Every year I fall for a particular plant and start to use it in practically everything. This year I’ve been bewitched by the deep smoky, earthy and sagey flavour of Suksdorf sagewort or coastal mugwort. Of all the mugworts I know, our native suksdorf sagewort has to be one of the most deliciously aromatic -and […]

Rowan Berry Kitchen Witchery: Two Recipes

October 21, 2017.Reading time 14 minutes.

From Rowan Berry Syrup, Jelly, Fudge, Ketchup, Chutney, Soup and Rowan Berry Caramels, one of my favourite magical foods are the bright red berries of the Witches Tree. Once revered as the Queen of High Places and Enchantress of The Woods, few of us remember that from the British Isles to the Norse Countries, Rowan […]

Beautiful Venus Vinegar: Autumn Medicine & Magic

September 22, 2016.Reading time 11 minutes.

This magical Venus Vinegar is composed of the most vitalizing wild foods, herbs, and medicines offered by Mother Nature this season. It is no ordinary herbal vinegar, but a nutrient-rich, beautifying, fortifying tonic that is fruity, tangy, spicy, and earthy all in one. By balancing the fruits, shoots, and seeds that embody the energetic principles […]

Cornucopia Magic: Invoking The Horn of Plenty

September 17, 2016.Reading time 11 minutes.

My love affair with the cornucopia began nearly two decades ago when I came across a simple black-and-white clip art icon. Something spoke to my heart, and I saved it, though for what I wasn’t yet sure. Years later, it became the Gather logo after being transformed into a beautiful paper-cut image created by one […]