A Way To Prepare Morels

2020 seems to be a good year for morels. Lots of people in the countryside are bringing home nice morel dinner. Chuck it to the last two mild and nicely wet (but not too wet) winters and… to having plenty of time. I like morels 

Eat the Invasives (Garlic Mustard)

Eat the Invasives (Garlic Mustard)

Unless we’ve been diligent in the fall planting for an early spring harvest, our gardens are not always as green as we want at this time of the year. There are however plenty of “weeds” (read: unwanted plants) to eat if we make the effort 

Locust Blossoms: Bottle Spring!

The black locusts enchanting blossoms are melting away in the rain as I write.  As everything else this year, they were 10 days to 2 weeks earlier than usual – I generally count on the 2nd week of May to be peak time for the 

For the Love of Purslane

When my neighbor went to Turkey a few years ago, she was fortunate to spend time with a Turkish family, and taste true Turkish cuisine prepared at home. She also had a grand time at the Istanbul Bazaar and came back with amazingly fragrant spices, 

An Early Taste For Greens

I am not a professional forager, but I do harvest wild plants for eating. The easy ones are summer berries, autumn berries, and pawpaws; the more glamorous ones, morels & chanterelles (although to be truthful, my husband does most of the mushroom hunting);  the prettier ones 

Foraging for Wild Summer Berries (and Shrub recipe)

Who hasn’t plucked and munched on a handful of wild blackberries or huckleberries while hiking? Didn’t it feel like a tiny treasure hunt, the taste of wild berries sharper, more intense than their tamed counterparts? Sure, foraging for berries takes time, but you didn’t lift 

Postcard From The Hedgerow

  End of season for the blossoms  – they are now drying for later uses. The bees love linden too. That’s the other name for basswood aka American linden, Tilia americana.  The British call linden “lime” which used to confuse me to no end. But 

Sunday’s Walk

Sunday’s walk – a day before the long rain. How fresh and green and vibrant was everything in the cool brilliant day. Shades of green – a case of walking with your eyes up (no morels for me): Pawpaws loaded with blooms (edible fruit)

A Forager Is Always On The Lookout

When foraging, it is important to always keep one eyes and nose open. It can be hard to see fruiting blackberries in July. At that point everything is green and lush and overgrown. Ripe berries can “melt” in the background as you zoom by. But 

Quince & Apple Tart with Virginia All-Spice

Those who have read my blog for a while know of the fondness I have for quince – that almost forgotten fruit. Most of the cultivars grown in our area (and they aren’t that many, although they do exist) need to be cooked to bring