DINNER ON YOUR DOORSTEP
WORDS Joshua Brosnahan PHOTO Theo Coles
A day in the life of Peter Langlands is certainly interesting and diverse; he’s the Bear Grylls of our quarter acres.
Under the name Wild Capture, Peter runs a Facebook page where he shares his observations on wild foods and foraging, documents wildlife through photography, and interacts with a growing online community of likeminded people; the learning process is a two-way street.
Peter mentions how much he enjoys how his outdoor interests overlap.
“It allows plenty of insight. To be a good forager, you need to have an awareness of ecology and habitats, and then you can read the landscape like a book.”
Peter has worked for a range of restaurants New Zealand-wide, offering advice on the integration of wild-foods into their menus. Most of his foraging work itself is for chef Vaughan Mabee, at Amisfield in Central Otago.
“We have won innovation awards in recent years, and in the last year have been judged by the Cuisine Food awards as the number one in New Zealand. For me, being part of that team where innovation is everything has been a richly rewarding experience.”
Foraging and local, sustainable food practice have really come into play more in recent years, and Peter’s consultancy work has evolved from this.
“Foraging gives us a direct connection, and awareness of the quality of our local environment – it really tunes you into how rapidly nature changes over the seasons, and the fragility of life. I have worked with
a range of local restaurants and enjoyed helping chefs find local ingredients and have built up a good connection with Gatherings and Pegasus Bay Winery.”
Any technical skills come from Peter’s study of Zoology at the University of Canterbury.
He keeps records of all things he finds edible in a database, which has surpassed over 7500 species.
This also led to travel around New Zealand, showing community groups and chefs the array of wild-food resources right on their doorsteps. There’s plenty of edible plants in Aotearoa; Peter estimates that over fifty wild greens can be found in the average Christchurch backyard.
“Wood Sorrel is a ‘top garnish’ species, with a zingy flavour, yet a lot of gardeners look at it as a weed. Many healthy species such as dandelion greens and sow thistles can be eaten and added to salads with real health benefits. There is a surprising array of edible flowers – Magnolia flowers have a striking flavour that can be used with Asian dishes and for infusing into vinegars.”
Peter encourages Cantabrians to learn the basics of foraging.
“You’ll be able to embark on a lifetime of discovery and build up an awareness of locally available, and tasty food. It is a highly satisfying experience and a good way to relax, too. We are lucky that in and around Christchurch, and extending onto Banks Peninsula, is one of the three top zones in New Zealand for diversity – it’s all on our doorstep.”