Black walnuts tend to polarize foragers. Some people love them, some people hate them. I love them. This is a strongly flavored nut, with dark overtones of wine and mushrooms (I know that sounds weird but go with me on this one) that stand up to the sweetness of a corn syrup based pie filling. Black walnut pie trumps pecan…
Read More
Chestnut Flour is Easy to Make
When I think about the process of making flour, I imagine vast fields of grain, and peasant with sunburned necks. They are sweaty, thirsty, and it doesn’t look like a whole lot of fun. Fortunately, making chestnut flour is WAY easier than harvesting wheat, then winnowing and milling the grain. Chestnut flour is also very tasty, and gluten free (in…
Read More
Getting Started with Wild Mushrooms: The Basics
They don’t call it mushroom hunting for nothing. Fungi hold a special appeal for foragers: they’re unpredictable, exciting, and delicious…not to mention potentially dangerous. But oh the rewards are great! If you want to safely hunt for (and eat) wild mushrooms, here’s how to get started. You’re going to need a few special tools, none of which are expensive, and…
Read More
Wild Garlic Potato Pancakes: Recipe
You have probably never heard of wild garlic potato pancakes. I like to think that’s because I made them up, but let’s face it, some other Greek chowhound probably experimented along these same lines before I did. But did they use WILD garlic? Skordalia is a traditional Greek dish made from either stale bread or potatoes, with garlic and lemon juice. It’s…
Read More
Bee Balm: Your New Favorite Herb
Bee balm is the common name for two species of Monarda. M. didyma (aka Oswego tea) is a popular garden plant, with flowers available in red, pink, magenta, white, and purple. M. fistulosa is wild bee balm. Its flowers are lavender-pink and it’s sometimes called wild bergamot. Both plants are members of the mint family and have a strong herbal…
Read More