In the novel, From the Drop of Heaven, set in the late 1500s, the practice of foraging was viewed with suspicion, as if living off the land was the doings of a witch.
Catherine was persuaded to stop learning to heal using herbs and live off the land to eliminate that threat, but I imagine Catherine’s Foraging Journal was hidden somewhere that she could reference to find food when they needed extra help.
Here is an excerpt from the book:
“Yes,” Elisabeth said, “we are all family here.” She passed a tray of bread. “Tell us a little about yourself.”
Catherine fiddled with her skirt. “There is not much to say; Nicolas taught me to read.”
At that, Nicolas winked at her, and she blushed. “And Mémé is teaching me to treat illness. It’s fascinating how plants growing by the road or in the forest can cure so many things.”
Though Elisabeth’s forehead creased in anger, her mouth turned up in a fake smile. “Well, once you are married, you’ll not be able to accompany Francisca. You will have a house to care for and soon children.”
“I enjoy helping people, madame.”
The smile vanished, and Elisabeth’s tone became sharp. “Think of the scandal. Can you imagine if Louis came here to search for heaven knows what? He is Jean’s oldest and dearest friend. It would place us in an unpleasant situation.”
“It might be best, Catherine,” Martin added, “if you avoid putting yourself into a circumstance where you might be persecuted, whether for an honorable cause or not.”
“Why do the authorities care if I try to heal someone?” Catherine replied, almost in a whimper.
“We are not uniting against you,” Le-Chêne said. “Nobody appreciates what you do more than my family.” He gazed at his sleeping toddler and turned back to her. “But you must realize superstitions run deep.”
“And next week, you will join the religious community,” Elisabeth said, finishing with the butter and handing it to Nicolas. “And the betrothal celebration afterward will introduce you to many more people who will see how sweet you are, and the rumors will cease.”
I imagine Catherine’s Foraging Journal filled with the best places to find whatever was in season. Here are a few of the best things to forage. I will add more pages as I have time. I hope you enjoy it.
Catherine’s Foraging Journal
When I was a kid, my family and I picked berries by the bucketful for Mom to make homemade jam. For breakfast the next morning, we ate a bowl of berries and a slice or two of Mom’s overnight bread. It was a treat for us and the inspiration for the breakfast at the Cathillon farm.
Raspberries and Blackberries
You don’t need Catherine’s Foraging Journal to tell you where to find the best berry patches. You can forage for wild berries at the edge of the woods, along the roadside, or among the tall grasses underneath overhead powerlines. Make sure to wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and boots because the stalks are thorny. Also, remember, humans, aren’t the only animals to eat berries. Watch out for bears and snakes.
In Western Pennsylvania, black raspberries (above) begin to ripen around July 4 and a couple of weeks later, blackberries (right) become available to harvest.
Blackberries are much bigger and have bigger seeds.
Also, please remember not to step down the green stalks without fruit. Blackberries and Raspberries are biennial. Those empty stalks will bear fruit for next year’s harvest.
Hemp Agrimony
Of the myriad of species collected, Catherine relied on Hemp-Agrimony above all others, collecting the leaves and flowering tops in August before they opened and dried. Vitamin C in plants such as Hemp-Agrimony staved off scurvy and colds during the long Vosges winter without fresh fruits. For uses read more…
Wild Spinach or Lambsquarters
Prolific, abundant, and delicious, the top edible “weed” is Wild Spinach. It grows with little effort in almost any disturbed soil and is one of the most nutrient-dense plants ever analyzed. It is rich in potassium and magnesium and has more vitamins A and C, riboflavin, and calcium than domesticated spinach. Learn more…
