The Abundance of the Season

I experienced a mean based primarily on the bounty of early spring on BC's West Coast this year - in February! - and I need to share. We are lucky to live in the Pacific Northwest where it does rain a lot of the time but the rain spurs the growth. We don't ever experience extreme heat or cold, even in the depths of summer and winter, but out ocean-infused, temperate climate means that we have almost year round gardening. And almost year round food production. My amazing meal took place on Hornby Island, a gulf island between BC's mainland and Vancouver Island and a place close to my heart. If Vancouver is a year round food and gardening centre, Hornby Island is Mecca.

I thought to escape the hordes of tourists by taking a week at Hornby Island during the recent Winter Olympics. As it turns out, even small islanders were into the Olympics, a large TV brought into the community hall, nightly sports screenings and a two week liquor license. So I was never far from the action. Meanwhile, it was bursting out spring so friends and I went forth to forage and gather for dinner. Appetizer: stinging nettle soup. Main course: breaded oysters from the beach 100 metres from our house accompanied by latkes with potatoes stored from my neighbour's farm (Savoie Farm). Pretty amazing and what a powerful feeling. I urge you all to try to eat locally and experience what that feels like. If you need a little motivation you can start by reading Barbara Kingsolver's lovely book, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle". All round wow.

Stinging Nettle - Urtica Dioica

It's now April and it's rainy and a bit miserable. But it hasn't dampened the growth of the nettle, the garlic, the broccoli rabe, the overwintering kale, the young seedlings poking their heads out of the ground. April is the time of year when the rest of Canada catches up to us, horticulturally, but February is when we realize we can actually exist from the land. Cool.

Thanks for reading.
Liz