Gathered: On Foraging, Feasting, and the Seasonal Life

From “the Internet’s Mushroom Auntie,” a stunning, illustrated guide to foraging and the bounties to be had, both personal and edible, in exploring the world around us and using the gifts it has to offer in our lives. Foraging is becoming increasingly popular, from TikTok to tasting menus at the most exclusive restaurants around the world. People are discovering that delicious wild edibles are waiting for us in our own backyards, led by champions such as Gabrielle Cerberville. Known as “The Chaotic Forager” online, Cerberville argues that foraging is the past, present, and future of food, and the key to unlocking a reciprocal relationship with the land that feeds us. Through learning to engage with the world of wild food, she contends, we can also build a kinder, more respectful relationship with ourselves. Gathered is an adventure in foraging that awakens us to the beauty of the seasons and the world we live in, heightening our senses to the crunch of snow underfoot and the sharp prick of a thorny bramble. Season by season, Cerberville takes us along through winning harvests and missteps, introducing us to the beautiful complications of foraged edibles and the various ways to eat and prepare them in delicious recipes such as Chanterelle Peach Pie with Basil, Wild Blueberry Ginger Gimlets, and Pulled Hen of the Woods with Juneberry BBQ Sauce. Cerberville also chronicles indigenous practices of honoring the earth, and their own long road to self-discovery and acceptance. With this book as a guide, readers will learn to find, identify, harvest, and process wild food to use in their own kitchens and develop a greater kinship with the natural world. A memoir with recipes, color photos, and illustrations throughout, Gathered is an invitation to move beyond our comfort zones, open our eyes, and dig into the earth. Gathered contains 20 black-and-white illustrations and 30-40 full-color illustrations in a 32-page insert.