I discovered, whilst on vacation, a wondrous place that deserves a mention in this blog even though it is not in the proximity of anything remotely resembling a "foothill" (or any other hill except for perhaps a hill of the fire ant variety). It is a place where the nascent forager can take their first hesitant steps towards relishing food stuffs that do not come pre-washed and pre-packaged but are instead literally lying at one's feet. "Where is this amazing place?", you ask and "How much is the price of admission?", you wonder. In the order of your inquiries: Redland, Florida and $8.
The place is Fruit and Spice Park; a public 37-acre tropical botanical paradise owned and operated by the Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation Department. The garden hosts over 500 varieties of fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs and nuts. But this is not your typical "look-but-don't-touch" botanical garden and, depending on the season, you can sample all that grows here.
There is, however, one important directive - You are prevented from picking any produce from the plants. You are allowed only to eat what has already fallen. While this may sound less than ideal, the fare is most plentiful as there are numerous trees of each fruit variety and typically only the ripest fruit actually falls to the ground.
On the late December afternoon that we arrived, the staff greeted us with a graciously prepared sampling table of about a dozen fruits that were not fully in season but were available in limited supply for "special" guests from the foothills (as long as you pay the $8 admission, I am sure that you too will be awarded this premium privilege). After consuming this copious snackage, we gorged ourselves on carambola, coconut, egg fruit, finger limes, gamboge and other succulent sustenance despite Syd's supposition (correct, of course) that a large meal made up entirely of fruit would lead to later "issues" of the digestive system that would inevitably make our camping trip to the Everglades somewhat more eventful than desired...
Foothills Forager
Forage - To wander in search of food or provisions. One can be quite successful foraging in the foothills of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. If you are feeling particularly peckish, join me on my amazing forage focused on obtaining nutritious and tasty comestibles while parting with very little (or no) cash. Bon Appétit...
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Foraging in the Higher Elevations
In the lower elevations, most of the sweet berries of summer have been picked and eaten, turned into jam, or have simply withered on the vine in the oppressive heat. Nevertheless, many sacchariferous surprises still await those willing to climb a little higher. Yesterday's hike into the Shining Rock Wilderness Area yielded a plethora of these still succulent gems and the 72 °F ambient at 6000' was a welcomed relief from the dog days of summer below...
Thursday, July 5, 2012
The First Road Cabbage of 2012
Today is a day of joy and celebration. Today is a day that has been the subject of much anticipation. Today is the day that the Cabbage Gods have smiled on me and have provided me with much needed sustenance. Today is the day of the FIRST ROAD CABBAGE of 2012. Today is truly a great day...
Sunday, June 24, 2012
A Very, Very Good Berry and a Very, Very Bad Barry
bright red gems of sweet succulent goodness literally make my mouth water with anticipation. Kinda like the exact opposite of a Marion Barry...
Sunday, June 10, 2012
One of my Favorite Buds
Labels:
cooking,
daylily,
eating wild foods,
flower buds,
sauteed daylily buds
Monday, May 14, 2012
BlackBerry Users Apparently Not Foragers of Blackberries
I checked my blog stats today and apparently BlackBerry users do not like to forage. How hypocritical of them, using a device whose moniker is derived from such a yummy wild comestible...
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Faux Spinach With a Mean Streak
Labels:
eating weeds,
eating wild foods,
nettles,
spinach,
stinging nettles
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