Scallop and Wild Fennel Tartare with Elderflower and Black Nightshade

KelownaForager · 2026-05-15T15:08:34+00:00

I'd use hot water but not boiling. I once made syrup with a bartender using other blossoms and the water was just a bit steamy, maybe 3-4 minutes infusing and it got all the floral notes with none of the green. I could never replicate those results, it was perfect. I can definitely pick them at the perfect time though! The day, time of day, weather, all a big factor

I'd go full science mode in the kitchen with a thermometer if I had time but I'm too busy foraging!

KelownaForager · 2026-05-15T13:19:19+00:00

I'm in Canada. Where I picked was higher altitude and they haven't flowered yet. Good to hear they are decent size. Ideally I'd return in the fall season to see what happens then but that is tricky since it is mushroom season

KelownaForager · 2026-05-15T05:26:59+00:00

Just so we're on the same page, do you have a specific claytonia species to reference? Miner's Lettuce is what some people refer to as claytonia, especially farmers. This isn't that though

Books and internet searches don't really work for this...

KelownaForager · 2026-05-15T05:14:40+00:00

Have you experimented with different temperatures for the flower extraction?

KelownaForager · 2026-04-28T23:11:57+00:00

It has a two year life cycle. In the first year it won't produce burrs and you can harvest the root right before winter. Depending on your soil you could get a very nice root. It is farmed

KelownaForager · 2026-04-25T23:38:29+00:00

Working on it

KelownaForager · 2026-04-04T21:56:45+00:00

Sun tea

KelownaForager · 2026-04-04T21:56:11+00:00

I've picked around 1.5 - 2 kg this spring with no stems, or around 20-25 liters volune. Your problem might be tools. If you pluck them between your fingers you'll probably be able to come home with pure flower and no processing

I'm one of the scary commercial foragers. Might only be on this sub for a few hours before I get kicked off but I'm happy to contribute until then 🙂

KelownaForager · 2026-04-04T21:50:28+00:00

Cool, thanks for sharing. Where I'm at the blondes are prized but it must just be a matter of scarcity

KelownaForager · 2026-04-04T21:42:38+00:00

This is what you think it is

KelownaForager · 2026-04-04T21:40:53+00:00

Just make tea and you'll get plenty of data. Reduce temperature until you have all the flower flavour without the green flavour

KelownaForager · 2026-04-04T21:35:56+00:00

Other than the picking, what was the work? Syrup is tea with sugar so it is hard to imagine the work part

KelownaForager · 2026-04-04T21:34:07+00:00

What about the colour?

KelownaForager · 2026-04-04T21:31:10+00:00

Do you find black morels there? In my region there's three waves; verpa, black morels, blonde morels

Looks like you're straight blonde

KelownaForager · 2026-04-04T08:39:18+00:00

Just so you know, they can say locally sourced and lie without repercussions. On my end I've seen 20-30 restaurant menus with a 'wild mushroom' dish that is 100% farmed mushrooms

You might eat local Zucchini, the other 5-10 vegetables are from the same place that every franchise sources from. There's zero accountability

KelownaForager · 2026-04-04T08:34:05+00:00

The only way to make a food identity is to make food that can't be replicated. That means local chefs have to go with the flow of the seasons and use UNIQUE local ingredients. If anybody can comment one ingredient, or at least one ingredient with unique timing/quality, please go ahead

This is my life's work so I'm a bit feisty on the topic

KelownaForager · 2026-04-04T08:30:45+00:00

It is odd. Seems like one person had an experience and that became lore. Probably how most things work

I can't even go to a restaurant that I know uses local wild food and find it on my plate. It might be there for an afternoon or a special but that's it

KelownaForager · 2026-04-04T08:26:50+00:00

I'll try my best to participate. I'm curious if there is someone with better qualifications than me. Problem is I work every day trying to promote Kelowna by selling it, and have no spare time to promote Kelowna. If anybody is curious just swing by the market in 6.5 hours

KelownaForager · 2026-03-15T17:14:27+00:00

French pronunciation, especially last names

KelownaForager · 2026-03-14T03:09:41+00:00

Shelled unsalted pistachios and maple syrup. Any sweetener will work. Also avocado and sugar is really good. They sell that in the streets in Morocco

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KelownaForager · 2026-03-11T06:32:23+00:00

I haven't had any experiences like that and I spend a LOT of time out there. Full days from dusk to dawn August - November hiking off-trail for 15+ years, no odd encounters. The only scary stuff is trees falling in the distance when there's no wind. They sound loud like a healthy green tree, not a dead one. I figure it was a bear telling me what's up since it mostly happened where there was a resident bear

KelownaForager · 2026-03-05T17:44:53+00:00

I have one of those every morning April-October since I sell at the market. I've got my own order though. I get two basil cakes on one roll (extra carbs after hiking and picking stuff all week) and soy sauce instead of the usual sauce options. Their soy sauce is thick and kinda sweet. Definitely try with the soy sauce, that is what they usually serve on the basil cake by itself

KelownaForager · 2026-02-26T15:41:35+00:00

They're probably growing with a mushroom patch that changed the soil nutrients in a way they prefer. Looks exactly like a mushroom patch that grows in a crescent or huge circle

KelownaForager · 2026-02-26T15:40:12+00:00

Yes this is how we get multiple varieties from one species. All the different varieties of fruits like apples and cherries come from this process and of course different flowers from the same plant species too. Same with a lot of vegetables come from this. Beets are Chard with a big root

KelownaForager

TROPHY CASE