The Siberian elm (aka Ulmus pumila) is among the toughest of trees. Native to Siberia, Mongolia, northern Kashmir, and the Gobi Desert (among other rugged locations), it was selected by the USDA to create shelter belts on the North American prairies after the disaster that was the dustbowl. Its tolerance for cold and drought and its rapid growth habit made…
Read More
Several foraging friends have been experimenting with dehydrating fruit, grinding it into flour, then baking with said flour. I admit, I was skeptical, but since I have great faith in these friends (Alan Bergo, Erica Marciniec Davis, I’m talking to you!), I decided to give it a go. Both Alan and Erica posted about using dried wild cherries, but my…
Read More
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….
Read More
A podcast about plants with Ellen Zachos and C.L. Fornari