The Great Elkslip Experiment Parts II & III

This story starts with Part I of the Great Elkslip Experiment, so if you haven’t read that entry yet I suggest you do so before proceeding.

Part II – Creamed Elkslip

What I am calling Part II of my experiment actually involved eating the elkslip, so after reading several reports on marsh marigolds (Calthus spp.)—both about our local elkslip in the Colorado Rockies (Calthus leptosepala) and the eastern variety, commonly called cowslip (Calthus palustris), I settled on creamed elkslip for our first culinary trial.

Keep in mind that after a successful lip test (zero irritation), Gregg and I consumed only about 25 small elkslip leaves between the two of us, and they boiled down to next to nothing in 20 minutes. Some sources say to change the water several times and boil marsh marigolds for as long as 60 minutes to remove the bitterness, but ours were not very bitter. They turned the water an amazingly bright green. 

Thayer, who has tried Calthus palustris (eastern) but not Calthus leptosepala (western) concludes from other authors’ accounts that “it appears that [the] western species has a much milder and better flavor than its eastern counterpart.” I have yet to try his Calthus palustris, but in 20-25 minutes of boiling our high mountain Colorado Calthus leptosepala was soft and mild.

I’ve never made creamed spinach before, but the EHow recipe I borrowed for the purpose seemed straightforward enough. With some deviations here and there I ended up boiling, draining, and setting aside the elkslip; making a cream sauce by frying garlic in olive oil and butter and adding a little milk (in place of cream) with flour to thicken; then combining the elkslip, sauce, and grated Parmesan cheese and serving as a side dish with sandwiches and southwest sautéed yucca flowers.

“The elkslip is wonderful,” Gregg exclaimed upon tasting it, though I fear his penchant for cheesy white sauces might have overridden his interest in the taste of the wild edible itself.

I, too, thought the elkslip was good, although I have to admit I did feel a little gassy after lunch. In retrospect, I kind of screwed up the test in the first place by introducing a second variable—an additional side dish of fried yucca flowers, about which there is some controversy over whether or not the stamens and pistils should be eaten (but we did).

So, while we have no major ill effects to report as of 7:00 PM (6 hours since initial consumption), this is not to say that a larger quantity of elkslip wouldn’t worsen the gassiness situation, or do us in, for that matter!

Part III – Elkslip Dip!

I couldn’t wait to find out more about elkslip—and apparently, neither could Gregg, for when I asked if he’d drive down to the end of the road so we could forage more for tonight, he said yes.

We collected it where it was abundant, in the same wet willow thicket the dogs found the other day. There were elk tracks in the mud and also one big poop Gregg noticed upstream from where he had just foraged.

“You’re going to have to wash these really well,” Gregg said while I photographed the poop amidst the marsh marigolds. “Yeah, and boil them too,” I replied.

In addition to young leaves, we also gathered some buds, since Thayer fancies them so. I ended up manually rubbing each and every leaf and attached petiole between my fingers under running water, then rinsing them all again.

“If you make that elkslip in cream sauce again I’ll go bananas!” Gregg announced.

Later that night we each served ourselves a much larger portion of our second round of creamed elkslip alongside barbecued chicken and corn on the cob. Upon Gregg’s suggestion we tried the creamed elkslip on crackers, then pita chips too.

“It’s like a delicious artichoke dip appetizer,” Gregg enthused, helping himself to more.
“You just like it because of the cheesy sauce,” I accused.
“No,” he challenged thoughtfully. “What you perceive out of the greens in this form is the texture. They’re very creamy, and that’s what makes them good. I love Elkslip Dip!”

Elkslip Dip, eh? Genius—and now I have something new to feed houseguests!

AM Report

I woke up extremely early this morning to post my elkslip report to Wild Food Girl so I could get on with my life already, distracted as I have been by these plants and blogging of late. But there are bills to pay, taxes to file, a kitchen to clean, jobs to apply for, calls to make, and so forth.

I am pleased to report, however, that after a very generous helping of elkslip (C. leptosepala) dip last night, I am feeling good this morning—sated and happy and in full health. I’d tell you how Gregg feels too, but he’s still sleeping.

Tagged with: Colorado • elkslip • foraging • marsh marigold • recipes • Rocky Mountains

Filed under: edible • high altitude

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