Food for Thought: Backyard Foraging with Lisa Apfelbaum
Food for Thought is an ongoing series of Q&A interviews with knowledgeable locals who share their wisdom to promote community food security.
Images by Brette Little
Salt Spring is known for its abundant farms, but there is also plenty of wild food to be found on the island. Back in March, local permaculturist and chef Lisa Apfelbaum started up a #wildfoodwednesdays series on social media to help SSI families supplement their food security through wild crafting (the practice of harvesting plants from their natural habitats for food or medicinal purposes). We caught up with Lisa to find out about sustainable wild crafting on Salt Spring, what wild plants can be found over the summer, and her favourite recipe to make with the harvest (hint: it’s sweet and you’ll never have leftovers).
There is such an abundance of biodiversity here, the lack of traffic and lower levels of pollution make for healthier ecosystems and plants than in the cities.
-Lisa Apfelbaum
Q&A with Lisa Apfelbaum
Where does your edible wild plant knowledge come from?
My mom taught me about edible berries and flowers when I was very young, which definitely had an influence on my interest in plant identification in my later years. In my twenties and thirties I started carrying a field guide with me everywhere. I went on hikes that ended up taking 2-3 hours longer than expected because I’d sit on the side of trails with plants looking them up, photographing them, and researching them online… luckily my friends were very patient.
Why is wild crafting important to you?
Food sovereignty and security is extremely important to me. Plants start losing nutrient value as soon as you pick them, so the shorter the distance from soil to plate the better. Wild food is also more nutrient dense as more mainstream food crops were selectively bred for flavour and looks, not nutrition.
Food sovereignty and security is extremely important to me.
What are your favourite resources for learning about wild edible plants?
First of all, I cannot stress enough to seek indigenous voices (and pay them for their time and knowledge)! There are indigenous plant walks offered in various places throughout BC (perhaps virtually at the moment); the wisdom and knowledge gleaned from thousands of years of stewarding this land is invaluable.
For field guides for plant identification I love the Lone Pine series of books, Plants of Coastal British Columbia is always with me when I go foraging. Once you have a positive ID you can look the plant up on pfaf.org for edibility and medicinal properties.
Do you have a favorite seasonal plant, anything you wait all year for? What do you like to make with it?
I wait all year for big leaf maple blossoms to make fritters with! It’s our favourite brunch food and is only available for a few precious weeks every year. When I see the maples starting to bud I get so excited because this means winter is really over.
Do you have any advice to help islanders with sustainable wild harvesting when they are out on a trail or in their backyard?
Be sure you have a positive ID! Some plants and mushrooms in our region are deadly poisonous. If you’re not sure: take really good clear photos, note where you see the plant so you can go back to collect it later, and ask a trusted source for help. Don’t rush an ID.
Be sure the plant isn’t endangered, and ensure it’s growing in abundance in the area you wish to collect it from. Further, ensure you know local regulations, don’t collect from park land.
Collect the parts in the right season; are the blueberries ripe? Are the nettles too old? Is it too hot out for picking dandelion leaves?
Finally, there’s a responsibility we foragers and wild crafters take on to be good land stewards. Spread ripe seeds to ensure the plant’s survival and a good harvest the following year, don’t pick if there’s signs another forager was there before you, take less than you think you need as you want to ensure the plants are left to thrive.
What is it about Salt Spring that inspires you to practice wild crafting?
There is such an abundance of biodiversity here, the lack of traffic and lower levels of pollution make for healthier ecosystems and plants than in the cities. I’m happy just getting out and exploring this beautiful island, the wild crafting is an added bonus.
What plants could we be on the lookout for in the summer months?
I only harvest berries in the summer. Wild plant growth slows when it gets hot and dry so it’s best to leave the rest alone unless you are well acquainted with their growth patterns.
Recipe: Wild Bumbleberry Crumble
Lisa’s love for wild summer berries comes through in her delicious bumbleberry crumble, which she generously prepared and shared with us. Her favourite recipe is adapted from Smitten Kitchen:
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Prepare topping: In a mixing bowl, combine 1 1/3 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 3 tbsp sucanat or brown sugar, zest of 1 lemon, then add 4oz melted butter. Mix until clumps form. Refrigerate.
2. Prepare filling: Toss 4 cups mixed berries (locally available options are loganberries, blackberries, strawberries, salal berries, huckleberries, thimbleberries, raspberries, blueberries; since wild berries ripen in waves, you can freeze your harvests in a container until you have enough), juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/4 cup sugar, 3 tbsp cornstarch and a pinch of salt in an 8-inch pan.
3. Cover berry filling evenly with topping. Place pie plate on a baking sheet, and bake until crumble topping is golden brown in places and fruit is bubbling beneath, about 40 to 50 minutes.
