I’m always looking at old recipe books for interesting foods I can put a foraged spin on, and when I discovered pastila, I realized I’d hit the jackpot. Traditionally made with tart apples, I knew right away it would work with crabapples, and I already had several jars of crabapple sauce in my pantry, which gave me a head start….
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I enjoy surprising friends with foraged foods, and nothing I’ve made has surprised people more than these sweet, light, mallow meringue cookies, made from the seeds of a common weed. I won’t lie, it’s a labor-intensive recipe. But it’s totally worth doing, not only for the flavor and wow factor, but also because the transformation from seed to dessert feels…
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Lest you think there’s nothing to forage for in the depths of winter, think again. Juniper berries are all around you…whether you live in the high deserts of New Mexico or the mean streets of New York City. And ripe juniper berries are useful for much more than flavoring gin. Try making smreka, a fermented beverage from the Balkans, that…
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I first tasted steamed buns in Japan, although they were flavored with mugwort (also delicious!) rather than sumac. It’s a simple, versatile recipe, and once you’ve tried it with sumac, I’m sure you’ll want to play around with lots of other foraged spices. The size of your muffin tin will determine the size of the pan that holds the tin…
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When you’ve invested hours foraging for wild mushrooms it’s hard to give up even an ounce of your harvest. But not every mushroom you bring home is tender enough to eat as is. Let’s say you hit the oyster mushroom mother lode and you’ve already cooked with or preserved all the tender caps. The solid stems feel too dense and…
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A podcast about plants with Ellen Zachos and C.L. Fornari