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...

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...

A Very, Very Good Berry and a Very, Very Bad Barry

There is really nothing quite like the fully ripe wine berries (Rubus phoenicolasius) which are now making their appearance in the lower elevations of the foothills area. These

bright red gems of sweet succulent goodness literally make my mouth water with anticipation. Kinda like the exact opposite of a Marion Barry...

One of my Favorite Buds

Shortly before they emerge to display their beautiful splendor, the unopened flowers of the daylily can be gently plucked, delicately rinsed, dusted with powdered cayenne, lightly salted and then sautéed in a bath of simmering butter. That sounds like the perfect start to a quiet evening shared with one of my favorite buds...

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...

Faux Spinach With a Mean Streak

If you do not like the taste of spinach, STOP READING NOW, DO NOT READ THE REST OF THIS POST. If you do like the taste of spinach, it is time to pick some weeds. In their raw state, nettles are less than palatable but, once cooked, they lose their sting and gain in flavor. Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis) (pictured at left) is very similar to its better-known "cousin" stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) and they both taste surprisingly like Popeye's preferred performance enhancer. Even so, most people seem to prefer the later due to wood nettles' slight "mucilaginousness". To prepare, harvest the younger leaves from plants that have not yet flowered, place in a cooking pot and cover with cold water. Next, stir gently and remove any bugs that float to the surface (if desired). Drain the water leaving the leaves wet but with no standing water and simmer for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat. You can then just stand by the stove and eat them right out of the pot unless the wife is present, whereas proper plating is prudent (pictured below). While the two varieties do resemble one another they can be easily distinguished. Wood nettle has an alternate leaf arrangement but stinging nettle leaves are borne oppositely. Also, stinging nettle seems to be more commonly found in populated areas while I tend to find wood nettle in less accessible environs. However, the easiest way to tell which one you have found is the "sting test". Stinging nettle will sting at the slightest provocation but wood nettle is somewhat less irascible. Some wood nettle stingers even appear to be totally stingless - Until you lick them...

Don't "Roundup" Your Lions

While many misguided lawn aficionados attempt to drown this most useful of weeds with a quite toxic cocktail of isopropylamine salt glyphosate and polyethoxylated tallow amine (otherwise know as Monsanto's Roundup weed killer), foragers recognize the dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) as a delicious and free source of vitamins A, B complex, C and D, as well as yummy minerals such as iron, potassium and zinc. This lawn "pest" is one of the most versatile and easy to identify edible wild finds and is ubiquitous throughout our galaxy and most others. The tender new leaves can be added to any green salad; older leaves can be Sautéed alone or added to red and white pasta sauces; the flowers can be fashioned into fritters or dandelion wine; and the roots can be dried and ground into a passable coffee substitute sans the caffeine. One surprising bit of dandelion trivia is the fact that prior to Mr. Columbus' voyage, the New World was completely dandelionless...

Eating Your Yard - The Ultimate Locavore

The first green sprigs of Spring probably excite me more than most folks. Not only can I now clean out the ashes from the wood stove (my only source of winter heat) but I see this new growth, not as nature's miracle of rebirth and a harbinger of warmer weather, but as tender infant plants about to be sacrificed to the salad bowl. Many, if not most, common yard weeds are edible as long as your lawn has not been chemically-enhanced, so remember, a friend with weeds is a friend indeed...

Foraging for Fish

Saturday's Catch - A Green River Rainbow