Food Sourcing

Traveling through Newfoundland, I foraged the land and the water. It is incredible what I was able to find: seafood, berries, spices, mushrooms, all in such bounty!

In fact, between my ingredients brought from home, stopping at the farmers market, the very plentiful foraging I did, and some bonus gifts of protein and veg from some very kind people, I was able to cook all my meals without having to go to a grocery store. The ingredients I had the opportunity to cook with felt truly indulgent.

I did go to a grocery store, though. Purely out of curiosity. I wanted to know if the bounty I experienced was reflected in the grocery store.

It wasn’t. It was so far from that. It was actually quite impossible to source good ingredients through conventional means.

It was a great reminder of how positive it is to make relationships with who and where food comes from. It allows for the highest quality, which means fresher, tastier, and more nutritious. It creates respect and value for the the food we consume.

This is my happy place. After a day of working in the garden, we took a little hike out into the woods and hunted for mushrooms. Taking my ingredients from the ground and into my kitchen.

I like to think of chanterelles as nature’s multivitamin. It is rich in essential minerals including K, P, Mg, Na, Ca, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn and Co as well as B vitamins, vitamin C, and D.

Dr. Cristina Allen ND