What In The Wild?

Blueberry Island

2010-07-18T15:19:00.010-05:00

~BLUEBERRY ISLAND~

Ripe Vaccinium spp. greeting our arrival.

The gusty frontal winds and wash-board waves were occasionally reduced to acceptable circumstance by the scenic beauty of Northern Wisconsin flowage shorelines. Each exhausting stroke of our paddles seemed to merely inch us closer to an ever-distant locale. Campsite after campsite were occupied. About eight miles of fighting the wind and twenty-one of these let-downs passed by my steadily doubting eyes. We continued our pursuit to the end of a series of designated sites. The last one, a small island in the middle of a large body of water, was our final attempt at redemption. The lack of a parked vessel and absence of smoke or noise meant we had finally found a place to settle for the night.

As soon as we touched shore something caught my eye which transformed hours of struggle into a distant memory: ripe blueberries. My friend and I enjoyed a few berries immediately. I had other plans for the rest, so we kept working on setting up camp. We enjoyed a sunset, ate a late dinner over the fire, and talked about our satisfaction under the shooting stars and glistening ceiling above.

Sunset on Blueberry Island, Turtle Flambeau Flowage. July 17, 2010.

Sunrise began behind the forested horizon and I awoke to the redundant song of a small, yet boisterous, bird. I made a quick descent to the place where the blueberries grew, the steep sandy northern shoreside. The ambient light exposed an adequate patch of ripe berries growing near the shores of this 75x30 yard oasis. I tested another two or three as I assessed the cache before returning to my slumber. Two hours later I was awake and making preparations. My friend began to construct his rock-star breakfast, fit for the whole band, as I gathered most of a cup of blueberries.

The first task was the picking, then came the crushing. Using a fork I mashed the berries as they slowly heated over the wood fire coals. After they deconstructed sufficiently, I added raw sugar from my food stash. I mixed in the sugar and kept mashing and stirring until the delicious syrup was boiling and eventually finished. I took one taste and immediately shared some with my company. We both looked pleasantly stunned. This added a slight sense of urgency to the rest of the cooking process knowing that we could soon have more than a lick off the fork. Soon thereafter we ate like royalty. Freshly made wild blueberry syrup over French Toast-ified English Muffins. The name for the island began to formulate in my mind as I enjoyed the meal. By the time I finished my last bite, the name had solidified, "Blueberry Island."

Freshly harvested blueberries made into syrup over the campfire.

You truly cannot retain in memory that which the moment has to offer. I remember my reaction: eyes closed and head tipped back as I indulged in visceral eating ecstasy. This is what wild foods is all about. This is how Humankind was meant to eat. The connection to our food is founded on the discovery, preparation, and enjoyment of consumption. That connection cannot be bought, merely attained through an intimate participation with Nature. The reverberating thought I have is that if we seek, we shall find. Bliss found me on Blueberry Island. What more could I ask for? I have more than the shared memory though, I have a story to share and a restored sense of faith. I owe it all to chance.

-Benjamin

Post Script : Not only did blueberries grow on this small island, but so too did: beaked hazelnuts (which we roasted despite their adolescence), wintergreen (after-dinner mint), milkweed (nibble snack), cattail (out of season), pin cherries (in season but very tart, better if made into jelly), juneberries (in season and very tasty, I made some sauce with them as well), and evening primrose (whose flowers we munched on periodically).

New Facebook group!

2010-05-25T23:39:00.000-05:00

Very excited to have started the official What In The Wild? facebook fan group! Join and share your comments/photos/recipes/ideas. This is a community group open to all who have interest. http://www.facebook.com/thethirdbenjamin#!/group.php?gid=125009180860027&v=wall

The Ostrich Fern

2010-05-20T09:14:00.006-05:00

Fiddleheads of the Ostrich Fern

A young shoot gets a jump on things.

There is a time around mid-spring when I can hardly contain my excitement. It is the equivalent of waiting for Jack to come out of his box. The emergence of the Ostrich Fern fiddleheads is truly a case of "hurry up and wait," for both the fern and myself.

Fertile fronds from the last season show you where to inspect.

Walking along the creek bed near our home I can see the fronds from last year sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the lush greens of Marsh Marigold and Virginia Waterleaf. Around Mother's Day here I visit the old fronds and monitor their growth. Each mid-spring day I visit them and offer good wishes and encouragement. I cheer them on with utterings like, "Hi there little fellas. Aren't you cute! Just take your time...you can do it!" I move aside any branches or leaves that might get in their way. Then the day comes where I get to say "Well HELLO there! See, that wasn't so hard was it?" After a day or two of allowing them stretch I then carefully select which one to harvest, and gently cut it free near the base. Holding the stem, I tap the coiled head in my palm to spare any insect seeking refuge. A puff of air leaves my mouth and takes with it the remaining debris. I put the coil in my mouth and shut my eyes. That first bite is absolute bliss! After witnessing their graceful ascent there is no savage haste, only grateful acceptance.

The term "fiddlehead" is used to describe the young shoots of any species of fern and has often misled many people into eating a less enjoyable, sometimes sickening, species of fern. I have not eaten one that comes close to the flavor and experience of the Ostrich Fern. There are reports of illness associated with fiddleheads, but I have not yet seen a confirmed case involving those of Matteucia struthiopteris, the Ostrich Fern. Braken fern (Pteridium aquilinum), Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea), and Interupted Fern (Osmunda claytonia) are among the others considered by some to be edible. I personally have never eaten the latter two and see no reason to bother with them. Taking an example from Sam Thayer, I see no reason to make myself sick. I've eaten Braken Fern but if I were to base the edibility of fiddlheads on this fern, I would kindly decline the idea. I know people who seem to think they're fine when boiled or steamed, but when eaten raw they irritate my throat and do not taste very good. I stopped at one.

New growth. Still sporting tender stalks and tight coils.

Time to talk about the identification and misinformation surrounding this amazing plant. Just a few short minutes of searching the net for pictures and information on this fern left my jaw tight and my brow tense. If I didn't already know what they were I would have been thoroughly confused and turned-off. The frustration I experienced can be attributed to the mis-labeling of them. I have no problem if people want to try the other ferns, but when they state Ostrich Fern as edible and show a picture of Cinnamon Fern I begin to boil.
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The clearly grooved inner face of the Ostrich Fern stalk. Also note the suede-like surface.

The most recognizable and easily discernible feature of the Ostrich Fern is the deep groove, resembling that of celery, that runs along the inside of its stalk. The absence of this deep groove should encourage you to keep looking. There are some species of fern that people consider "look alikes." That term gets used often as an excuse for not paying attention. I have a sore spot from these claims and fears. If you focus on the characteristics which separate one species from another instead of focusing on the similarities, there is no mistaking. The only shared characteristic is the fiddlehead shape and the fact that they are ferns. That is all.

The surface of the plant resembles that of suede leather as opposed to the shag carpet look of Cinnamon and Interrupted Ferns. As always, never put anyting in your mouth without being 100% sure of its identity. At first I thought this plant would be hard to pick from a crowd, but once I became familiarized there was no mistaking it.
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How do I personally enjoy them? I prefer to eat small amounts, one - five, daily while in season. I typically eat them raw on site or immediately decorate a salad with them. The sweet and crunchy, juicy and filling, snack is one I feel inclined to enjoy in the environment in which they thrive. A creek-side dining experience. Seldom do I cook them but when I do I like to boil them or fry them in butter and add a small amount of sea salt. People use them in stews, pressure-can them, or freeze them. I personally have yet to do any of these things. You could say I reserve them as a seasonal treat. I never harvest more than two of the stalks from any one plant's rosette. There are many rosettes to choose from and see no reason to jeopardize the life of the plant in the name of senseless greed and laziness. I have nothing but the utmost respect and adoration of this plant.

Enjoy!

Hunting Morels

2010-05-11T10:34:00.002-05:00

~MOREL HUNTiNG~

Morchella elata: The Black Morel

First let's take a look at the facts: I have never found a Morel patch on purpose. That does not mean one cannot find them, it just means I am part of some sick joke from the Gods. I've searched in places known for them and places that no one has found one. Same result. The punchline to this joke is that I always find them on accident. As if the Gods are playing some sort of game with me. It never fails to excite me to the point of acting like a child at the water park. I jump -I shout - and my gaze spins wildly with anticipation. Once I see one, I look for them everywhere. It becomes a treasure hunt.

Here's an example: The other day my father and I were discussing landscaping options beneath our hillside apple tree. As we looked at the plants we needed to move, like Tiger Lilies, I spotted what appeared to be doggy do-do standing on end. A pause. HOLY SH*T! That's a Morel! I scanned the immediate area only to see more and more of them! After repeating my profanity laden phrase several times, I decided to verify that these were indeed Morels. I had not seen Black Morels before, only Yellow Morels. After research and identification until I was 100% sure that these were indeed the illusive morel, the hunt was on.

An area of approximately 6' x 12' was heavy with growth. I collected 42 morels in about an hour. I couldn't believe it. Last year I spent hours and hours searching around Elm, Apple, and Ash looking for these little guys and came up with nothing. Was my timing wrong? Was I in the right place? Once again the joke was on me and I laughed right along.

Bowl of Morels

The Morel itself is pretty easy to identify. There are other look-similars (false morels) which some might consider confusing. However, I don't see how one can mistake them once you know what to look for. It would be like mistaking the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile for an actual Oscar Meyer hot dog.

Can you tell the difference?

Of course this is an exaggeration. One could argue that neither of these is actually food, but that's another topic. The point is: when you are familiar with something it is pretty obvious when you see it. For the sake of familiarizing ourselves with the edible morels, I will not get too into false morels. There are numerous variations of both edible and non-edible morels. I am using Black Morels for example, but the defining characteristics are shared between all edible morels. Let's start with the outside.

The outside of a Morel has raised ridges forming a loose pattern. They are not shiny nor are they fuzzy. The caps themselves range in size from 2-6" typically. Some are shaped more elongated and some are stout. In either case they are individually symmetrical for the most part. For more info on variations of edible morels, see http://theforagerpress.com/fieldguide/morels/index.htm but do not assume that I would agree with everything on that site. That page does, however, provide decent examples and descriptions of morels.

Now let's have a look at the most obvious defining feature of true morels. The insides are hollow. False morels are not. This is the most significant difference in the event you accidentally mistake them by outside appearance. Just squeezing the stem might tell you what to expect, but after picking one you will clearly see.

Inside and bottom of morels

Both the Yellow and Black Morels have a stem that intersects with the cap quite abruptly. There is a slight over-fold but not nearly as evident as with the Half-Free Morel who's stem protrudes far into the cap and is either loose or free from it, hence the name. Though all three are considered edible, most prefer the Yellow or Black. The best part is that you can harvest all you can find because they are the fruit of the organism. They are just like the apple tree: you can eat every apple and the tree will be just fine. Disturbing the soil is when you will harm the Morchella organism. Tread lightly, but harvest eagerly.

They tend to appear around the time that the apple blossoms emerge. They like to grow near dead Elm or live Ash and Apple trees. My best advice is to find some local morel hunters and inquire as to when the best time is in your area, but beware of any leads they may give you as to WHERE to look. Sometimes people like to protect their "secret spot" and don't always want to share it. As far as myself, I'm a poor source for tips on finding them as per my explanation earlier in this blog. I seem to only find them by accident.

There are as many ways to use morels as you can imagine. My preferred method is to cut them lenghways and fry them in butter after a light batter is applied. This time I cut them lengthways and dried them for future use. I was sick at the time of discovery and had little sense of taste or the energy to cook. I will use them later by soaking them in water for 15-20 minutes to rehydrate them or break them into pieces for a soup or pasta sauce. By all means, find your own favorite way and share it! Sharing recipes is an age-old interaction that continues to bring us together and broaden our experience.

In summary I hope that you have better luck finding them than I do, but just as good of luck in having them find you. For a person who doesn't like mushrooms as much as I, the fact that I could eat a pound-a-sitting should say something about the flavor of morels. Taaaaastyyyy! Enjoy and happy hunting!

A Change of Perspective

2010-05-08T10:21:00.012-05:00

I'll tell you right off that this story has a happy ending. I won't divulge my entire life story, but I hope to give and example of how a person can be healed by reconnecting with the Natural world.

Who? What?

In 2003 I had had been given a book, Thomas Naegele's Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Great Lakes Region. This book introduced me to the world of foraging, but did very little in the way of creating a proactive spirit in me. Many years went by where I skimmed through this book hoping it might make more sense if I read it more. It left me confused and intimidated, not a good resource. Although it taught me there were some wild foods to eat, it did not make me proactive in gathering them. Foraging remained a romantic idea, not a reality.

During the next 5 years I went through a long period of self-destructive mental processes that left me feeling empty and depleted. I had little to no connection with my food or the Natural world to which we belong. I was part of the rat-race. It sent me into a downward spiral with no end in sight. Supplementing my desires with drugs and alcohol was taking its toll and I hit the point known as rock-bottom. There really is no bottom. You just sink until you say to yourself, "That's enough." I lost my fiance. I stopped creating art. I was going to lose my best friends and I could see far enough into the abyss to see my own grave.

Out of desperation I left the city and returned home, to Northern Wisconsin, in an effort to restore my soul, my mind, and my body. It had little to do with the city and more to do with how I felt at the time: that the world had nothing to offer me so what did I have to lose?

When? Where?

Upon my return to the countryside of my youth, I wiped the dust off of Naegele's book and headed out into the fields and forest. Unfortunately, the less-than-adequate illustrations and sterile descriptions led me nowhere. Too many plants and not enough information on each. This was discouraging. Try as I might with this literature, my foraging was still limited to the more familiar berries that are part of our society's accepted wild foods diet.

Then everything changed in one fateful meeting. It was when I met up with a former childhood friend and classmate I had not seen in a decade. She happened to marry one of the top foraging experts in North America, Sam Thayer. Sam could sense my enthusiasm and without so much as showing me one plant, instilled a sense of confidence in me. After a few short conversations I had collected my first new plant, Ramps. I got his book, Forager's Harvest, and my wide eyes couldn't believe what I was reading. I realized that it was my entire perspective on wild foods that had to change. Finally it clicked.

How? Why?

Nature was ready to provide me with what I needed nutritionally and spiritually but I couldn't see that before. Learning about just one plant lit a fire within me that healed years of doubt and despair. I began to feel like a child again! The world seemed new, everything was different! I felt loved. I felt connected. Every day turned into a birthday. If this is not being "born again" I do not know what is. This is not an exaggeration, it was a complete internal turn-around. Every new plant redefined the world around me. It was the equivalent of staring into the face of God, and as far as I see it: I was. Not only did I learn about wild foods, I learnt about my place in the natural world. I will never see myself or the world the same again. For that, I am eternally grateful.

Far too many of us see the wild world as something to overcome or to conquer. Like I said, it was a change in perspective that made the difference. It wasn't sterile information laid out like a dictionary that taught me about wild foods. It was a man who had something beautiful to share: the life changing experiences of accepting Nature's gifts. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for making this connection and I feel compelled to help others connect as well. It feels great to forage, but it feels even better to share the bounty and information with others. Wild foods saved my life, this I know. The plants I talk about in this blog are what feed my body. The act of finding them, preparing them, and sharing that experience is what feeds my soul.

Thank you Sam, thank you Nature, and thanks to all of you reading.

~Benjamin

Maple Syrup

2010-04-27T10:40:00.001-05:00

Maple Syrup - America's favorite Wild Food

After spending a considerable amount of time preparing an entry full of information on identification and history, I've decided to stick with my personal experience when it comes to this wild food. The amount of information "out there" regarding the Maple Sugaring process is extensive. There is a fair amount of misinformation as well. One cannot truly know the process until one partakes in it. This is my account.

When I was a child my spring time was often dotted with trips into the woods to observe the maple syrup process. My family combined forces to sustain our cravings for this delicious sweetener. It was not just making the syrup, it was the tradition. My father and my uncles did the tapping, primary boil, and firewood duties. My Grandmother did the final cook and the bottling. I'm don't recall what my Grandfather did, other than tell everyone what they did wrong. I'm also not sure when our family stopped this tradition, but ended it did. For years and years I fondly remembered the family time and excitement of the syrup season. The desire to experience this again was growing.

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Last spring I helped out some friends, Sam and Melissa Price, with their maple syrup production. The smell of the boiling sap brought forth memories that made me feel like a kid again! I remembered how deep 6" of snow was to a kid with legs only 18" tall. I remembered the deer antler that I found while collecting the sap. I could taste the cold sap. I remembered how it felt to be a child, so full of curiosity. So the decision to start making my own was a no-brainer, an obvious calling.

I had been given a boiling pan, three 50 gallon barrels, and 50 taps by a friend last year. He heard me enthusiastically speak of my desires and upon his relocation decided to hand them over to me. It wasn't enough, however. I still needed a fire pit and firewood. I needed buckets to hang on the trees. I needed to educate myself on the finer details to make sure I tapped the right trees and cooked it properly.
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Because I knew there was much needed in order to make this happen, the task seemed daunting and all but impossible. Until my Uncle (the one whom owned the land we made syrup on when I was younger) motivated me to try. He reminded me of how much fun it was. Instead of thinking of the challenges, he reminded me of the rewards. It was the spark needed to ignite my ambition. The trick was to take one step at a time. Once I began the process there was no looking back. The trees' cycles became my routine. I was part of something larger than myself.

At first I had no buckets, but that didn't stop me. My father, being a fan of Folger's, had just what I was looking for: a stockpile of empty coffee cans to use as buckets. Thankfully the sap wasn't flowing very fast early on, and they did just fine on about 20 trees. I was in the market for buckets. I had searched high and low, finding only a couple leads. Then, the night before I was to go purchase some, a phone call from Sam. He said he had some 2 gallon buckets I could use, and pay for at my leisure. This not only made things easier for collection, it also expanded the number of trees I could tap. I was now up to 40 trees. The helping hand of a good friend is priceless. Thank you Sam and Melissa!

I decided early on that I would keep a record of daily temperatures, collection amounts, chores, and syrup yields. I knew this information would come in handy, if not this year, the following season. The weather got warm very fast. Not good. It got too warm, too fast. The sap was flowing, but not strong. But, I was happy to have any at all. Before long I had a daily schedule worked out, and the process started to take on a life of it's own.

While the sap was dripping I was constructing my firebox. Using cement blocks and a piece of stovepipe I set up my firebox near the edge of our pond. A perfect location. My first cooking involved an umbrella, so I knew I had to set up some sort of overhead protection. My father let me use our tent frame and a tarp. I now had 12' x 16' shelter under which I could park the ATV/collection trailer, picnic table, and firebox. Things were growing.

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I used a 2' x 3' x 9" pan to reduce 40 gallon batches of sap to a manageable volume of roughly 2 gallons. I then transported this in a stockpot to my kitchen, where I would do the final cooking and bottling. I knew of various standards for finished syrup. Although most use a hydrometer to test sugar content, I decided early on that I would approach this as an art form. I wanted to develop my skills. Using a thermometer was as far as I wanted to go with technological assistance. It took some time to get it right, but it came very naturally. Homogenized standards do not take into account the daily alterations of chemistry and flavor. Personally, find it best to let your taste be the judge.
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At first I thought I would have to purchase all sorts of specialized equipment to get this done properly. My father followed up each proposal with a disgruntled, "Ma never used _____ ." After several debates over the justification of specialized equipment, I realized that this way of doing things was not a weakness, but a strength. I realized that having a firebox that wasn't air-tight was good because it allowed the smoke to infuse the sap. I realized that the taste of the final product was directly influenced every step of the way. I knew that there was something special about syrup made the "old school" way. The flavor was different than that of syrup made using evaporators. It had body, character, and integrity.

It occurred to me that only the select few who make it this way were able to enjoy syrup like this. I wanted to make it available for anyone who wanted some. I decided to start "Old School Maple Syrup." This added to my work-load the development of a new business. I created a webpage, developed a logo, setup an online shopping option, figured out shipping issues, and marketing choices. Things moved along one step at a time. Please take some time to view www.whitemouseartlab.com/oldschool.html where you can read about and order this delicious and nutritious maple syrup. It brings me much joy to share the flavor of syrup made as I remember as a child.

In short, the experience of making maple syrup is laborious and time-consuming. It's hard work. The labor and time are a small price to pay, however, for the immense satisfaction it brought me. It brought family together again and it sweetened my life in addition to sweetening my meals. I am hooked. I have the deepest gratitude for those who helped me along the way, without them it would have not been possible. I hope to continue doing this for as many years as my body allows. I'm in love with making maple syrup!

Dandelion Coffee

2009-11-23T06:30:00.016-06:00

Dandelion Root Coffee Substitute

Dandelion is usually synonymous with weed. It plagues gardeners and landscapers alike. It was introduced by European settlers in the 1600s and has flourished since. It's perhaps the most recognizable flower in the Northern hemisphere. It's refused by livestock, poisoned, trampled, cut, tilled and tossed, and has it's "head popped off" by children accross America every spring. It's also one of the first plants identified and used by novice and "weekend" foragers.

You may have heard of using dandelion in salads or for wine. I'm currently abstaining from alcohol and the use of dandelion greens never really appealed to me. They are usually bitter, even when harvested in the right time of year. Some of the local folks here talk about how their parents or grandparents would use dandelion greens in springtime salads or to make wine from the roots. In fact, the local folks here will make wine out of just about anything. But as a wild foods enthusiast I felt as though there must be some use for the common dandelion that suits my palate without dulling my mind or causing my face to spontaneously shrink inside itself. After some research, I found what I was looking for.

Dandelion (Taraxacum spp.) root tea has a long history in medicine. The earliest documentations are from Arabia in the 10th/11th centuries. It was they who introduced it to Europeans, and Europeans who brought it here. It's main use has been as a liver tonic or to regulate one's "regularity," or as a diuretic. Again I would like to emphasize that I do not wish to divulge the medicinal claims associated with any particular plant. However, there are some well tested and documented characteristics and qualities that can be associated with plants. The word Dandelion is derived from the French phrase dent de lion which translates to "lion's tooth", referring to the jagged leaves. There are many names around the world for Taraxacum spp. ranging from reference to it's milky sap or jagged leaves, to the effects or flavor of internal use. Although the word dandelion is traced back to France in the early 1500s, the modern French word for it is pissenlit and the Old English slang for it is piss-a-bed. Both of them refer to it's diuretic properties. I've yet to wet my bed after drinking it. I would imagine it refers to the hazards of allowing a young bladder to be filled with the drink.

Harvesting

Down to business. Creating Dandelion Coffee is a time consuming affair. First of all, locating dandelions is easy. (See picture above.) Locating them in an area that is free from fertilizers or compacted soil is not. Have you ever heard the expression, "To find the rocks in the ground; build a fence." The same holds true with dandelions because they love to grow around, or near, rocks. My shovel goes "kerthunk" often when harvesting. This can be a bit frustrating at first but then it becomes almost synonymous with a dinner bell in my mind. A shovel is the best tool for the task and with enough practice the pace grows quicker. As with any root vegetable the best time to gather is in spring or fall when the plant has most of it's nutrient reserves in it's roots. I also reccomend digging after a rainfall when the soil is moist and looser.

The size of the rosette does not equal the size of the root. In other words, big rosette does not mean big root. I've found that several small rosettes growing in a small circle indicate a large tap root with several shoots, but one large rosette often yields a small tap root. The best part of harvesting roots of any kind, in my opinion, is what I like to call the "Treasure Factor." You are seeking that which cannot be seen until it is found, like a buried treasure. The roots run deep and you will have to get as deep as you can without disturbing too much ground. A regular shovel works great. Be careful so as to not snap the root, they will snap off with a relatively small degree of upwards pressure. Sometimes I'll unearth the soil only to have the rosette remain. It looks like the cartoons where the rabbit sucks the carrots down into the ground. :) When this happens I just grasp the root with both hands and gently tug upwards to remove as much of it as I can. Spending too long trying to remove ALL of the root is almost pointless, there isn't enough "meat" to make it worth the effort. Just get as much as you can within reasonable effort.

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Cleaning

Time for the most laborious task: cleaning. Using a stiff bristle brush for pots or pans, I scrub the roots very thoroughly in one sink bay, then place them in the rinse bay afterwards. This method is about as efficient as you can get without creating or buying some sort of tumbler to do the job. Since I'm only collecting for myself, the task isn't overwhelming. This year I collected most of a five-gallon bucket full of roots, on two separate occasions. Some roots are small and some are large, they both seem to require the same amount of attention for cleaning. They do, after all, come from the ground and are fond of clay-like soils. I like to listen to NPR to pass the time during the cleaning process, Car Talk or Wait-Wait Don't Tell Me are good shows to help ease the painstaking process.

Processing

After washing I simply rinse and start the chopping cycle. I chop off the alien-like head of the root and start slicing towards the tip. At the thick end my slices are thinner, at the tip they get longer. I do this so they dry at relatively the same rate. I then put the sliced root into a large mixing bowl for one final rinse in cold water. You don't want to use hot water as it will leach them. Next I place them on my home-made dehydrating rack above the woodstove. Since the stove is fired up this time of year it really speeds up the drying process and reduces the amount of energy needed for roasting since they are dry, and do not need to be dried in the oven. You can dry them on a cookie sheet in the oven at a low temp, 150 degrees F, with the oven door slightly open. Once they are dry, you can proceed to roasting.

Roasting

The proper temp for roasting is about 250 degrees F. It takes a couple of hours to roast, but I don't pay as much attention to time as I do to color. I roast them on a cookie sheet until they are roughly the same shade of tan as coffee, slightly lighter. You can experiment here, but try not to burn them since that reduces their nutritional value. Use your intuition or refer to the photograph above. The roasting of a dandelion root creates a smell that is hard to describe. The first time I roasted the root it reminded me of the smell of some cookies of sorts, or chocolate. But after that, I no longer compare it to anything else. Now it just smells like dandelion root. It's great to walk into, but being in the same room with it the whole time is a bit overwhelming to me.

After it is roasted put the root into a sealed container, like a glass jar or used coffee can with plastic lid, and store in a cool place. The final product should last a long time if stored properly. I'll be enjoying the periodic brew well into spring and summer. Do not place it in the freezer as this will create condensation of moisture when you take it out and cause "shock" when brewed. If you want, you can store the container in the fridge, but a cool dry place works just fine. Dehydration is a great way of storing anything for lengths of time.

Brewing

I like to grind mine until it is about the consistancy of grits. If you grind it too long, it will clog your coffee filter and make a big mess of your automatic maker. Brew it like you would regular coffee, you'll be surprised at how similar the color of the liquid is to coffee. Word of wisdom: a little goes a long way! Two tablespoons of ground root is a good amount per 8 cups of water.

The coffee maker I prefer to use is called a Chemex (seen below) and it's truely a wonderful thing. I could go on and on about how much I love my Chemex, but I'll just say this: it makes the smoothest and richest coffee I've ever had. I worked at coffee shops for 7 years and have had access to coffee brewed in numerous ways, yet still this remains my favorite. It requires hot water boiled on the stove, a filter, and some patience. You have to be the type of person who enjoys doing things manually to appreciate such a method. In fact, I get up early just so I have the time to make my morning brew this way. I strongly reccomend this coffee maker.

In closing I just want to say how amazing this plant truely is. It's uses are many and it's numbers are great. Foraging has taught me to think twice about where I step. Each new useful plant expands my universe that much more and gives me satisfaction and brings back that feeling I remember so fondly as a child: the feeling of wonder. The feeling that just around the corner was something cool. The feeling that I will find something that no one else sees. As and adult I've begun to actually SEE the plants around me, instead of just looking.

I can only hope that by reading through my blogs that you can get a sense of the appreciation I have for Nature and the sense of adventure that foraging brings. There's nothing like cooking wild foods and having dinner conversation about how you saw a deer, had a snake scare you, or ran into a fox while finding the meal sitting before you. Not only does foraging sustain the body and mind, but it provides a connection to the world around you and feeds the soul.

Happy treasure hunting.

-Benjamin

Follow up on Wild Leeks

2009-11-02T10:13:00.006-06:00

Leeks in the Fall

Seed head of Allium tricoccum in the fall.

If you had previously made note of a patch of wild leeks this spring, take some time to revisit it this fall. What you will see is an umbel of little black BB's on a dried stalk. (see picture above)

If you follow the stalk down to the base and push aside the fallen leaves you will find fresh leek bulbs ready for your harvest. Keep in mind that although you can harvest them, this is NOT the BEST time to do so. However, bringing fresh produce into the kitchen at this time of year can often boost your mood and add zing to your dish.

It is a common misconception that you can only harvest leeks in the spring when the green leaves are present. This is far from accurate. Though it is best to harvest shortly before the greens die back, the supply of bulbs lasts well into fall. If one were desperate and happened to see the seed heads poking through the snow, you could use them in winter. This is unlikely, however, since the ground is most likely frozen stiff. You would need a rock or something to chisel away the hard dirt.

Just the other day I went to a friends to celebrate Samhain, the Irish New Year, and brought with me some freshly harvested wild leeks to use in the potato-leek soup. It was delish! This means I was harvesting wild leeks on November 1st. The problem with doing this is that you won't get the yield that could be attained in the Spring. Always be aware of the impact you are having anytime you harvest something, and always do your best to leave as little damage as possible. That means limit your harvest, replace debris that was moved aside, and let the seeds fall in place.

Killing a plant is always best when you can get the most out of it. I wouldn't make a habit out of collecting these in the fall, but you can if the opportunity presents itself. The outer layer often should be removed as it is usually mushy. Once this is done you have a crisp and strong oniony bulb underneath. The size of the usable bulb is smaller, thus you have to collect more of them than in the earlier part of the year. Fall collection is inefficient but can be a great joy. If you wash them and put them in a cold glass of water then store it in the fridge; you can enjoy them well into the middle of November. One less item to buy at the store.

In closing I would just like to say thank you to Nature for providing a wonderful year's harvest and helping sustain my livelihood. I hope to enjoy another great season of foraging next year too. There are some things you can harvest over winter, but the majority of foraging is done from Spring to Fall. I'm anxiously awaiting the first sign in Spring when the early rising leeks paint the forest floor green and welcome the growing season.

Lingzhi

2009-09-26T07:00:00.007-05:00

Ganoderma tsugae - Hemlock Varnish Shelf or Lingzhi

A group of perfectly matured specimens on an old Hemlock tree.

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Harvested specimens, early July. The largest being about 9" across.
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Sliced and drying.
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First let me say I am not a mushroom expert or even a hobby collector. Personally, I don't like mushrooms very much. Never have. As I get older, my tastes change and some foods I disliked as a youth are tasty now. But, not mushrooms. I still can't stand them. This would be the main reason I'm not into mushroom collecting so much. But when I noticed these amazingly beautiful shelf mushrooms growing on our property I had to make an effort to find out what they were. It was as though they have an inherent quality in their appearance that says, "you will love me." Either that or we as humans have an inherent ability to recognize food when we see it. Whatever the cause may be these beauties sent me scurrying for more information on them.

First I had to make sure I knew what I was looking at. I spent some time online looking up various shelf mushrooms. After a few hours I had come to what appeared to be a match. Then, because I don't trust most resources, I sent some pictures and a note to Paul Stamet's company FungiPerfecti hoping they would help clear things up for me. Unfortunately they could not verify anything due to insurance reasons. Thank you insurance for making people afraid to help people. However I can understand the hesitancy to tell someone whether something is safe. So I spent more days doing research by narrowing things down based on the information they did give me and what I found online. Eventually I had enough proof. As it turns out this mushroom is very unique and hard to confuse with others. Being a sceptic, however, is a necessary quality for foraging. After about a week of research, I had my 100% certainty. Only when you feel you have this degree of certainty should you even consider putting something into your body. I find this funny since most people don't know what's in a Big Mac and probably don't want to know either. I wish people were as sceptical of the FDA and the greater food industry as I am about potentially useful plants. Food poisoning from "approved" foods is incredibly high. Food poisoning from wild plants is almost unheard of. Why? Because of scrutiny on the part of the consumer.

There are several common names she goes by including Hemlock Varnish Shelf, Hemlock Polypore, Hemlock Reishi, and Lingzhi. The scientific name has evolved too but the most recent version is Ganoderma tsugae. This mushroom has a very close relative: Ganoderma lucidum or the esteemed Reishi mushroom of Asia. Lingzhi grows on Hemlocks mostly and some other coniferous trees only; Reishi grows on deciduous trees only. The specimens I discovered were growing on a Hemlock tree. This important characteristic helped me identify it along with some other physical characteristics. During it's life cycle it starts out as a white bubble on the side of the tree. As it matures the oldest part, the base, becomes a beautiful mahogany color with the color fading to white on the outer edge. In between these two colors you get a wonderful gradient of yellows, oranges, and reds. I've yet to find a mushroom so tantalizing. As the shelf matures it gets tougher inside and darker red outside. Eventually the entire thing will be a dark red/brown. The best time for collecting them for tea is when they look like the ones in the pictures above. You can eat the very small ENTIRELY white growth since they are tender still. Since there are so many edible mushrooms out there I would suggest letting them grow into tea or tincture ready size. If you cut them off too early you are going to reduce your yield. If you wait too long they will be too old and dry out. Once the white rim (the new growth) begins to fade to red on the outer rim; it is time to harvest.

Since this mushroom is so similar in medicinal properties to Reishi I figured it was worth the attention. Reishi has long been revered by cultures in Asia and there is a lot of history that goes with it. Please look it up since I won't be getting too much into it here. I will say one of the more interesting stories is that the Emperor sent a group of people to find more of the mushroom and they found their way to what became Japan. Apparently they just decided to stay once they got there. Another bit of history is that the Reishi mushroom was so highly prized by the Emperor that if one was caught having it in your home, you were beheaded.

Because I also think that you can find much information about Reishi on Paul Stamet's website Fungi.com I will leave it up to him to educate you on the medicinal qualities of Lingzhi (which has pretty much identical qualities as Reishi). Paul is the leading mycologist in the world and has done wonders in the use of mushrooms for solving health and environmental issues. Look him up on TED.com to view a lecture as well as reading through his website. This man is brilliant.

Harvesting Lingzhi was a bit tricky since it has a very soft woody consistency. I had to cut them off the tree very carefully. After I got them home I immediately cut them into bacon-thick strips to dry. After they dried I then used scissors to cut them into smaller pieces and stored them in a glass jar. When I use them, I just take some out and throw them into my coffee grinder to chop them into smaller bits. You can make tea with Lingzhi that has amazing benefits, or you can do like I do: I add some of it to my coffee beans, grind them together, and brew the coffee. I sweeten with some real maple syrup. It's AMAZING! Again, I HATE mushrooms, but this combination I've found to be incredibly good. I'm not reaping the full benefits from the mushroom this way but it does give me an incredibly energy boost and "feel good" sensation. The coffee gives me a boost too...but I've drank a lot of coffee in my life and none made me feel as good as this. The tea will be, of course, more typically mushroom flavored but is quite bitter so a bit of the sweetener of your choice is recommended. I haven't varied from my original recipe using coffee...it's just so good that way!

In closing I just want to say that the discovery of this mushroom embodies every aspect of a great foraging experience for me. I was surprised, enchanted, sceptical, careful, and patient with the identification and use of Ganoderma tsugae. It's unlikely that I will ever like mushrooms for their flavor, but I've got a new friend in Lingzhi. I also have a new coffee drink that I doubt you will ever see in any Starbucks. As a finale, I want to pass on a funny salutation that my magic mushroom collecting friend uses, "If I don't see you in the future, I'll see you in the pasture."

Rose Hips

2009-09-15T04:14:00.005-05:00

Rosa spp. - Roses

Hip ready on the plant.

Cross-section of the fruit showing seeds and inner hairs.
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Removing the fine hairs and seeds
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Cleaned and ready for dicing.
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Dicing them up into final shape before drying.

The rose. More commonly known for it's fragrant flowers and sharp thorns, produces one of the best fruits available. The "hips" of the rose are the delicious and nutritious fruit that stems from the pollinated flowers. Some rose bushes produce more of these than others. Some produce larger fruit than others as well. Rugosa Roses produce larger fruit than the Pasture Rose but there are around 10,000 variations of the Rose, so research for yourself which will provide you with both a beautiful flower and a large tasty fruit. Remember, if you cut the flower; you lose the fruit. When I select them for use I generally go by my gut and collect only the size of which can justify the time it takes to prepare them for use. If you don't have a sufficient quantity of your own, you can always ask a neighbor or friend what they are doing with their rose hips. Just make sure you also ask what chemicals and fertilizers, if any, were used on their plants. Personally, I just don't bother with them if they've been constantly sprayed. As far as I'm concerned: if I can't drink what is being sprinkled upon a plant, then I won't eat the plant. Rose bushes are notoriously marketed as "needing" such chemicals and for some hybrids this may ring true.

Now, let's get into the nutrition a bit shall we? Rose hips are extremely high in vitamin C. I've read in some articles that one cup of rose hip tea provides you with as much vitamin C as 150 oranges! However, I'm very skeptical of such claims and therefore just assume that it's very high in this vitamin and that's enough information for me. Rose hips are also loaded with vitamins A, B, E, K and P. They are also rich in iron and calcium. Roses are far more than a superficial representation of affection. They're good for both your heart and your "heart." The petals are wonderful as well but today I'm trying to stay focused on the fruit.

The first step is to harvest the fully red fruits in the autumn. Where I live this starts in early September. Just keep your eye on your bushes, and wait for the fruit to be fully ripe. It usually coincides with the apples. Once you pick the fruit you'll want to pick off the dead flower portion (the dead stuff coming out the bottom) and wipe the fruit off to remove any dust or residue. The next step is to remove the hairs and seeds inside. The hairs will irritate your mouth and digestive tract and it is HIGHLY recommended that you remove them to avoid an unpleasant experience. This is the hardest part. The hairs are very fine and tend to cling to the somewhat sticky meat of the fruit. In the photo you will see a knife and a wooden thingy that I made to remove help me with this process. Patiently I scrape out the bad stuff, and set aside the good. Occasionally I'll find a worm or creepy crawly inside, but just remove them along with the hairs and seeds. I still use the fruit unless it's obviously too damaged to make use of. After getting all the "guts" out I just dice the halves into thinner slices and dry them out. I don't dry them in the sun but rather in a shaded place with plenty of ventilation and low humidity. After they are completely dry I store them in an airtight jar with the rest of my teas in the cupboard. When you're ready to use them you can either break them up into tiny bits or make a powder out of them and add it to your tea. I personally break about a tablespoon worth into bits and steep them like any other tea. The taste is fabulous, and as usual I use some honey to sweeten it up a bit.

If you have the desire to spend some time working on these it's well worth the effort even if you just get enough for a few cups of tea. You'll enjoy it. Don't count on making this a daily brew unless you have access to a lot of rose bushes and have a full weekend to devote to the process. If you do, that's great. If not, just try harvesting handful of fruits sometime when you have a few hours to spare. You can either make tea, or look up some recipes for adding it to jelly. That will be my next adventure in roses, rose jelly. Perhaps next year...this year I'm sticking with the tea.

Nettles

2009-09-03T12:12:00.008-05:00

Nettles

Urtica spp. (stinging or tall nettle) growing

inside our Quanset building.

Laportea canadensis (wood nettle) seed head.
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Close-up of stinging hairs on wood nettle.
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Showing underside of leaf and how I fold the top

downward and pinch to harvest it.
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Showing a close-up of my thumb after being

stuck by some nettle hairs.

The first response I always get from the un-aware when I tell them I'm harvesting nettle leaves is, "Are you crazy? What for?" I then explain the list of nutritional and pleasurable benefits of either brewing the dried leaves for tea or soup. One can also use them like a pot herb. Then I explain that I don't get stung much and it's a small price to pay for this delicious and nutritious plant. Then I get the usual, "NO THANKS! You won't find ME doing that. Did I mention you're crazy?"

First let's talk about the plants themselves. There are several variations of nettle including Tall, Stinging, and Wood nettle. There are several variations within those ranks as well. These are the only edible one's I know of. Horse, White and Purple Dead, Hedge, and False are not included in anything I talk about herein. I've seen some plants grow upwards of 7 feet and also stay as low as a foot or so. It really depends on species, conditions, and age. A stronger root system will provide a taller plant. The Urtica species (stinging and tall) have opposite leaves whereas Laportea canadensis (wood)has alternating leaves. The seed heads of wood nettle are also quite different in that they are only at the terminal end of the stem, versus the others who's seeds progress up the top 1/4 of the plant stem. Generally speaking they like moist soil. Full or partial sun preferred but not so much in full shade. They are all armed with stinging hairs and contrary to title, the wood nettle is the meanest of the bunch.

Using nettle for herbal remedies and culinary sorts is not new. Look it up. You can eat the young shoots and the leaves. Boiled or dried but NOT raw. The stinging capacity is eliminated when cooked or dried. If you eat these raw you will certainly regret it. Again, NOT A RAW FOOD! As a potherb all species are delicious and go good with a dash of salt. As a tea it's fantastic and easily turned into soup broth by adding some salt instead of sugar or honey. Like Sam, I enjoy my nettle tea with some honey or maple syrup.

Another edible part is the seeds of the Wood Nettle. Only the wood nettle generates an edible seed. As seen in the picture above, they hang down beneath a rather interesting looking flower head. I pick the tops off the plant, seeds intact, and place them carefully in a bucket. I do this part with a scissors placing the bucket beneath to catch the falling parts. Some seeds will fall off at first but the bucket catches most of them too. I then dry them..and seperate the seeds by winnowing. They have a similar character as flax in that you can use them in baking or garnishing a bowl of cereal.

The nutritional value of nettle is outstanding. They're very high in vitamin C, extremely high in vitamin A, 40% protein, and also rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron. Some experts would argue that this is the healthiest plant(s) you can eat. Not only is it very tasty but it's also very nutritious. Caterpillars are a regular connesuir of it's healthy leaves. In fact, you will have to compete with them to get the best greens.

Among it's attributes is the ability to inhibit/speed-up composting. If you have a patch of it that you would like to remove; pick and harvest the leaves for food or tea and then uproot the rest of the plant and add it to your compost. You could also leave some in a bucket of water to soak for a few days and then relocate the bulk of it to your compost and use the water to hydrate and feed your other plants. You will find that the stems are very tough and fibrous. So much so that it was once used for making rope and for weaving (yet another star on it's collar).

If you're willing to take the precautions and take a few random stings here and there, you'll reap the benefits ten-fold. I find it surprising how the power of fear and suggestion can influence a population from doing or not doing something. The only reason we don't see this abundant and virtually maintenance free plant from adorning our common garden lies in the easily overcome possibility of being stung. If we gave up on say, love, so willingly because of the potential sting of rejection it would be a sad and lonely world. Like love; treat it with respect, be careful, be delicate, and don't give in to fear.

Benjamin

Sheep Sorrel

2009-08-19T07:22:00.003-05:00

Rumex acetosella - Sheep Sorrel

A patch of Sheep Sorrel growing in our yard. It's the reddish-tan color wash you see.

A typical male plant bearing little seeds. Note the shape of the leaves.

Nothing adds zest to a salad or compliments that fresh caught fish like sheep sorrel. Ok, so we each have our favorite additions to things, and this is one of mine. I use it on rice to add a little zip; I've used it on fish, and it is a common garnish to my salads. You can even make a chilled tea with it reminiscent of lemonade less the fizziness.

Most everyone I introduce this plant to tell me it tastes like rhubarb or sour apples. I've never had anyone spit it out in disgust. The high levels of oxalic acid responsible for it's tartness make it so that a little goes a long way. Oxalic acid is the same acid that gives rhubarb it's sourness. Some reports warn you at great length to be careful not to consume too much of this acid. Personally I do not see how one could handle eating the amounts needed to cause you bodily harm. One should never eat too much of one thing anyway, and this is no exception. Just enjoy it in moderation and you can rest easy.

I find myself grabbing a leaf when the mood strikes me and just chewing on it as I toil outside. I have taken a supply and dried it for later use, but since it's still available fresh I don't see much use in tapping into my cache. Fresh is, in most cases, the best way to go. More nutrition and better flavor.

Where does it grow? Chances are you can find this plant just about anywhere you find a lawn. With that being said, do NOT eat vegetables growing in yards that are treated with chemicals! You wouldn't buy a vegetable in the store that had been raised where they spray chemicals and pesticides would you? Wait...silly me, most people do. Point is; it's not wise. There's a reason it's cheaper, it's worth less.

Go out and see if you can track down the little horned leaves and sample one. You'll be surprised at how much flavor is in one little leaf. It's a regular fair in my kitchen and I hope you can find a place for it in yours.

Benjamin

The Bee's Knees

2009-08-16T19:53:00.003-05:00

Bees

A bee working on a sunflower outside my studio window.

Today I just want to give some credit where credit is due. Our State Insect; the common bee is my favorite co-worker. Bees pollinate 15-30% of the foods most of us eat. In foraging the ratio is much higher. Every thread in the string of co-existence is important but without these little guys, it would be catastrophic. The effects would be felt immediately. The scary thing is: it's happening.

A phenomenon coined "Colony Collapse Disorder," is threatening our GDP as well as our livelihood. There are several theories about the decrease in bee populations. The population of honey bees has decreased 50% in the last 50 years. A recent study in Britain is blaming cell phones for messing up the bees navigational sensory. Another theory blames the decrease of bees in France to the Asian Hornet's killing nature. Yet the most commonly agreed upon observation is the spread of viruses through the damge done by the varroa and tracheal mites. One good thing to hear is that honeybees kept in Wisconsin over the Winter are not showing signs of CCD.

Fortunately the bee is very resilient and can bounce back quite rapidly. However, we don't want to be the straw that broke the camel's back. They already have enough to overcome and our use of pesticides along with suburban expansion is just making it even harder for them. We're kicking them when they're down. This is not the way to treat an insect that holds YOUR life in their "hands."

Aside from the insane work load they have in terms of pollination, the bee produces some of nature's best bi-products. The Egyptians understood the importance of them and it wasn't that long ago they found honey in King Tut's tomb, still edible to this day. Honey can be used for so many things that I could have a blog devoted just to bees. Google it and see what you find. Here's a good place to start: http://www.crandallfarms.com/benefits.html for a some broad info. I find it amusing that medical research is finally addressing the use of honey as more than "folk" medicine. Here's an article about it: http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/diabetes/2008/10/07/the-healing-power-of-honey.html .

I've long considered hosting bees and the thought grows stronger every year. Perhaps someday I'll take my relationship to the next level with them. Right now we just co-exist in peace. Occasionally I get "smarted" by a bee while out foraging, but it usually happens when I am not paying attention to what I'm doing and step on or near a nest. I often find myself shooing them away if I'm after the same plant, or if the plant is big enough...sharing in the harvest. I've found that it takes a lot to get a bee to sting you, you have to grab them or trap them somehow. No one likes to be cornered.

In conclusion I just hope that you all can make peace with this amazing insect. Treat them with the respect they deserve. Take a look at a flowering prairie, the apple on your table, the almond in your Almond Joy candy bar...and remember that without them none of it would be possible. As far as the origin of "the bee's knees," that's up for debate. We know it means "top quality." And that's the truth; Bees are the Bee's Knees.

Benjamin

Purslane

2009-08-12T19:35:00.002-05:00

Portulaca oleracea - Purlsane or Pusley

In a planter outside my studio this curious "weed" started growing between my pennyroyal plants. Right in the center, as if I planted it there. I didn't plant it, but there it was. The same thing happened in my new garden after breaking the soil.

Purslane has many several uses but I find I like it best raw. Slightly salty and sour. The crunchy and juicy leaves make a great addition to a salad or just a little snack. The leaves can be used for soup thickener too. I suggest looking up some recipes for it, there are many. The nutritional qualities are: high in alfa-linolenic (one of the top vegetables to produce this) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (an EFA normally found in fish, flax, and certain algae) , vitamins A, C, B, and cartenoids; minerals like potassium, magnesium, calcium and iron.

Harvesting it's leaves just seems to promote more leaves. It does this rapidly I might add. I prefer to use the plant that's in my window planter as this is a ground hugging plant that tends to get a bit gritty from the soil. If you aren't in it for the nutrition, try it for the flavor. It's a great tasting and easily grown plant that will surely add pizazz to your average garden salad.

Benjamin

Wild Basil

2009-08-10T07:35:00.004-05:00

Satureja vulgaris - Wild Basil

Right around the middle of summer this beautiful plant begins to show signs of flowers. It is in the mint family but blooms before the wild mints. I find it growing along field edges with both dappled shade and full sun. Pay close attention to the leaves as they are not as obviously toothed as the mint. They're obscurely toothed, wider at the base and oblong, and have two little ones poking out at the base of each leaf. (see the fuzzy image at the lower-center of the photograph) The leaves grow opposite one another. The leaves also have very short stalks leading to them from a hairy square stem. The flowers have stiff bracts surrounding them and two leaves directly beneath. The image shows purplish flowers but they can sometimes be almost white.

I collect leaves throughout summer and dry them for later use. As with most in the mint family, the best time to collect them is either right before or during flowering time. Use it in anything that might call for basil. You can use them fresh or dried. Fresh is the best way, so I collect what I want for drying and then collect what I want to use fresh. A good tea is made from the fresh leaves as well. Most of the plants in the mint family are good for easing digestion and make for a good after-dinner breath freshener. Basil tea is no exception.

I first discovered a small patch of these before they flowered, but then upon flowering I discovered a LOT more of it growing all over the place. I was pleasantly surprised at how much was growing around here and use this herb quite frequently since it's so plentiful.

Although this plant is not as highly prized as it's domesticated brethren, it is a good one to get familiar with. At the very least you can spice up your camping diet, and help digest those canned beans, if you know what to look for.

Benjamin

What's In a Name?

2009-08-08T19:15:00.005-05:00

Today I want to talk about plant names. Plants are refered to by two types of names: common and scientific. The term "common name" is a misnomer if one defines common by universal usage. The scientific name is the more reliable of the two.

Yet even in the scientific world the names evolve...

For instance, the fungi Ganoderma tsugae is sometimes referred to the prior name of Polyporus tsugae. They both refer to the common name of Hemlock Polypore or Hemlock Varnish Shelf mushroom.
Common dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, is sometimes called Taraxacum vulgarae.

...and sometimes a common name is shared by two or more completely unrelated species.

Fireweed is the common name of both Epilobium augustifolium and Erechtites hieracifolia. The first is in the Evening Primrose family, the other in the Composite family.
Pigweed could refer to either Green Amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus) or Lamb's Quarters (Chenopodium album). The first is in the Amaranth family, the other in the Goosefoot family.

Then there is the problem of several synonyms that vary from one geographic area to another...

Trifolium pratense is called both Red Clover and Purple Clover.
Erythronium americanum is called Trout Lily, Adder's Tongue, Adder Leaf, Yellow Adder's Tongue, American Trout Lily, Dog's Tooth Violet, Serpent's Tongue, and Yellow Snowdrop.

...and also multiples of both.

Pineapple Weed is sometimes called Wild Chamomile but never German Chamomile. It's scientific name is Matricaria matricarioides or Matricaria discoidea.
German Chamomile is sometimes called Wild Chamomile but never Pineapple Weed. It's scientific name is Matricaria chamomilla or Matricaria recutita or Chamomilla recutita.

So as you can see this can all get very confusing if you don't get your sources of information from more than one resource. Some scientific names are recognized by organizations but one organization might prefer one name and another organization might prefer a different name. The thing to remember is to look for the similarities and make sure that you never go by name alone, scientific or common. Match both physical characteristics and research various names.

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." -Juliet Capulet

-Benjamin

Minty summer breeze

2009-08-07T09:43:00.005-05:00

Mentha arvensis - Wild Mint

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Ever catch the breeze just right and smell a minty aroma? I used to think to myself that something smells minty then I realized that, duh, that's because it IS mint I smell.

One of my absolute favorite herbal tea ingredients is wild mint. There are many sub-species of Mentha arvensis growing here. So far I can't say for sure which is which due to not having the proper literature for such detailed ID'ing. Someday soon I'll be able to pin-point which is which. What I do know is that they are all usable, with varying flavor. There are some plants out there that will look similar to arvensis, but follow your nose as it always knows.

For many years my father would weed-whack the edges of our pond. I requested he stop that because it's better for the pond to have a filter to keep out unwanted windblown debris. Last year the pond was trimmed and I had to voyage all over the property to find mint. This year, much to my surprise, the edges are densely lined with wild mint. It's not only handy for harvest, but also adds a certain refreshing air during the summer.

Mint tea has a long history and even some Greek mythology. It's practical and medical uses are many. As a tea it is use to ease the nerves, calm the stomach, and relieve headaches. It's used to perfume the body, the home, and the garden. I use mint in my coffee at times; just prick off a fresh leaf and toss it in with your grounds. Mint is a great addition to other herbals that don't pack much flavor. One of my favorite after-dinner teas is mint/ginger tea: both treat the stomach well and freshen your breath. It reminds me of espresso in that it's a base for many other things. It can even be used for party drinks like a mojito.

This was the first plant that I ever harvested for tea and remains high in my rankings of abundant and useful wild plants. I'll be harvesting more this year than I did last year. As a matter of practice I like to try only pick one year's supply, but underestimated my desire for a good cup of mint tea over the winter. One good thing about it, the plant loves to be "groomed" and will respond well to harvesting. Just find the best looking leaves and dry them or use them fresh. There are many uses for this plant, hope you can find one that suits your palate!
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-Benjamin

Ethics

2009-08-04T15:12:00.007-05:00

Ruby Throated hummingbird sitting on a branch.

Today I have decided to say a word or two about foraging ethics. Here is a list of my personal ethics when it comes to harvesting from the wild.

Always be 100% sure of a plant before even touching it. It could harm the plant or it could harm you, but either way...

Always take only what you need. What you don't harvest this year will be there for you next year. This is especially important in plants who's root is on your menu.

Never litter. Who want's to harvest in the dump?

Work around or with the wildlife. For instance: if a milkweed bud has a monarch caterpillar in it, just find another instead of making the caterpillar relocate.

Play the role of the steward. If you see an invasive species like garlic mustard, do your part to reduce it's impact.

Just because you can't use it, doesn't mean it's not important. Some plants are companions of others and will help deter insects or disease from the plant you want to use. Thus, avoid "weeding," unless it's an environmentally harmful species.

Take a moment to appreciate that which you enjoy.

If it's not your land, share the harvest with the owner. They will appreciate the gesture.

That's a good start anyway. If you follow some simple fore-thought and courtesey, you'll have more to look forward to in the future. Live for today but consider tomorrow.

-Benjamin

Chamomile's Cousin

2009-08-03T08:57:00.008-05:00

Matricaria matricarioides - Pineapple Weed

Chamomile is a well known herbal tea but less well known is it's cousin Pineapple Weed. We see this growing abundantly on well-trodden soil like between cracks in the sidewalk or in driveways. It seems to love disturbance. The best thing about this relation is that they are identical in properties. Pineapple weed flower buds are smaller than domestic chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), and therefore less popular for harvesting, but equally as potent.

It ranges in height from a couple inches to a foot or more. It is in bloom from late spring until after the first frosts have hit. It's relatively easy to harvest but takes some time. Beware of where you collect though. If it's growing along a well traveled and dusty area, don't bother. Look for a more secluded patch away from dust and other contaminates. Clip or pinch the buds off and return a couple weeks later for more. I usually only take the larger buds. I lightly roll them between my fingers to make sure they are in prime shape. If the buds crumble or fall apart at all, they are too old. If they are moist and sort of spongy, perfect. There should be a yellow hue, but not always, and often they are just a healthy green.

I like to dry mine slowly on a screen out of direct sunlight. In general it is best not to dry flowers or flower buds in the sun. Shady, dry, and slow. It usually takes 4-5 days to get them totally dry. Store in an airtight container in a cool dark place. NOT the refrigerator as this might cause condensation and re-hydration.

The mild calming effect is often mistaken for a sedative effect. This will NOT make you go to sleep, but it WILL make falling asleep a bit easier. The first time I had this tea I had very vivid dreams and slept like a baby. If one dreams the most during deep sleep then I must have had the longest period of deep sleep I've ever had. For a guy who's brain is going full-speed in multiple directions, a few cups of this helps keep me from burning out.

The hardest part about using this for tea is that I tend to want a cup every night, therefore I can't keep up with my own demands. I have to ration and mix it with other herbs like mint and willow herb to help keep a supply of it. It's flavor is heavenly! It reminds me of apples or pineapples and a little honey tops it off very nicely. I most often mix it with mint as the two are very abundant here.

This tea is safe for kids and my daughter's favorite to share with me at "tea time." The name itself hints of it's calming qualities:

Matri(mother)caria(dear). It can be used to help calm a crazy child, to relieve some stress in an adult, or just to help you fight off the winter blues with a taste of summer.

This gives me one more reason to watch where I step while walking down the sidewalk. In fact, "step on a crack, break your mother's back," seems almost too ironic to be a coincidence.

-Benjamin

Raspberries

2009-08-02T07:04:00.012-05:00

Rubus idaeus - Wild Red Raspberry

Fresh berry in the hands of an eager picker.

She's a pickin', I'm a grinnin'.

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Some of my earliest memories are getting scratched by the loving thorns of raspberry bushes. I was more than happy to engage my daughter in this most popular act of foraging. Just as I remember, there were always lovely raspberry bush spiders to scare the

demons out of me when I didn't look closely at the bush before sticking my hand in for a the ripe fruit within. If there is one thing we grow well in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, it's berries. Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, chokecherries, juneberries, pin-cherries, elderberries, raspberries, wintergreen berries, creeping snowberries, juniper berries, and cranberries to name a few. All of the above are useful, but none are so widespread as the raspberry.

One for the stash, two for me. We eventually had enough to return to the kitchen to make one of my favorite treats: what I call Raspberry Mash; some berries and some sugar. Simply mash and mix. Eaten with a spoon or spread on some bread or biscuit. I nearly had to pry the spoon from my daughter's mouth to avoid a sugar induced intoxication which carries symptoms like irritability, sassiness, hyper-activity, and ultimately withdrawal. The one thing a 6 year old doesn't lack is energy, yet they crave sugar. Go figure.

There is a massive surplus of info on what do with them so I encourage you to look up some new recipes even if you already have a favorite way to use them. Seriously, it's insane how many uses they have. I looked it up on RecipeZaar.com and it had 2,257 hits. That's one use per day for 6 years. Some are complicated and others are simple. They suit the "meat and potatoes" palate as well as the gourmet. I like jam, raspberry "ice cubes" and just to add them to oatmeal or salads. I might try making fruit leather this year. I'm also using the leaves for tea, which I find very tasty!

Foraging, in general, is about as raw as "raw foods" can get. The fresher the better because when you pick anything it begins a chemical change which alters the flavor and nutrition. Store bought raspberries, even if locally harvested, are a poor replacement for the free and fresh produce readily available for those willing to mind the occasional harmless spider and the little scratchy thorns.

Currently in season, one must git the gittin' while the gittin's good.

"The Law of Raspberry Jam: the wider any culture is spread, the thinner it gets." -Alvin Toffler

-Benjamin

Organization

2009-07-31T10:35:00.009-05:00

Sample from my Herbal Atlas

When you are finding so many wonderful and useful plants, it gets hard to remember where exactly you found them. Therefore I created an herbal atlas of our property. Based on the google satellite map of our land, I created this illustrated version. Whenever I find a plant that I'm curious about I pick up my copy of Newcomb's Guide to Wildflowers and ID it. I then number it and use it for cross referencing in my atlas. I've also got a notepad with more detailed info on the plants. The atlas is merely a quick reference for location and some other useful notes. Sometimes the ID leads me to Sam's book for more info as well.

Newcomb's book is indispensable to me. It's method of ID is based on flower type, then plant type, then leaf type. For instance; you see a flower with 5 symmetrical petals and alternating leaves that are toothed; then you look it up in NWG and narrow it down. Once my ID is done, I number it and research it. Then I take all this info down and fill out a page in my atlas.

Next year I won't be spending so much time ID'ing things and it will be great to know where I spotted a plant instead of having to wander all over. Of course, the wandering is half the fun but this certainly beats thinking, "where the heck did I see Spring Beauty?"

I make time to do these things in order to save time in the future. This leaves me more time for other things...like blogging. :)

-Benjamin

Healing time

2009-07-30T19:20:00.007-05:00

Prunella vulagaris - Self-Heal

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With common names like "Heal-All, Self-Heal, and Heart of the Earth," it's hard not to give this plant a second look. Most likely it's growing right in your backyard and probably surviving countless beatings from rotating metal blades. It's medicinal use is very well known. With plenty of properties including antibacterial, antibiotic, and antiseptic it proves to be a powerful herb. Since i'm not going to support medicinal claims for reasons of reputation; i'll just stick with what I can vouch for.
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Collected mid-summer during flowering. The leaf and flower bud can be dried for tea. Either by steeping an ounce of it in a pint of hot water and then cooling it off in the fridge, or by making sun tea with it. I've not yet tried the sun tea, but will be doing this as soon as a good sunny day presents itself. I have made the former though and found it very good. It reminded me of a mild iced-tea, which I sweetened with some honey.
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It can also be used fresh in salads, soups, or stews. It has a mildly bitter taste due to tannin in the leaves so some people blanche them first before use. Personally, I don't find it overly bitter. I like to munch on the fresh leaves occasionally because of the silky feeling they produce in your mouth. Not like the tacky film that dairy milk produces, but a smooth and silky feeling.
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It's a great plant to say the least since it's multi-useful and pretty to have growing. Although it can become somewhat invasive, it's a welcome guest in my yard. I even make a point of harvesting before mowing if there are any prestine looking ones poking up.
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You still have time to go gather some. Make sure you shake off any little bugs that like to find their way into the buds. After that it's ready to suit your fancy.
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-Benjamin

Today's find: Evening Primrose

2009-07-29T19:26:00.004-05:00

Oenothera biennis - Evening Primrose

Today I spotted a familiar looking plant growing along the side of the road right across from our land. I could tell, even though I had only seen illustrations and a few random pictures, that it was the esteemed Oenothera biennis - Evening Primrose. Sam mentions this in his book Forager's Harvest. I went and talked to our neighbor who was more than happy to let me take what was there seeing as how he was going to level it anyway. In his own words, "...even a rose is a weed when it's in your corn patch." In this case it's in the way of Christmas tree territory. So since it's fate was doomed anyhow...

A few facts about this plant: The plant is a biennial meaning it grows in a rosette the first year then flowers the second year. It seems to prefer sandy to slightly moist soil with full sun. The flower is partly closed during the day and opens fully at night, hence the nic-name. It's seeds are very high in gama-linolenic acid which is a very beneficial and rare essential fatty acid. There are studies being done on the benefits of using the oil for several conditions including PMS and heart disease. The root is edible cooked...I'll let you know how it tastes. I've heard great things about it. The flowers are edible too and make a great addition to salads I'm told. I did eat one flower and it was very sweet and juicy. A nice taste and a beautiful garnish. I'm also told the young shoots are edible, but it's too late in the season to try that here.

Because I do not claim to be an expert, merely a fanatic, I will not divulge too much info on the subject of what you can or can't do with any particular plant. My experience is all I can honestly go by, mixed with consistencies like nutritional value. I'm not confident enough in my knowledge to ask you, the reader, to trust me until I've spent enough time experimenting and researching things further. See Sam Thayer's website (http://www.foragersharvest.com/) for a "taste" of wild food information from a guy who knows his way around the mulberry bush. I'm not trying to discredit myself, but I don't want anyone getting ill on my account. Take my experience for what it's worth. I never eat anything without extensive research.

I am convinced at this point that the flower is safe and tasty. I'll be letting you all know how it goes with the root in the future. I get excited every time I identify a plant, and even more excited to discover it's uses. Today was no exception...another day another flower ray.

-Benjamin

Springtime harvesting

2009-07-29T08:45:00.016-05:00

Allium tricoccum "Wild Leek or Ramps"

Last year's seedhead.

New growth, early spring.

Showing root system.

Mature plant in mid-late spring. Perfect time for harvest.

Sliced bulbs ready for use.

This spring was just the beginning of what would become an ever-growing fascination with having edible food that didn't require cultivation or money, at least directly. Of course, property taxes must be paid on the land I am harvesting on. My father, his significant-other Virginia, and myself live on 108 acres in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Wisconsin's highest point is not far from here but we are at the 1600 ft above sea level here at my home. One point I should make is that although I don't need to plant or tend a garden for wild foods, some plants have been planted in the past by settlers and escaped into the wild, such as parsnip. So it becomes a very slippery argument to say these plants are just here on their own.

Well, that being said, back to the spring time harvest. As soon as the snow began to melt and expose the brown and pungent leaves of last fall; the growth begins. Often it's going on under the snow, or during the winter as well in the case plants like Gaultheria procumbens "Checkerberry or Wintergreen." My first plant of interest was Allium tricoccum "Wild Leeks or Ramps." Their little green sprouts were just getting started as I was helping Melissa and Sam Thayer with their maple syrup run. Sam pointed out the seed heads of last year and sure enough; underneath were tender, succulent, aromatic sprouts. He snapped one off and gave it to me. I tasted what was the perfect blend of onion and garlic. Very strong and very tasty. I waited a month or so for them to reach a larger size as gathering them too young is wasteful. Your yield will be higher if you wait until the leaves are mature.

I must say, it was hard to wait. I was eager to use wild food in my kitchen. One must be careful in harvesting ramps as they are susceptible to over-harvest. They grow in abundance in patches in the moist hardwood forest floor, but take some time to develop, so just harvest less than half of one particular patch. This way you ensure you will have some next year. I follow the Native American 7 Generation rule of saving enough for 7 generations in the future. Nature does not reward greed when it comes to harvesting entire plants. Even berries are shared with other wildlife than ourselves. Once my eye had noticed what to look for, it became extremely obvious. I find this very fascinating how one's eyes can look right past something. Until we know what we are looking at we look straight through it thinking, "Where is it, I don't see it?" I find this a delightful metaphor or simile to life's greater search for enlightenment.

Now I was taking walks and finding more and more patches of ramps. They stood out like an oasis in the desert. The first time I spotted some I was nearly standing on them before I knew what they were. Within a short time I could spot them up to 50 yards away. "Look! There's more! And over there! And there! Holy crap!" I quickly became overwhelmed with the challenge of where to begin.

Once they had reached a sufficient size to begin harvest I then experimented with methods of collection. All the while I snacked on the fresh leaves of the unfortunate plants that failed to come out of the ground. The ramp bulb has many long roots that intertwine with each other. One cannot just simply tug the plant out or it will snap and leave the bulb. It must be "convinced" with a stick or shovel of sorts. I used a single pronged deer antler that I had found while wandering about. I inserted it a couple inches into the soil near the plant and held the plant with one hand so as to feel when the antler was under the plant's bulb. I then pried upwards. Simple, effective, fast and few damaged bulbs. It also allowed me to be more selective than a broad shovel would afford. The entire plant is edible less the little roots.

This plant is an Allium but is no more like the garden variety leek than it is the garden variety shallot, onion, or garlic. It's widely prized for it's flavor by good restaurants. After harvesting it I placed a bunch in a short amount of water in a pint jar in the fridge to use fresh. Others I froze or dried on a dehydrating rack above our wood stove. Since my father dislikes onions, the overwhelming scent of drying ramps was NOT a popular project at home. But since my father is patient, he bit his tounge and pinched his nose.

Within hours of harvesting this plant I was sharing what I learned to anyone willing to listen. Some people scoffed and some asked me to show them so they could learn about them too. I like to use the ramps with just about anything you use onion for, and I've used them on just about anything. The plant's foliage begins to die back when the leaves begin to gain size on the nearby trees. Even though the ramp's leaves die back, the bulbs are still swollen and juicy until fall. I like to harvest most during mid spring as you get more for your efforts.

These are a hit with anyone who likes onions or garlic. One of my most used plants to date.

-Benjamin

Beginnings

2009-07-28T21:56:00.006-05:00

Solanum dulcamara "Bittersweet Nightshade"

All parts mildly poisonous in all stages.

Thus begins my blog on wild food and herb foraging.

About me: I live in Northern Wisconsin so keep in mind the plants discussed herein are located in this climate and geography. I'm currently 31 years old, a self-employed artist, and live on the land I grew up on. I had left for college and lived post-grad in Madison before making the esteemed prodigal return to my homeland last year. Of course, we all know how that works out...it's never as romantic as it sounds. I did, however, realize that my perception of home had changed over the 8 year absence. What once seemed like something to conquer turned into something to embrace and protect.

Despite being an avid farmer's market and Co-op connoisseur, I was disenchanted and disconnected from a greater understanding of our environment. Buying local and organic foods, backpacking, hiking, biking, discussing environmental issues, and "Sunday drives" to the countryside just wasn't quenching my thirst for Love in Nature. Many of my friends were savvy on the good ways of nutrition which was encouraging but merely a shadow in the valley. I had a poor excuse for a wild foods book given unto me back in college but it was not a good reference for an aspiring forager.

The summer I returned here it helped me identify, with 100% certainty, about 2 plants. Then I met Sam Thayer. He married a former grade/high school classmate of mine. We were introduced, and the snowball began to roll. His book, Forager's Harvest, was an introduction to the wild bounty that sat in plain sight and went untapped. His recommendations and advice has now allowed me to expand my knowledge of local plants to around 70 plants. All of them discovered in one summer, which isn't over yet. I'm constantly pulled from my canvas to go walk-about and learn. I've always had an equal fascination with botany as well as visual art, so it's a fine line when it comes to deciding which one to focus on. For now, I'm doing both. To be certain, the future is uncertain.

The purpose of this blog is to share the combination of existing and yet-to-be-acquired knowledge. I will be posting pictures and information on my growing wild foods experiences. I've much to share but will be making new discoveries along the way, so feel free to join me as I "discover" the wild bounty that awaits.

-Benjamin