It took a funny long while for me to try elm samaras for the first time. They are the papery, light green, immature fruits that form on elm trees before they start leafing out. If you live in a region where large Siberian Elm (Ulmus pumila) trees proliferate, the samaras are the … [Read more...]
Spring into wintercress
Wintercress is a lovely spring vegetable, ready in late April to early May on the plains, and mid to late May in the high country. The funny thing is, before I knew how to prepare it, I used to force feed it to myself. It was edible, after all—well-liked in some circles—and yet, … [Read more...]
Fun with wild waterleaf
Waterleaf is an interesting edible wild plant that does not get a lot of attention in the wild food media. The local species I know is Fendler’s waterleaf (Hydrophyllum fendleri), a native perennial that grows from Colorado’s Front Range west, in damp to moist soil mostly from … [Read more...]
Don’t forget the tumble mustard
If you’re looking to make use of local wild greens, why not give tumblemustard a try? Tumblemustard (Sisymbrium altissimum)—a non-native species from the Middle East thought to have been introduced to North America years ago via contaminated crop seed—is found throughout much of … [Read more...]
Wild spring salad
Just when I think I know everything there is to know about wild mustards, I find another one to eat. This time, I am excited about tumblemustard (Sisymbrium altissimum), which you might know better as tumbleweed, because at maturity when it dries out it detaches from its stem and … [Read more...]
