Foraging for Wild Edibles
Recipe: Wild Greens Pesto
Recipe: Wild Mushrooms
Foraging for Wild Edibles
One of the benefits of eating locally is experiencing the true seasonality of food. Growing a garden or shopping at Farmer’s Markets is one way to source delicious food at its peak freshness, flavor, and nutrition. But another wonderful way to get in touch with the season and reap nature’s bounty is by foraging for wild edibles.
Nuts, berries, seeds, mushrooms, roots, tubers, leaves, and animal food are all available for harvesting – if you know where to look and how to safely identify and prepare wild edibles. Imagine a spring salad made of dandelion greens, wild nettles, and fiddleheads. Or a fall dessert made of wild-harvested huckleberries with a hazelnut crust! How about a venison roast with wild gooseberry preserves? Or imagine cracking open a jar of blackberry jam in mid-winter and enjoying the essence of summer on toast!
Foraging requires a fairly high level of experience and knowledge – after all, some wild edibles look very similar to non-edible or even toxic species. Also, wild edibles often epitomize seasonality – appearing for only a few weeks – so it’s important to know exactly when to go hunting!
Before you go:
- Bring a friend who is experienced in harvesting wild edibles
- Carry a trusted guidebook so you can safely identify wild edibles in the field, before you harvest (Check out the resource list below for some suggestions)
- Be sure you are on land where it is permissible to harvest (i.e. check in with your neighbor, or park officials)
In the field, be aware that many wild plants are slow growing, and limited in their range. To avoid over-harvesting, take only small amounts, harvest from the center of the patch, and never harvest rare or endangered plants.
Ready to start foraging? Start in your backyard! Dandelions, dock, thistle, lamb’s quarters, purslane, oxalis (sorrel) are commonly found in backyards or gardens. When you’re ready to explore forests, streams, or meadows, take one of these guidebooks with you:
Stalking the Wild Asparagus by Euell Gibbons (Hood, Alan C & Company, Inc., 2005)
Nature’s Garden: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer (Forager’s Harvest Press, 2010)
The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer (Forager’s Harvest Press, 2006)
These websites have great information about foraging and wild harvesting:
Some great blogs that feature foraged foods and wild edibles recipes:
Recipe: Wild Greens Pesto
Wild greens are some of the most satisfying foraged foods. They are often available before your standard garden fare, and they are packed with nutrients and minerals. This wild greens pesto can be made with most any foraged green – try wood nettles, stinging nettles, lambs quarters, or maybe dandelion!
I do not use a hard and fast recipe when making pesto because I like to sample it along the way and adjust the salt, oil, etc. as needed, but here is the technique:
Supplies:
- Food processor
- Large bowl
- Spatula
Ingredients:
- Wild greens
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Salt
- Lemon juice (optional)
- Sunflower seeds (optional)
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
To Make:
- Fill your food processor with greens and add 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic (peeled), and 1/2 tsp salt. If you are using lemon juice or any of the other optional ingredients, add them now as well.
- Start your food processor and let it run for a minute. You will likely notice that your greens look “dry.” Now it’s time to add some more olive oil – start with an 1/8 cup. Process some more until the consistency looks like this:
- Taste the pesto and adjust the amount of salt, lemon juice or other ingredients. When it tastes delicious to YOU, it’s ready!
- Pesto freezes very well. Simply fill an 8 oz. mason jar to 1/2″ below the rim and add a lid. Label the pesto with the date and use within 6 months.
Recipe: Wild Mushrooms
Wild mushrooms, like most foraged foods, are best eaten simply, where the flavors can be truly appreciated. Along those lines, here a few simple ways to showcase wild mushrooms.
Note: Please do not consume any wild foraged foods (mushrooms or otherwise), without first having them confirmed as edible by an expert.
Simple wild mushroom toasts
Ingredients:
- Baguette
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Wild mushrooms (about 1 quart of mixed such as oyster, lions mane, hen of the wood, etc.)
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh thyme or rosemary (optional)
To Make:
- Carefully clean mushrooms to remove all dirt and debris. Avoid washing them unless absolutely necessary, but if you do, leave them on a tea towel to dry off for an hour or so.
- Melt butter in a pan on medium heat.
- Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper, and sauté until they reduce in size start to caramelize.
- Meanwhile, thinly slice baguette and brush with olive oil. Toast under the broiler for a minute or two, until golden.
- Put a teaspoon of mushrooms on each piece of toast and garnish with chopped fresh thyme or rosemary. Serve immediately.
Wild mushroom cream sauce
This sauce is excellent with regular pasta, though it works especially well with gnocchi or ravioli. My favorite way to serve it is with a sweet potato gnocchi.
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbs butter
- 1 qt wild mushrooms (such as oyster, honey mushrooms, boletes, etc.)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 Tbs fresh sage, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- Pecorino Romano cheese (optional)
To Make:
- Sauté wild mushrooms in butter until reduced in size and starting to caramelize.
- Whisk in heavy cream, sage, salt and pepper.
- Cook on medium for a few minutes to let the sauce thicken.
- Pour hot sauce over pasta and serve immediately.
- Garnish with grated Pecorino Romano cheese.