Hunter Gatherer Weekend

snacking on sea lettuce after a clam and oyster harvest 

We do our best to show off our new foraging, hunting and gathering skills every time we have guests to the island. This weekend topped our charts. Jeff and Sarah came to visit from Vancouver and we did all the wild crafting we could muster. First we took them to the (non-disclosable) seaside source for clam digging and oyster picking. While we were there we munched on a little salad bar of sea lettuce.

Some mushrooms in our newly minted basket

Later on we went up the mountain to gather mushrooms. We found white and yellow chantrelles as well as some fat jacks and another edible but unnamed fungi.

After four hours on the mountain we sought sustenance at the Little Tribune Winery. Thank goodness they were open - we were parched. Our gatherings at the winery were a few bottles of white wine and an eye full of the rammed earth architecture. What a beautiful building.

Later, in the evening, we put together an incredible dinner: oysters Rockafeller, clams Siciliano, mushroom fricase, barbequed salmon (caught by Doug a few weeks back) and local wine. We finished off with a pear sorbet made with local pears. It was gourmet to be sure - and all the more so because we had collected almost every ingredient ourselves, or it had been grown locally, or was from a local vintner. Wowie.

Just a an hour ago we saw Jeff and Sarah off on the water taxi that will be our ferry for the next two weeks. Life is pretty adventurous on the rock these days!