Weaving together ancestral food wisdom, herbal folklore, and goddess traditions, Gather Victoria takes you on a culinary pilgrimage through the seasonal celebrations of the wheel of the year. From spring, summer, and autumn to winter, I share my favorite ways to “wildcraft” the earth’s most ancient plants into delicious recipes, dishes, and feasts that deepen our spiritual connection to nature and the land we live on.
Celebrating the ancient arts of magical cookery, Gather Victoria revives “the old ways” of blessing ourselves, our families, our communities, and our Great Mother, the Earth. So take a look around, here you’ll find recipes, articles, and videos on the herbs, wild plants, backyard weeds, blossoms, roots, and berries at the heart of our oldest and most sacred traditions.
About Me: Danielle Prohom Olson
I’m a bookish “nature girl”/ “earth mother” who loves to read and eat (especially at the same time). Forced to attend family foraging walks as a child (when I’d rather be inside reading a book) I’m now devoted to reviving the ancestral wisdom of plants as foods, healers, and spiritual guides. As a food history and folklore enthusiast, I’m especially passionate about researching goddess traditions and reclaiming the mysteries of food and plant magic.
I spend a lot of time outside with my lovely apprentice Zoe and dog Otto gathering good things to eat, and even more hours indoors in the kitchen cooking, dreaming up recipes, writing, taking pictures, and making videos. I’m developing two Gather Victoria Cookbooks with the help of Gather Victoria patrons. You can find recipes and cookbook previews (and more) at Gather Victoria’s Patreon site here.
I studied with herbalist Betty Norton in her herbal apprenticeship program (the happiest year of my life) and am very slowly completing my certificate in community herbalism with Pacific Rim College. I also have fun creating recipes and contributing to Enchanted Living Magazine. (Watch for my Red Velvet Mystery Cake coming soon in the Gothic Witch Issue).
I give my love and deep thanks to the beautiful land I live on and offer my profound gratitude to the WS’ANEC’ (Saanich), Lekwungen (Songhees) Wyomilth (Esquimalt) peoples of the Coast Salish Nation for the use of their traditional unceded territories, lands, and plants. I offer this recipe/prayer to restore the foodways and ancestral food wisdom of the Coast Salish people: Wild Cakes for Camossung.
Thank you so much for bringing the knowledge to the masses. I am still new to herbs and herbalism and am fiding myself addicted to all things herb I can get my hands on. Again thank you 🙂
Wow I am so excited to have found you! I can’t wait to explore your blogs, I echo the comment above in being new-ish to herbs but I am so inspired! Thank you for sharing.
Hello from your sister in Kent U.K who runs the wild kitchen (www.thewildkitchen.net) with very similar aims to your own. It is such a joy to connect others to the bounty everywhere and explain how to best eat it….. Carry on the mission, sisters!
So nice to make your acquaintance! What wonderful events you have!!!
I love this Blog. Came to it via Facebook. I’ve re-blogged it on my site with all details about this website. I hope and trust you get lots more readers! Will share it via Facebook as well.Thank you! xxx avalon.co.nl/a-reindeer-a-blg-from-gather/
So glad I was directed to you both – thank you for the wonderful posts. I love foraging in our surrounding hills and creating sustainability in our gardens – tuned into the energy of our earth and plants.
Hey, I’m a guy in Northwest US and this site is more female oriented but you women look like you are providing nourishment at many levels for all. I really appreciated the “doe a deer” piece, added so much depth to the seasonal symbolism, and created a sadness/anger to see how cheapened the feminine energy of nature has become as it has been “harnessed” by the bearded Santa of patriarchy. Carry on and I hope to taste by chance some of your delicacies on my travels through BC!
Loving your posts and sharing them with kindred this Yuletide season. Good Solstice to you and yours. May the Sister-Tribe continue to bloom and grow, especially in the wild places! http://www.GaiasWomb.com
Thank you for the fantastic content AND for presenting it on a bed of eye candy! This is the page I’ve craved forever…Martha Stewart-esque elegance with Real World ingredients, deep research in the spirituality that means so much to me, and a passionate but gentle voice in the text. I will use this site as a go-to for great holiday ideas of the holidays I celebrate, for great stories, for recipes and crafts, and for comfort food for the mind and spirit. PLEASE keep doing what you do! I’ve wanted exactly THIS forever!!!
I just happened to stumble upon your blog and I am so glad that I did! I’m a Culinary Nutrition Expert and I’m just getting into foraging and gathering as I have recently moved to southern Vermont and have a bounty available to use year round right outside our front door. I’m so looking forward to your future posts! Thanks so much putting all this info and creativity out into the world and I will definitely be giving your recipes a go. -Joanna (www.menucationkitchen.com)
What inspirational people you are, and what an inspirational blog!
I’ve just discovered your blog and how wonderful it truly is!
i’m an earth-centered woman stuck in the bible-belt of Kansas
and I so wish I had a community like yours!!!
blessed-be
This is just a beautiful blog site. Thank you so much! Such creativity!
I am really so glad to find you just tody, what more is 1st february! Imbolc ‘s coming! Happy to meet you both and .. see you soon! Happy Imbolc !
As a painter, I was looking for reference images of winter goddesses…and one led me here. I came for the visuals, but stayed to read the story of the Female Deer Deity and got hooked by the gorgeous food photos. I actually posted it to Facebook.
Thank-you!
I just wanted to comment on how gorgeous your photography is! Absolutely glorious!
Why thank-you! I only see the flaws….
I’m so glad my Spiritual Cosmic Sis in Canada posted your site. As soon as I saw the post, I clicked on it, arrived here and am so excited to explore it! Every since I just can’t see what you bring to us next. I’m still exploring all you have to offer. I also can’t wait for that cookbook you are writing, Danielle.I love herbs and nature. I make them medicinally. Now, you have helped me to venture out into the world of ancient times with the authentic Culinary. Oh, what an adventure we shall have! 😉
Thank-you and welcome! Plenty of culinary adventures here!
Just found you so in a bit late to the game. I can’t tell you how energized I am scrolling through your website. Thank you for all the rabbit holes I’ve been down this morning.
I love it! Thank you!
Hello,
Has your cookbook been published? Where can it be purchased? Thanks!
What a treat to have you come across my FB right on the eve of the Summer Solstice. I have signed up for your newsletter and look forward to exploring all the recipes you offer…Blessings and Peace.
Welcome! Wishing you a blessed summer solstice! xo
Thank you deer Danielle, so very much! I have been dealing with some sickness that has been stubbornly hanging on. Through divine happenings I came across some information that helped me go in and discover the deeper thread of my life that continues to disconnect me from Sacred Mother. Once I saw and knew within my body, this vital knowingness, this seeing the disconnection as the root of why I wouldn’t completely heal, more divine threads continued to weave back into my life…… bringing me here. I may leave Her, She never leaves me. She is always here……. You are a gem doing a life saving service and I am so grateful to have been lead to you……. Thank you!
I hope you are healing! I understand what you say and wish you the very best. Thank you for your lovely comments!