I first noticed roseroot on a high-country hike above Fairplay, Colorado as Gregg and I were scrambling up a rock face, off-trail as usual. The plant is distinctive and attractive—tiny, blood-red flowers atop a fleshy stalk with spirally overlapping (Peterson, 1977) succulent, … [Read more...]
Weird Clover Flower Soup
The come-down from my huge purslane processing of the other day has been harder than I imagined it would be, such that I have been remiss in processing the bag of plantain that Jim gifted me from Denver. I’ve been afraid to look but I fear it is decomposing in the refrigerator. I … [Read more...]
Purslane Rescue Mission
We went to the east coast for two weeks in July, and my sister met me in Maine with a small bag of New Hampshire purslane—that low branching succulent that many gardeners throw in the yard trimmings without a second thought. I promptly boiled it up and served it with butter and … [Read more...]
Tiny Cornucopia of Colorado Wild Edibles
It’s a treat to be home to the quiet of the mountains again. I awoke today to the sweet, silent obscurity of the early morning dark followed by a sunrise of pale yellow behind bulbous, deep purple clouds left over from last night’s rainstorm. It must have rained hard while we … [Read more...]
Thistle Snack Sticks
Thistles are a great trail snack. If you're thirsty, just start chewing on one. After you prick yourself in the mouth, it'll hurt so much you'll forget all about being thirsty. Just kidding, of course. When enjoying thistles as a trail snack, the first thing you need to … [Read more...]
