Bring the boreal forest to your table

In Canada and around the world, communities and chefs alike have been harvesting food and medicine from the boreal forest for thousands of years. Michele Genest, The Boreal Gourmet, is a Yukon chef whose savoury dishes combine ingredients freshly picked in the boreal forest with cooking techniques collected from her global travels. The holiday season is upon us, and Michele and her friends from Free Pour Jenny’s and The Yukon Soaps Company have created delicious recipes to help you discover the rich boreal universe. This year, share love with your family and friends over a plate of delicious boreal food…

Discover the recipes

Meet Michele Genest, The Boreal Gourmet

Discover the boreal recipes

Cranberry chutney – A jar of chutney makes a great gift, and is a perfect accompaniment for a Christmas feast. Find the full recipe here!

Labrador tea custard – Labrador tea is the vanilla of the North! Find the full recipe (and a vegan option) here!

Cornmeal, cheddar and sage muffins – These muffins make a great contribution to a potluck holiday brunch. Find the full recipe here!

Wild mushroom cream sauce – It goes so well with pasta! Find the full recipe (and a vegan option) here!

Rosehip bitters – A recipe from Free Pour Jenny’s. With wild Yukon rosehips and hints of cinnamon, these bitters are great with gin. Find the full recipe here!

Rose Gold cocktail – A recipe from Free Pour Jenny’s. A perfect blend of bitters with vodka, crème de cassis, rose water and soda water to create a gorgeous, rosy cocktail! Find the full recipe here!

Castile Soap – A recipe from The Yukon Soaps Company. Dried rose petals and fireweed add a lovely touch to one of the oldest soap recipes around. Find the full recipe here!

Copyright : Recipes for Greenpeace, adapted from The Boreal Gourmet, Adventures in Northern Cooking, by Michele Genest. Harbour Publishing, 2010.

What you can do

The boreal forest is under threat from unsustainable logging. Help protect this ecosystem that is rich in biodiversity, home to hundreds of Indigenous communities, and one of our best protections against climate change.

Act! Join the growing movement to protect the boreal forest in Canada

Join the movement