Ontario Foraging, Foraging, Wild edibles, Wild Mushrooms, Stratford restaurants, oyster mushrooms, morels

For the past thirteen years our Forage and Feast Events have served to bring participants a taste of the wild, at the same time promoting local businesses who team with us to create a wonderful culinary experience. In 2017 Wine and Dine Magazine (Singapore) featured Puck's Plenty's Forage and Feast alongside such world famous restaurants as Noma (Denmark),
Parallel 37(San Francisco) and the Native Restaurant (Britain).

Our Forage and Feast Events are listed by Marriott International as one of the "Top 10 Adventures to Have this Summer" while Travel and Leisure Magazine included Puck's Plenty as one of the top foraging spots in the world.





May 20th Forage and Feast
Wild Leek Tarts with Fiddleheads

SOLD OUT.

Springtime features an array of wild edible plants that excite the palette while satisfying your appetite. Mid morning finds us exploring wooded trails only fifteen minutes from Stratford, searching for Day Lily Shoots, Wild Nettles, Fiddleheads and Pheasant Back Mushrooms. Next we return to Stratford where our first Forage and Feast of the season awaits us. We begin with Wild Nettle Gouda with slices of baguettes followed by Wild Leek Soup. Our main course features Wild Leek Tarts with braised Fiddleheads on the side, topping it off with a Creamy Caramel Flan for dessert. Both red and white wines from Niagara will be offered along with locally brewed craft beer.

To get a taste of who we are you may want to check out this article from the The National Post.

Start time: 9:45 am
Where: Packham Sports Complex
Cost: $90 per person.

Tickets can be purchased through e-transfer to this email address. For more information phone 519-271-3726 or email us at pucksplenty@gmail.com


June 17th Forage & Feast
Blue Oyster Mushroom Casserole

SOLD OUT.

Mid June offers up a variety of wild edibles including Wild Leek Bulbs, Wild Ginger, Cleavers as well as mushrooms; Summer Oysters, Platterful, Fawn and Beech Rooter fungi. We will be searching for these on trails outside of Stratford before returning to town for our second Forage and Feast of the season. The menu includes Wild Nettle Gouda with baguettes, followed by Nettle Soup. The main course features a mushroom casserole of Blue Oyster Mushrooms and asparagus in a creamy sauce followed by a Lemon and Strawberry Trifle.

Red and White wines from Niagara along with locally brewed craft beer are also included.

Start time: 9:45 am
Where: Packham Sports Complex
Cost: $90 per person.

Tickets can be purchased through e-transfer to this email address. For more information phone 519-271-3726 or email us at pucksplenty@gmail.com


July 15th Forage and Feast
Highland Pheasant Casserole with Apples

SOLD OUT.

We are approaching mid-Summer with forests lush and steamy. On trails outside of Stratford we will be searching for mushrooms such as the Platterful, the Beech Rooter and Summer Oysters along with wild edible plants like Wild Leek Bulbs and Wild Ginger. After our trek we return to Stratford where a four course meal awaits us. We open with homemade Hummus from Vincenzo's Grocery in Kitchener, served with sliced baguettes from the Downie Street Bakehouse. A tangy Wood Sorrel soup follows. Our main course is a Highland Pheasant Casserole served with a with a salad of mixed Summer Greens. Dessert: a light Strawberry Flan. Locally brewed craft beer and wines from Niagara are also included.

Start time: 9:45 am
Where: Packham Sports Complex
Cost: $90 per person.

Tickets can be purchased through e-transfer to this email address. For more information phone 519-271-3726 or email us at pucksplenty@gmail.com


August 12th Forage & Feast
Wild Mushroom Bolognese

5 tickets available.

Mid August features several types of Boletes including what some call The Wild Porcini. This family of mushrooms is quite easy to identify simply because it has no gills. Instead there is a "spongy" substance that bruises olive to blue when touched. They are quite delicious especially when harvested young. These will be one of the many mushrooms we will forage for along with Wild Leek Bulbs, Wood Sorrel and Watercress. After our foraging segment we return to Stratford where a four course meal awaits us. Our opening course is homemade Hummus from Vincenzo's Grocery in Kitchener, served with sliced baguettes from the Downie Street Bakehouse followed by Wild Watercress Soup. Our main course will be a Wild Mushroom Bolognese. Dessert: A light peach flan.

Locally brewed craft beers as well as red and white wines from Niagara are also included.

Start time: 9:45 am
Where: Packham Sports Complex
Cost: $90 per person.

Tickets can be purchased through e-transfer to this email address. For more information phone 519-271-3726 or email us at pucksplenty@gmail.com


August 27th Forage and Feast

12 tickets available.

Our second Forage and Feast event of August will feature fresh Chanterelle Mushrooms from Pacific Wild in BC. We open the meal with a combination of sliced fruits, Wild Nettle Cheese (Mountainoak, New Hamburg), Homemade Hummus (Vincenzo's Grocery, Kitchener) and Baguettes (Downie Street Bakehouse, Stratford). Our Main Course, Chanterelle Quiche with a side dish of salad greens featuring wild herbs. Dessert: A light Peach Flan. The meal includes a choice of red or white wines from Niagara as well as locally brewed craft beer.

It all begins Sunday morning, meeting at the Chesney Wilderness Area 25 minutes from Stratford. From there we drive a short distance to a 100 acre parcel of Crown Land where we will search for mushrooms such as Summer Oysters, Turkey Tails, Boletes and Angel Wings. Along the way we will collect Wild Ginger, Wood Sorrel and more. We then return to Stratford Tea Leaves for our meal.

Start time: 9:45 am
Where: Chesney Wilderness Area, Bright, ON
Cost: $90 per person (no HST).

Tickets can be purchased through e-transfer to this email address. For more information phone 519-271-3726 or email us at pucksplenty@gmail.com


September 16th Forage and Feast
Wild Boar Stew with Chestnuts

SOLD OUT.

With Autumn only days away we can already feel the crispness in the air along with a certain coolness to the night. These conditions are ideal for the arrival of Fall Mushrooms. Blewits, Lactarius, Velvet Foot, Fall Oysters and more. The surrounding forests trails around Stratford are home to these tantalizing fungi as well as wild plants like Wild Watercress, Wood Sorrel, Wild Pears and Apples. Our morning trek takes us into Nature's Wild where we search for her bounty. All of this before we return to town for an upscale lunch that includes Truffle Gouda, baguettes, Wild Watercress Soup and, of course, the main dish, Wild Boar Stew. This is a traditional Portugese recipe with chestnuts, braised brussels sprouts, black currants and wild mushrooms. Dessert: A Creamy Caramel Flan.

Your choice of red or white wine from Niagara along with locally brewed craft beer.

Start time: 9:45 am
Where: Packham Sports Complex
Cost: $90 per person.

Tickets can be purchased through e-transfer to this email address. For more information phone 519-271-3726 or email us at pucksplenty@gmail.com


October 7th Forage and Feast
Pheasant Stew or Wild Mushroom Quiche

SOLD OUT.

On this Thanksgiving Weekend we take to the trails in search of the wild edibles of Mother Nature. Edibles such as Wild Watercress, Wild Carrot along with the mushrooms of Autumn: Blewits, Lactarius, Velvet Foot, Gem Studded Puffballs, Lepista Irinas. The list goes on and on. Then around noon we travel back to Stratford for a delicious lunch featuring Wild Nettle Gouda, baguettes from the Downie Street Bakehouse, Leek Soup and then the crème de la crème, Wild Pheasant Stew. We're using a classic French recipe this time that is less a stew than it is a coq au vin. The birds will be marinated in de-alcoholized wine for 3 days. Fully alcoholic wine can impart a weird, tinny flavor to the meat. Lots of herbs and a bit of brandy will be added to the broth. The result will be a tantalizing hybrid sauce. For those of you preferring vegetarian, we offer a Wild Mushroom Quiche. A salad of mixed greens will be served on the side for both dishes. Dessert: A light pear flan.

Of course you will have a choice of red or white wines from the Niagara Region along with locally brewed craft beers.

Start time: 9:45 am
Where: Packham Sports Complex
Cost: $90 per person.

Tickets can be purchased through e-transfer to this email address. For more information phone 519-271-3726 or email us at pucksplenty@gmail.com


November 4th Forage and Feast
Hen of the Woods Bourguignon

14 tickets available.

We're in the early days of Autumn as those tree shadows seem just a bit longer while the rich green of the forest floor begins to fade. Nonetheless there are rich wild edibles to be found on trails only minutes from Stratford. Fall Oyster Mushrooms, Puffballs, Blewits, Velvet Foot and Lipista Irina to name but a few before returning to town where a hearty four course meal awaits us. The menu begins with Truffle Gouda from Mountain Oak Cheese accompanied with slices of fresh baguettes from The Downie Street Bakehouse. Our main course is Hen of the Woods Bourguignon served over mashed potatoes. Dessert will be provided by The Black Angus Bakery while beverages will include locally brewed craft beer and wines from Niagara.

An Autumn afternoon can't get better than this.

Each participant will receive one Hen of the Woods from Shogun Maitake for their cooking pleasure.

Start time: 9:45 am
Where: Packham Sports Complex
Cost: $90 per person.

Tickets can be purchased through e-transfer to this email address. For more information phone 519-271-3726 or email us at pucksplenty@gmail.com