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…
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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…
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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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A podcast about plants with Ellen Zachos and C.L. Fornari