Food in the Wizarding World

[Equinox Chick]

Also, and I'm not sure of the exact quote, but when the Trio hear Dean, Ted Tonks, and the goblins in the campground, one of the goblins summons a fish from the stream, which always sort of confused me. Couldn't have Hermione done that?

The trio are eating roast pike at that moment. Hermione says Harry caught the fish. He may have summoned it - we don't know. I think the problem is basically that Hermione isn't a good cook. She can charm flames and make food edible (barely according to Ron) but as Halgy says, none of them are used to roughing it. In comparison, the Tonks mob are cooking food with a tantalizing smell. Perhaps the Goblins are cooking the food - they'd probably be good at cooking properly as they don't have wands to cook with.

Although I almost feel like a lot of wizards would see farming as being dirty, peasant-like work that was suitable only for Muggles.

I can see the pure-blood families thinking that, but I doubt the rest of them think that way. Wizards don't seem to have any interest in technology, so I think they would be growing thngs in the exact same way as their ancestors from decades/centuries before.
In the case of a family like the Malfoys they probably leave all the food purchasing up to their house elf - or perhaps another type of servant and won't bother to find out where the food comes from. I could see them being assured that it's 'wizard-grown' but could be conned by an unscrupulous servant who serves them 'Muggle-grown' instead (serves them right)

Sorry for the novella: I never can write short posts.

Me too, it seems.

Carole