You’ve probably walked past burdock many times, wondering, “What is that GIANT plant?!” It’s a common roadside weed of impressive proportions: leaves can be 24 inches long, flower stalks may be five feet tall, and the root reaches two or three feet in length. It’s not bad looking, it’s a well known medicinal plant, and several parts are edible. Yet…
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I love cheese and cream as much as the next forager, but I don’t smother my foraged harvest in them. I’d rather showcase the unique flavor of each wild ingredient with the simplest possible preparation. Burdock flower stalks have a lovely flavor, often compared to that of artichokes or cardoons. This recipe for burdock flower stalk fritters is adapted from a recipe…
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I love watercress for many reasons. The flavor is great, it’s super nutritious, extremely versatile, and it has a very long season. You can often forage for it in the middle of winter, as long as the water it grows in hasn’t frozen. Watercress is in the mustard (aka Brassicaceae) family, along with familiar vegetables like broccoli and Brussel sprouts,…
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I have learned a lot about egg custards since yesterday morning. It’s been rainy in PA, so I’ve been in the kitchen rather than out in the field. My pal Leda makes a gorgeous pineapple weed flan, but I opted for custard because: 1) flan scares me (I have since confronted that fear, but that’s another post); 2) I wanted…
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I went out this morning to see what came into season during the week I was gone. Imagine how thrilled I was to discover a new patch of milkweed in full bloom! Just an hour earlier, I’d read a question on FB asking if anyone had used the flowers to make jelly. Was it divine inspiration? Yes or no, I…
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