Canada Day Foraging Weekend Continues

On this Canada Day Weekend one of the more delectable plants are ripe for the taking. The Day Lily offers up a variety of flavours from the spicy bud to the sweet flower pedal. They can be eaten raw, tossed into salads and the buds can be added to stir fry giving your meal just the right hint of the wild. We'll also be searching for delicious oyster mushrooms, pheasant back mushrooms, wild watercress, wood nettles (great for nettle beer) and more on trails only 20 minutes from Stratford.

Find out why Marriot International listed Puck's Plenty as one of the "Top 10 Adventures to Have this Summer".

Start time: 10:00 am
Where: 96 Birmingham Street, Stratford, Ontario N5A 2S9
Cost: $35 per person.

Tickets can be purchased through internet tranfer. For more information phone 519-271-3726 or email us at pucksplenty@gmail.com

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July 2nd

15 spots left

Ash Boletes

One of the more sought after mushrooms come from the Boletus Family. Unlike most other mushrooms they lack gills but instead have pours underneath the cap. All but one variety is edible so it's pretty much safe picking for hikers and nature enthusiasts. One of the first to appear is the ash bolete. True to its name, it is found under ash trees and can be picked through most of the Summer into September. Learn how to identify these and more, such as the delcious, fleshy oyster mushroom and the sweet tasting pheasant back. We'll also be harvesting wood nettles, day lily buds and flowers, wild watercress, wild ginger and more.

There's a reason Travel and Leisure Magazine listed Puck's Plenty as one of the top foraging spots in the world. Find out why!

Start time: 10:00 am
Where: 96 Birmingham Street, Stratford, Ontario N5A 2S9
Cost: $35.00/person

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July 7th

15 spots left

Pineapple Weed

When you think of weeds you naturally think . . . Garden Pests! Here at Puck's Plenty we don't regard this plant as a weed even though it can be found practically everywhere. Waste sights, sidewalk cracks, parking lots. We'll sidestep those areas and concentrate on Nature's grassy plains instead. This herb (because that's what it is) has a wonderful scent that translates into an amazing tea. Moreover, thanks to a chef we took out last year, we found that boiled in equal parts cane sugar and water, it makes an incredible substitue for maple syrup. It's absolutely delicious. Like many other wild edibles, after you see it for the first time you see it again and again, throughout the Summer. So bring paper bags, small knives, scissors and spades as we search for these along with wild watercress, day lily buds and flowers, wood nettles, not to forget fungi such as oyster mushrooms, ash boletes and pheasant back. They're all out there on beautiful trails only a short car ride from Stratford.

Start time: 10:00 am
Where: 96 Birmingham Street, Stratford, Ontario N5A 2S9
Cost: $35.00/person

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July 8th

15 spots left

Milkweed Pods

We're back to the milkweed plant again and now our interest shifts to the pods. If still firm to the touch they are ripe and ready to be prepared. One of the more exciting recipes is pickling, making them a wonderfully wild hors d'oeuvre. They can also be sauteed or stuffed with cream cheese, diced onion and jalapeno. The pods are packed with Vitamin C and also contain betacarotene which helps to prevent cardiovascular disease, strokes, and cancer.

Join us on trails only twenty minutes from Stratford as we search for Nature's Summer Bounty that also includes oyster mushrooms, ash boletes, pheasant back mushrooms, watercress and amazing wild ginger.

Find out why Marriot International listed Puck's Plenty as one of the
"Top 10 Adventures to Have this Summer".

Start time: 10:00 am
Where: 96 Birmingham Street, Stratford, Ontario N5A 2S9
Cost: $35.00/person

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July 14th

15 spots left

Angel Wings

One of the smaller fungi that Summer has to offer are the Angel Wings. A tiny relative of the oyster mushroom, they have a fleeting window of harvesting. We say that because they don't last very long on the decaying hardwood found deep in the forest. As long as their colour has not begun to fade to grey they are still ripe for picking. Sautee then the same day and add them to any rice or pasta dish. We'll also search for ash boletes, pheasant back and, of course, the highly prized oyster mushrooms.

Puck's Plenty tours has been rated as one of the top foraging adventures in the world by Marriot International and Travel and Leisure Magazine. Join us on the trails and find out why.

Start time: 10:00 am
Where: 96 Birmingham Street, Stratford, Ontario N5A 2S9
Cost: $35.00/person

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July 15th

The Oyster Mushroom

15 spots left

They began appearing in late June and will continue until the early months of Autumn. This, in itself, is a gift from Nature as these are one of the best tasting of wild mushrooms. With a hint of sweetness along with their near perfect tenderness, they fit perfectly into a myriad of recipes. Highly sought after by chefs worldwide, they are quite numerous right here in southwestern Ontario. We will be collecting these along with other fine fungi like the ash bolete, the pheasant back, and the gem studded. We will also gather such wild plants as lambs quarters, pineapple weed, wild watercress and more. Take the bounty that Nature has to offer back to your kitchens and let your culinary imagination take wing . . . how's that for purple prose?

Join us on beautiful trails only 20 minutes from Stratford and learn the ancient art of foraging.

Start time: 10:00 am
Where: 96 Birmingham Street, Stratford, Ontario N5A 2S9
Cost: $35.00/person

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July 21st

The Gem Studded Puffball

15 spots left

This little gem is rated on the taste scale as "choice". Unlike its giant cousin, the texture is firm and the taste is more pronounced. We think the best way to appreciate the gem studded is to simply sautee them in butter with a touch of garlic and salt. These treasures are so scrumptious they stand alone as a wild side dish. Join us on trails in and around Stratford as we hike the forests in search of Nature's Bounty. Oyster Mushrooms, wild watercress, pineapple weed, lambs quarters and wild leek bulbs . . . they're all there.

Puck's Plenty tours has been rated as one of the top foraging adventures in the world by Marriot International and Travel and Leisure Magazine.

Join us on the trails and find out why.

Start time: 10:00 am
Where: 96 Birmingham Street, Stratford, Ontario N5A 2S9
Cost: $35.00/person

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July 22nd

15 spots left

Lambs Quarters

You want healthy? This plant's got it, containing more iron, protein, calcium and vitamin B1 & B2, than raw cabbage or spinach. It's slight nutty taste makes it wonderful addition to pasta dishes or simply steamed with rice. They can be found just about everywhere, escpecially waste sights and open fields. Along with Lambs Quarters we will be foraging wild watercress, wild ginger, pineapple weed . . . not to forget wild fungi such as oysters. ash boletes, gem studded and pheasant back. To paraphrase Robert Frost, The woods are very dark and deep but we still have promises to keep. Promises like Nature's wild and wonderful edibles.

Read The National Post article on Puck's Plenty to get a taste of who we are.
Then join us on the trails!

Start time: 10:00 am
Where: 96 Birmingham Street, Stratford, Ontario N5A 2S9
Cost: $35.00/person

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July 28th

The King Bolete

15 spots left

At this time of year we are on the cusp where mushroom hunting turns exciting. One of the more highly prized fungi in the Bolete family is The King. The cap has the richest of flavours while the stalk holds many more surprises especially when cooked into soups and stews. Last year, on a newly discovered trail, we found scores of them nestled in the lush green ground cover of the forest. You won't want to miss hunting for these "choice" edibles that will drive your culinary senses wild. Along with the King Bolete we will search for oyster mushrooms, gem studded mushrooms, ash boletes and more.

Start time: 10:00 am
Where: 96 Birmingham Street, Stratford, Ontario N5A 2S9
Cost: $35.00/person

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July 29th

15 spots left

Staghorn Sumac

Want a refreshing yet healthy Summer drink? Try Staghorn Sumac. Gather the red flowers (shown here), rub gently to bruise, soak in very cold water for 15 to 20 minutes then strain through cheesecloth. There you have it. A wild substitute for pink lemonade. Another way to enjoy this plant is to make sumac spice or powder. Use it over chicken, fish or rice pilaf. Sumac is available right through until mid Autumn. If you want to test its ripeness wet your finger, rub the plant and taste. If it's tart it's ripe.

All of this can be found on beautiful forest trails just outside of Stratford. Learn the ancient art of foraging with noted naturalist Peter Blush, harvesting other wild edibles such as wild watercress, wild ginger, oyster mushrooms, King Boletes and more.

Puck's Plenty tours has been rated as one of the top foraging adventures in the world by Marriot International and Travel and Leisure Magazine.

Join us on the trails and find out why.

Start time: 10:00 am
Where: 96 Birmingham Street, Stratford, Ontario N5A 2S9
Cost: $35.00/person

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