Spring is here...so are the wild edibles!

FrankTheTank · #21 04/07/05, 06:34 PM

I ate a dandelion last summer (whole thing)...not good !

Its been very dry here locally (below normal on the rainfall) so it better wetten up soon. We've had a whole load of 60F+ days. I've read that dry springs can be bad for morels.

Cyngbaeld · #22 04/07/05, 09:47 PM

caballoviejo, the Siberian Elm is what was planted all over the place in western Colorado. It reseeds prolifically. In the spring the trees turn green with the seeds before it leafs out. I am not really familiar with other species.

tnborn · #23 04/08/05, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phantomfyre

tnborn, You can eat the blossoms and the leaves of violets. Some people candy the blossoms. I haven't tried that. DH and I used to make violet-greens salad at our previous place in town - we had tons of violets in the lawn. Pick the small, tender leaves only for salad. Larger, tougher leaves can be steamed like other greens and eaten with a bit of salt and butter. Picking the older leaves encourages growth of new leaves, too.

Freaked my family out one summer when I was home visiting by announcing that we were making cream of lamb's quarter soup for dinner. It was delicious. So the next visit home, they requested it again, but we couldn't find enough for soup (it was too late in the season and had all gone to seed already) so we made creamed lamb's quarter instead. Even the neighbors came over to have some.

Tried plantain, wasn't crazy about it. Can never get dandelion greens that aren't horribly bitter. Found a shaggy mane mushroom last year and brought it home to try to start some here with the spores. Hope they take.

Am learning about foraging more and more every year. Don't know anything about morel hunting, but want to try to find some this spring. Want to try dandelion jelly this year, too. Good stuff out there!

Since we're on the subject, what books on wild foods/foraging do you all recommend? I want to get a copy of Stalking the Wild Asparagus. Any others I should add to the library?

Diana

Diana
I have checked out of the library Wild Edibles and I can't remember who the author is. Foraging . I think maybe both books were by Audoboun or Peterson but I am not sure. Eating Weeds is a good one again can't remember the author.
Thank you for your advice about the violets. How you ever tasted dandelion wine? I am going to attempt to make dandelion jelly.
Thanks again,
tnborn

Pony · #24 04/08/05, 05:23 PM

Well, I was just out in the garden and picked some dandelion greens that were poking up from under the straw "blanket" that's been on the beds all winter. I'm gonna fry up some bacon, slice up some onions, saute the onion and dandelion greens, add a little vinegar, and crumble the bacon over the top. Mmmmm!

The rhubarb looks like I may be able to snitch a bite. Oh, joy!

I've been wondering if I should try the plantain before it gets any bigger, but I'm just a little hesitant.

I'm unsure about lamb's quarters: are those the ones that are kind of fuzzy? If they are, I may go ahead and try a bit, but I have trouble with peach fuzz, so these would be a challenge!

It's amazing how things have greened up after the brief rain we had Wednesday night.

Pony!

southerngurl · #25 04/08/05, 06:43 PM

Remember when picking those morels to use a mesh bag so that you spread the spores around, rather than trap them inside the bag!