A simple plate of wilted greens, kissed with fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a dash of sweet wine—doesn’t that sound wonderful? I daresay this one came out just right, judged a winner not only by my taste buds but the better half’s astonished declaration: “These are gourmet,” he … [Read more...]
Bent on pulverizing Short-stemmed Slippery Jack’s bad rap
Lately I’ve been powdering my dried wild mushrooms, batch after batch and species after species, then attempting to use the powders in various kitchen concoctions. First were the porcini (Boletus edulis), from which I made a divine sauce, followed by not-so-bad hawks wings … [Read more...]
Sweet pickling succulents
Succulents are juicy plants that store water in their leaves, stems, and roots, an adaptation which helps them survive in arid climates or soil conditions. Aloe, agave, sedums and purslane are some examples. Although “dry” is not a word I’d use to describe the high country … [Read more...]
Stalking the Wild Artichoke
Don’t get too excited. There isn’t a “wild artichoke” that I know of per se. But there is a pretty good substitute for it, if you don’t mind the risk of getting prickled and are willing to put in a bit of work to get at it. Weed Demolition Discovery A week and a half ago Gregg … [Read more...]
The Last of the Dandelions
The last of this batch, that is, in the refrigerator. And it’s not just dandelions, either; I’ve run out of my entire fresh bounty of wild edible plants, having spent my Fourth of July weekend embroiled in other pursuits—a tandem, costumed A-Basin snowboarding pond-skim with … [Read more...]