First, has to be nettles. They grow everywhere and they are a nice size now. Nettle tea from fresh, new shoots - so good for us! And so good to drink during pregnancy too! What a lot of uses nettles have.
Ear fungi. Lots of it growing on a dead elder branch. Nice to stew up for about 45 minutes in stock. Make sure you have identified it properly! Wash well and cook it well or it will taste rubbery. Sol really loves these.
And a special favourite here - Ramsons (wild garlic). We all eat lots of these. Forget taking a picnic to the woods, we all had a little nibble there in the ramson patch. Then back home for houmous and ramson sandwiches. Fresh young shoots can be added to just about any meal for that onion/garlicky flavour. Flowers and roots can also be eaten.
And lots more wild foods are starting to grow so beautifully!
Yum! It looks like your spring is in full-force.
ReplyDeleteI had my first taste of wild garlic last spring-- here it is called Bärlauch (bear garlic). I can hardly wait for it to start growing here-- it makes fantastic pesto!
Thanks for reminding us of the bounty of early-spring!
Wonderful post! I love eating in the wild, absolutely one of my top ten loves in life. We have a ways to go, though when it rains the ear fungus to plump up.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes! We are loving the nettles here as well. We gather it for our smoothies in the morning.
ReplyDeleteI wish we had ramps though. Alas, none within my gathering area.
We are trying to learn more about foraging and hope to give it a go as soon as spring arrives for real (it's snowing again at the moment). Thanks for this inspiring post!
ReplyDeletewonderful post. Was just thinking how I need to learn more about this!
ReplyDeleteOh wild food! The ear fungi looks amazing...so very ineteresting...but you know after being stung by nettles so many times on camping trips I'm so nervous about putting it in my mouth...silly I know...
ReplyDeleteHow fun and adventurous! I would love to forage, I know people do it in AZ, but I am not sure where, or how...
ReplyDeleteDo you have to wear gloves to harvest the nettles? Just wondering...
we are just getting underway in foraging. looking forward to reading more of your blog ;-)
ReplyDeleteI have just discovered your blog and it is so lovely :)
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading more.
Gina xx
I am not really familiar with wild food, I do have a herb garden, but do not venture into the wild to eat food, great post. cheers Marie
ReplyDeleteI love this post about foraging! We took a nature walk in Asheville last summer and my girls learned (and tasted) a lot of wild wonderful plants! Now, they are grubbing around my flower garden telling me what is edible! Great blog!
ReplyDeleteGreat post--I am still shy about eating wild goodies.
ReplyDeleteMy family LOVED morels when I was growing up--but the land we used to find them on has since been developed. :(
I must do more research-I'd love to share such knowledge with Benjamin!