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Food from the Forest
There’s a certain joy in working with found foods. Perhaps it’s their simplicity, or because they awake our appreciation for nature. These foods remind us of our sense of resilience. If we forage them ourselves, they help us slow down and appreciate nature as we take time to look for them.
Berries, herbs, and other plants that carpet the forest floor not only sustain the forest ecosystem but they can also serve as forageable food sources for us.
Highly prized among these are an endless variety of mushrooms with their earthy, nutty, and umami flavours. Chanterelles, pine, and lobster mushrooms are just some of the wild mushrooms that can be foraged in November.
Before gathering those prized mushrooms, you need to be sure about how to identify the different species, as some wild mushrooms are toxic. If you’re a first-time forager, it’s essential to seek out an experienced forager to guide you or take a course on mushroom identification.
You can also look to your local farmers’ market to support local foragers who’ve already done the gathering for you.
Beyond mushrooms, the forest contains a multitude of plants and wildlife that can sustain and support us.
Nuts and berries not only impart delicious flavour, but they’re also sources of fibre, essential vitamins, and other nutrients. Think of wild rosehips, better picked after the first frost, which are high in vitamin C and can be used to make a delicious syrup, jelly, tea.
Wild juniper, with its piney flavour makes a brilliant marinade for game meats. And wild game meats like elk and venison are lean and delicious sources of protein.
Even if you’re not a forager or you’re not ready to comb the forest floor for your dinner, you can easily take inspiration from these recipes, most of which feature ingredients that are easy to find commercially. Read on to discover five recipes that will bring just a little bit of the wilderness to your autumn table.
This collection was originally published in the November 2025 issue of alive magazine.
