The art and craft of foraging
WILDNESS MAY | JUN 2014
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: SPRING GREENS Wild Spring Rolls with Citrus-Nettle Seed Dipping Sauce
EDIBLE AND NATURAL: Reviewing the Rules of Foraging
HIDDEN FRUITS Foraging: Do it for your daughters.
FEATURES Spring Greens, Pickled Redbud and Pineapple Weed. How Do I Know What Plants are Safe to Eat? Foraging with Kids.
3
4, 6
8
EDITORS NOTE
SPRING GREENS A wide variety described and photographed
EDIBLE AND NATURAL: Reviewing the Rules of Foraging by JJ Murphy
SPRING TONIC Greens used in a Wild Spring Roll recipe.
10
12
14
PICKLED REDBUD A How To by Leda Meredith
PINEAPPLE WEED
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
NORTHEAST FORAGING Book review by Mike Krebill
HIDDEN FRUITS Foraging: Do It for Your Daughters by Merriwether Lewis
NEVER EAT A PLANT UNLESS YOU ARE 100 PERCENT SURE OF ITS IDENTITY, AND CHECK WITH EXPERT SOURCES BEFORE CONSUMING ANY PLANTS THAT ARE NEW.
CONTENT Editor and Photography Heather Pier Publisher The Wild Raspberry Contributing Articles JJ Murphy, Leda Meredith, Merriweather Lewis Design Peggy Nelsen Design WILDNESS: wildnessmagazine@gmail.com © 2014 The Wild Raspberry. 2
WILDNESS
I“ n Wildness is the preservation of the World.” - Henry David Thoreau
Appreciating the Changing Seasons I don’t have a favorite season. I appreciate each of them for their unique opportunities and challenges. Summer brings us lazy days and berries. Fall contributes black walnuts, acorns and hazelnuts. And Spring sings with leafy greens and showy flowers. After a long winter of eating pickled and preserved fruits and vegetables, my mother’s old wooden salad bowl is again filled with crisp greens and crunchy seed pods. It is spring and my kitchen science experiments can continue. Our grandparents looked forward to that first flush of green growth, and imbibed in spring tonics, and big pots of boiled greens usually served with the last of the salt pork and spring onions or ramps. I don’t care for boiled greens. It’s a texture thing. Yes, there are a few plants that you can’t get away from boiling, such as poke (poke toxins must be boiled with 3 water changes to remove), but for the most part, only the freshest, crispiest greens grace my table. The flavors are varied; sweet, bitter, salty, spicy. I mix and match them, add them to sandwiches, soups and stews and even infuse vodka with a few of them. For the beginning forager, next to the berries, spring greens are some of the easiest to identify. Many reformed gardeners recognize them as the weeds that they have waged war on in their gardens; chickweed, miner’s lettuce, dock, fennel, sow thistle, wild lettuces. As my friend Deane says ‘Eat The Weeds’. (And you should check out some of Deane’s You Tube videos for identification). I hope that you’re enjoying the season and all it has to offer. The birds sing their loudest songs, the world burst forth in a million shades of green, spring rains drench the soil in warm moisture and you can begin eating ‘Wildness’ again. Happy Spring! Heather Pier
MAY | JUN 2014
3
Think Spring Greens The start of the foraging season often begins with a large salad or green drink. Here are a few of the earliest spring plants that you can incorporate into your diet and menus. Depending on what part of the country that you’re from, there are others, equally tasty and well known. Check with your local forager for classes to find out what else is in your area. Always be 100 percent sure of your identification before eating any plant. Just for fun, you might check out Hank Shaw’s article on how to make an excellent salad over at Hunter, Angler, Gardner, Cook http://honest-food.net/2007/12/01/a-proper-salad/
DANDELION (Taraxacum officinale) Dandelion is probably the most well-known of any of the spring greens. All parts of the plant are edible. You’ve probably seen them in many lawns and disturbed areas. Dandelion wine is a classic recipe, but it takes a lot of dandelion blossoms to make a gallon, so be prepared to spend some time picking. Try frying the blossoms as a fritter, or tuck some blooms into a grilled cheese sandwich. The greens are a tad bitter and are usually served as a pot herb, although I enjoy throwing a few leaves into a salad. The root is bitter and is often used in the same way as chicory, as a coffee extender. To identify dandelion, look for a basal rosette, deeply toothed leaves, and a single yellow blossom per stalk. When picked, the leaves and flower stalk will exude a white sap.
4
WILDNESS
Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinale)
MINER’S LETTUCE (Claytonia perfoliata) If you have friends that are suspicious of eating wild food (or weeds, as some folks call them), miner’s lettuce is a great introduction. Sweet and buttery, it’s a perfect addition to a salad. Mix it up with other greens or add it to green drinks for a big bump in nutrition. It beats those flavorless balls of water called ’iceberg lettuce’ any day. In a salad, it’s best dressed with a light dressing like a vinaigrette. But catch miner’s lettuce before the heat hits. Once summer comes, they’ll dissolve back into the landscape like a snowball. To identify, look in shady spots for round leaves that resemble a lily pad. The stem will go through the leaf (hence the ‘perfoliata’ in its name), and there may be small white flowers. Miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)
Chickweed (Stellaria media)
CHICKWEED (Stellaria media) Chickweed was covered thoroughly in the last issue of ‘Wildness’, but here’s a recap: add it to salads, sandwiches and green drinks. The plant contains high levels of potassium, Vitamin C and A and other trace minerals, making it one of the healthiest greens on the planet. Chickweed oil is a wonderful addition to homemade salves for bug bites and sunburns too. To identify, look for stems that have a line of fine hairs that travel up to a leaf junction and then switch over to the opposite side of the stem. Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) White flowers seem to have 10 petals, but HENBIT (Lamium amplexicaule) This pretty little actually there are only five. Each petal is cleft plant is a bit too hairy to add to salads for my almost in half. Also, look for the ‘elastic’ core, taste, but many people do. I add it to blenderized when gently breaking a stem apart. green drinks or steam the leaves to add to meat FENNEL (Foeniculum vulgare) Most people are pies and other dishes. Check the internet and familiar with the sweet, licorice taste of this you’ll find a hundred or more ways to use henbit, non-native plant. My town has a large Portuguese besides just using the flowers as a garnish. And community and wild fennel is a common don’t forget to blow the henbit horn for the ingredient in their soupas. It’s also very popular children. To identify, look for plants with a square in Italian dishes. I throw a little into salads (a little stem, scalloped leaf edges and pink to purple dab’ll do ya). Mostly, I use the seeds as spice and flowers that have spotted lips. flavoring in baked goods and gather the pollen to STINGING NETTLE (Urtica dioica) Nettles are use as an ingredient in other dishes. And a sip of to foragers, what beans are to cowboys. Touted fennel infused vodka after dinner is divine. Look for tall plants with finely divided, almost feathery as a superfood, easy to prepare, a powerhouse of nutrition, nettles are ‘it’. We suffer the sting leaves. The scent of a crushed leaf smells like because we know that it is a small price to pay for licorice. The flowers are yellow and umbelliferous. Although this is generally an easy all the gifts that this plant has to offer. Nettles are plant to identify, do be cautious. Fennel is related one of the easiest ways to let food be your medicine. Ask any herbalist what their favorite to the deadly poison hemlock. herbs are and nettles will be on their top ten list. Gloves make harvesting easy and a quick steam Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare). With last years over wintered stocks. renders its formic acid laden little stingers harmless. Make green noodles from nettle, add the gently steamed greens as a pizza topping, drink it as a tea, the uses for nettle greens are endless. There is even a clothing line that features nettle. And don’t forget the seeds. Photo shown on page 4. W MAY | JUN 2014
5
Spring Tonic:
Wild Spring Rolls with Citrus-Nettle Seed Dipping Sauce
Not that long ago, our grandparents celebrated the end of a long, dark winter by enjoying ‘spring tonics’. Without the modern ‘supermarket’, the appearance of the first spring greens marked the end of monotonous dull diets made from dried beans and preserved meats. And not surprisingly, those first spring greens are packed with nutrition in the form of vitamins and trace minerals. The tonic effects of those early spring greens were said to aid digestion, purify the blood and tone the kidneys. Dandelion, nettle, chickweed, miner’s lettuce, sassafras, watercress, dock, elder and other regional greens were all used in spring tonics, served as green drinks, teas and in soups and stews. In traditional Vietnamese spring rolls, there is always a leaf or two of mint added. W Miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)
6
WILDNESS
Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Here’s is an easy recipe that can be put together in a few minutes. You can make a vegetarian version by leaving out the shrimp. Feel free to play with the spring greens.
Wild Spring Rolls You’ll need: An assortment of your favorite fresh spring greens and vegetables (I like to add slivers of carrot or avocado or even a few slivered sliced Brodiaea corms) Spring roll wrappers (available at Asian grocery stores) Shrimp (optional) Dip each spring roll wrapper in boiling water for a few seconds to hydrate. Place on a damp plate. Working quickly, place shrimp (optional), greens and vegetables in the center of the wrap, fold edges in tightly (as if you are wrapping a present), and serve seam side down.
Citrus-Nettle Seed Dipping Sauce ¼ cup orange juice 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I use homemade elderberry balsamic style vinegar) 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard (especially nice if you’ve made your own with wild seed) 2 teaspoons honey Dash of black pepper 1 teaspoon dried nettle seed Combine ingredients and mix well.
MAY | JUN 2014
7
Edible and Natural
Reviewing the Rules of Foraging by JJ Murphy
Back in 2006 I published Edible and Natural: How Do I Know What Plants are Safe to Eat?
I typically reference this advice when I write about foraging. As I learn and develop my skills, there are a few more rules that I have added to my guidelines. 1. There are fewer poisonous plants than non-poisonous plants. If you learn all the poisonous plants, when you find a plant you don’t know, it’s more likely to be non-poisonous, even if it’s unpalatable. 2. Observe carefully. Chicken mushroom has no poisonous look-alike, but there’s more to identifying it than finding an orange-colored mushroom. You have to notice the pores on the underside. The deadly poisonous Jack-o-lantern mushroom has gills on its underside. 3. Harvest common plants where they grow in abundance, but never take more than ten (10%) percent. Overharvesting is destructive to the environment and may deprive wild birds and mammals of their only source of essential nutrition. 4. Learn which plants are endangered and refrain from harvesting them at all. 5. Spend time learning to identify every plant during each season. Look at the new growth of spring, notice the changes in summer, autumn and any skeletal remains in winter.
8
WILDNESS
6. Make sure you harvest from healthy areas. In addition to foraging more than 50 feet from regularly traveled roads, look at the condition of the entire habitat. If the leaves are not a healthy color green, if the water is not running clear, if there is a lot of animal scat or carrion, find another place to forage.
Common sense and respect are critical to foraging. I still take classes with experts. I often learn something new about a plant I’ve been nibbling on since childhood. It’s easy to become overconfident after foraging for a few years; it’s not worth the risk to be less than 100 percent sure of your wild harvest. W Photos of Toxic Plants Poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum)
Jack O’ Lantern Mushroom (Omphalotus illudens)
Poke (Phytolacca americana) - Toxic unless prepared properly.
Cow Parsnip (Heracleum maximum) mixed in with Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum)
MAY | JUN 2014
9
Pickled Redbud
Leda Meredith
The unopened buds of Cercis, the redbud tree, are edible and are wonderful pickled. Pickled redbud blossoms can be used as colorful replacement for capers - their taste is similar, although faintly sweeter. In eastern North America, Cercis canadensis is the most common species, whereas on the west coast you are more likely to find C. occidentalis. Both species are If you nibble on the edible flowers raw, you planted internationally by landmight notice that they scapers who love them for their taste something like a lightly sour green bean. vivid pink (or less commonly white) blooms that appear in very early spring. They also love it that redbud trees are very drought-tolerant. The buds are in clusters that appear as if they are growing directly from the bark. If you nibble on the edible flowers raw, you might notice that they taste something like a lightly sour green bean. That bean-y taste isn’t accidental: Cercis trees are in the Fabaceae, or legume family.
Pickled Redbud Recipe Ingredients: Redbud blossoms White vinegar (distilled or white wine vinegar) Water Kosher or other non-iodized salt
10
WILDNESS
The texture of these pickled redbud blossoms is best if you collect the flower buds before they have fully opened. Rinse the flower clusters under cold water. Pinch off and discard the stems (don’t worry if you don’t remove one hundred percent of the stems, but do try to get most of them). Combine equal parts white vinegar and water. Plan on an equal amount of brine by volume for the quantity of redbud buds that you have gathered. In other words, one cup of combined vinegar and water per cup of flower buds. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to each cup of vinegar brine. It is important to use a non-iodized salt such as kosher salt because the added iodine in most table salts could cause a brownish discoloration. This is an important point because the lovely color of edible flowers is one of the nicest things about them. Stir until the salt dissolves in the brine. Fill a clean jar with the redbud blossoms, then cover them with the brine. Use a smaller jar to weight the top of the food and keep the flowers submerged in the brine. Alternatively, you can fill the jar with the brine all the way up to the rim, then secure the lid. The lid will keep the flowers submerged in the brine, but expect some overflow: hold the jar over a sink or a dish when you screw the lid on. Leave the jar at room temperature for three days. Be sure that it is not exposed to direct light. Transfer the jar to the refrigerator. Note that I do not recommend canning redbud pickles in a boiling water bath because heat processing has a negative effect on the texture of the flowers. W
Leda’s “NORTHEAST FORAGING” is a great regional guide
Fifth, in each plant’s Future Harvests paragraph, Leda advises the reader on whether the plant is invasive and can be harvested at will, or whether it falls into the “don’t harvest unless it is Leda Meredith’s latest abundant” category. She’s all about harvesting book has drawn sustainably. Finally, Leda’s writing sparkles. She accolades from is a passionate forager and a seasoned author notable foragers such who has the gift of producing a book that is hard as Sam Thayer, to put down once you start reading it. Kudos to “Wildman” Steve Brill, Leda and the team at Timber Press for this Gary Lincoff, and beautiful and easy to use reference. The great Hank Shaw. Although news for those of us who live elsewhere in the I have over 200 books country is that Timber Press has embarked on on foraging in my guides that may come closer to us. Lisa Rose collection, I would Starner is nearing the finish line on one for the rate this as one of the Midwest. Lisa is an herbalist, and her manuscript very best, and give it adds that component to the wild edibles about 5 out of 5 stars. Why? which she writes. She is also knowledgeable First, this is a great about flavoring drinks with wild edibles. (It’s my regional guide. While honor to be serving as her technical editor, which some of the plants is how I happen to have this inside information.) included can be found in many states, all 120 are Douglas Deur’s book is coming soon. The title of commonly seen in the Northeastern US and his is “Pacific Northwest Foraging: 120 Wild and Ontario and Quebec. Specifically, if you live in Flavorful Edibles from Alaska Blueberries to New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, Wild Hazelnuts”. Also coming soon is “California New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Foraging: 120 Wild and Flavorful Edibles from Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and Rhode Island Evergreen Huckleberries to Wild Ginger” by - or have relatives who do - this is an excellent Judith Larner Lowry. All three will be added to book to add to your library or give as a gift. my library! (If neither is true, please don’t miss what I have to say at the end of this review.) Secondly, the layout - Review By Mike Krebill and design of the 6 1/2” x 9” book looks attractive and enticing as you flip through its 316 pages. It MIKE KREBILL has 159 splendid color photos. Third, the plant accounts are organized alphabetically and headMike Krebill is one of the ings within each account (How to Identify, Where Midwest’s better-known and When to Gather, How to Gather, How to Eat, foraging instructors, and a member of the National How to Preserve, and Future Harvests) enable Wild Foods Association Hall you to find the information you want to know in a of Fame. A retired science matter of seconds, without resorting to an index. teacher and naturalist, he Fourth, I can envision the section listing potential has served as the technical wild harvests by season and habitat as editor of nine books on wild edibles. Mike enjoys shartremendously helpful for all foragers, whether ing his wild foods wisdom you are a beginner or a veteran. That section and gaining more on is near the front of the book, and can be found several Facebook groups starting on page 18 of Amazon’s “Look Inside” devoted to edible wild Photo credit: Mike Krebill preview, if you want to go to Amazon.com to take plants and mushrooms. a look, read other reviews, or purchase the book. MAY | JUN 2014
11
Pineapple Weed
‘Matricaria discoidea’
Pineapple weed is a lovely little weed that is reminiscent of chamomile and used in the same way. In fact, it’s often called ‘wild chamomile’, and it’s one of my favorites. It’s ironic that to find this sweet little plant you’ll look for it in the worst soils. Look for compacted, dry places that are usually not suitable for much else. Dry trailheads, over used pathways and parking lots are just a few places where this herb peeks it’s head up in, so do be careful that the area isn’t marred by car exhaust or other pollutants. I’ve never found pineapple weed to actually taste like pineapple, but the petal-less little flower heads do resemble the tropical fruit. The plant is usually found in the early spring. At the first sign of any real heat, it melts back into the landscape and won’t be available again until next year. Native Americans used pineapple weed for treating gastrointestinal upset and gas and topically for infected wounds, fevers, and for ceremonial purposes.
Unfortunately, the plant doesn’t really hold on to its oils when dried. It is best used fresh. Try snipping leaves and flower heads into hot water and letting it steep for 5 or 10 minutes. The resulting decoction is a lovely way to relax. I also infuse sugar with the herb (just pulse sugar along with the leaves and flowers in a blender for a few seconds and spread out to dry). The infused sugar makes a lovely addition to whipped cream and other recipes. In the photo, I’ve used pineapple weed infused sugar to flavor this angel food cake. Pineapple weed has fine textured pinnate leaves. It only grows to 4 or 5 inches. The flower heads are yellow green and have no petals. When crushed, you’ll notice a sweet scent that reminds me of chamomile. W
12
WILDNESS
Hidden Fruits
By Merriwether Lewis
Welcome, friend, to views of foraging from another angle. We all know the nutritional bonuses of wild foods and the exercise we get in collecting it. Foragers are a healthy lot, by nature. But you know what? It’s even better for you that you realize. Come learn how you are helping your mind, body, and spirit as you walk the forager’s path. Come learn the hidden fruits of your passion.
Foraging: Do it for Your Daughters Several years ago I got a call from my daughter’s principle who was upset about my child. “Miniwether”, who was in 1st grade at the time, had been teaching edible plants to the other kids during recess. This did not good over well with the public school system. Miniwether has been foraging by my side since before she could walk. Many an hour was spent with her outside getting dirty as we harvested many a green, nut, and tuber. She was intimately connected to the Earth from the time she was a baby… and it usually took a lot of scrubbing during her evening bath to get her clean again. This communion with the soil continues to this day.
allowed the dirt time that their brothers get. Boys, with their scrapped knees and muddy faces, test their immune systems over and over. Parents keep their little princesses clean and inside… not realizing girls need dirt, too. According to Dr. Aoi Mizushima of Providence Medical Group Family Practice, “There is some thought that getting exposed to things, even parasites and different microbial elements in the dirt, might actually improve the overall immunity that a child develops,”. Collecting wild plants is not a clean activity. When a particularly tasty flower or leaf appears we often pop it in our mouths without even washing it. Well, at least my family and I do. Foraging trains and toughens the immune system through constant exposure to the natural world. If the theory about Lupus being partially the result of too clean of an environment then taking your daughters along foraging may be even better for them than you realize. W
Photo: Merriwether Lewis
And this contact with the Earth is what, hopefully, will protect her. It’s common knowledge that asthma is rare in “farm kids” and 3rd world children. Something about their constant exposure to unclean conditions educates their immune system, keeping it working properly. Asthma isn’t the only immune disorder common in the clean world. Lupus is another disease where the body’s defenses erroneously attack itself. Strangely, this disease is nine times more likely to hurt women than men. Why is this? One recent theory put forth by Dr. Sharyn Clough is girls, in their frilly pretty dresses, aren’t MAY | JUN 2014
13
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & FORAGERS Editor
pg 13
HEATHER PIER
HIDDEN FRUITS by Merriwether Lewis
Heather began foraging with her mother as a child. She took way too many science classes in collage and now mixes her knowledge of chemistry, her love of plants and vintage recipes together in the kitchen.
Forager, Father, Husband, Scientist. Merriwether doesn’t just burn his candles at both ends, he smashes them into bits and then hits the pieces with a flamethrower. His current home is Houston, TX where his days are spent creating environmentally friendly chemicals to help the oil industry, evenings are family time, and weekends are given to introducing the forgotten world of edible & medicinal wild plants to students across Texas as well as other places weeds do grow.
pg 8 EDIBLE AND NATURAL by JJ Murphy Writer and passionate naturalist JJ Murphy, provides nature programs, original curricula, articles, product reviews, books and open discussion to children and eco-aware adults across the USA. www/.WriterByNature.com – Giving Nature a Voice. jjmurphy@WriterByNature.com
pg 10 PICKLED REDBUD by Leda Meredith Leda Meredith is the author of several books including the newly released “Northeast Foraging: 120 Wild and Flavorful Edibles from Beach Plums to Wineberries” (Timber Press 2014). She holds a certificate in Ethnobotany from the New York Botanical Garden and is an instructor there as well as at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Leda is the food preservation expert for About.com. You can find out more at www.ledameredith.com, and watch her foraging and food preservation videos at: www.youtube.com/ledameredith.
14
WILDNESS