Monday, April 25, 2016

Weekend Foraging













It's here, foraging season!!!

I have been patiently watching the wild foods in my area grow, waiting for the time to start harvesting, and this weekend was the time. We spent time in the woods on Saturday and Sunday, harvesting gifts from the forest. Coltsfoot flowers were picked and are already infusing in honey to make coltsfoot honey, the perfect remedy for winter coughs. Ramps were next, and goodness they smell so good. This was a small patch, so we only harvested enough for a batch of pesto, which we enjoyed for dinner last night. I have a special spot where ramps grow forever, and I will be heading there this week to harvest a much larger amount, most of which will be made into pesto and added to the freezer. And finally, a handful of trout lily, carefully harvested, for my evening salad.

This is just the beginning of foraging season, and I am excited for all the goodness still to come.

26 comments:

  1. I love to forage for my food, it really makes me feel connected to my world.
    Congratulations on the new shop, I think it's a perfect thing for you and I wish you
    all the best my dear friend!

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    1. Yes, I totally agree Tracey. Thanks, it is pretty exciting. I appreciate the support my friend.

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  2. Oh I'm so very jealous!!!! I went out walking hoping to find signs of anything popping out and nothing yet. Believe me, I will be visiting my haunts daily. :-)

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    1. It will come my friend. If there is one thing we can count on it is that spring will always follow winter, and those wild foods will soon be popping up.

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  3. Yay for foraging we have been picking wild garlic too. I added it to a quiche/flan/tart, or whatever you like to call it, last night and it was delicious! I have found what looks like a good spot for foraging other leaves too just need to go back with a book to check they are what I think they are!

    Your coltsfoot remedy sounds wonderful, I might see if that flower grows here too. Do you mix it into runny honey?

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    1. How fun! It would be so much fun if we could all go foraging together :)

      Yes, runny honey. It works great. Reece has had a dry cough that only bothers him when he puts his head down to sleep at night. One spoonful and it is taken care of. So good.

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  4. I am always impress with people who have such a precious knowledge about wild food. Too bad you don't live on the West Coast. I would really like to take a workshop to learn about our own local plants.

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    1. It is such a wonderful bit of knowledge to have. I still have so much to learn, and look forward to finding others to learn from.

      Have you looked for anyone out that way that leads wild food walks. In my experience many people offer them these days as the popularity of wild foods and foraging grows.

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    2. Yes, I should look for those kind of walks-workshops around here. I can probably find something!

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    3. Good luck! And if you find something, have the best time :)

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  5. Exciting times! And your sky looks such a beautiful blue over there. We have so much wild garlic over here too, I do use it occasionally - mainly for salads, but not as much as I should. The trouble is that I'm not a big garlic fan myself (terrible admission I know!), but Harry and Theo both love it so I should make more effort. Do you just blitz it up with olive oil and some pine nuts for your pesto?

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    1. Isn't that sky beautiful? It was such a gorgeous day on Saturday and that sky had my attention.

      Yes, food processor with olive oil, some nutritional yeast, and a nut or seed. Pine nuts are expensive here so I don't use them. Instead I will use cashews for a nut base, or a mix of pumpkin and sunflower seeds for a seed base. Both are delicious. I have used walnuts before too, and that's good as well. Enjoy my friend. xo

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  6. Fun! I don't know if ramps grow around here--I'll have to keep my eyes out. And next time I'm hiking at a trail I know where trout lily grows rampant, I'll give them a taste!

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    1. It was fun! Oh Andrea, I bet they do. Search them out, they are so good. And trout lily, enjoy, but don't eat too much, they can make you sick. They have a lovely fresh spring taste to them. So good.

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  7. How fun! I love getting out in nature and finding things. Although I don't have the knowledge to find much and then to know what to do with it x

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    1. It is a ton of fun! I didn't at first either, every year I learn a little more :)

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  8. Nice finds.
    The trail we walk was full of coltsfoot - had no idea it was medicinal. Looks nice, especially when most of the forest is still brown.

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    1. Thanks Matt! Oh wow, that is amazing. It works so well for coughs, you should gather some up and infuse a coltsfoot honey. You won't regret it when those coughs show up next winter :)

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  9. This is something I wouldn't mind learning more about and I know the kids would also enjoy it.

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    1. You should definitely look into it. I find it very empowering, and I love that Reece enjoys it too. He joined me and a friend today as we foraged our way through a very large patch of ramps. Watching him with scissors in hand, harvesting ramps made my heart smile.

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  10. Don't forget the morels... They will be up right before the lilac buds burst.. Usually near Mother's Day here.

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    1. Oh I will forget them...I don't like mushrooms :) I am not even sure when they are out around here. Our lilacs don't bloom until early June, so maybe around then.

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  11. So jealous! We are still barely seeing things grow. The nights have still been dipping down below zero here. I was lucky enough to pick a handful of coltsfoot to make a first tiny cup size jar of honey. Hoping that the sun we've had this week helps us in our efforts this week-end.

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    1. The good news my friend, things will grow, there is no doubt about that :) Have fun once it all starts growing.

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