paleofornow
Low Carb Veteran


Apr 2, 4:20 PM 04-02-04 02:20 PM

Greetings, cave folks,

I used to be an avid Euell Gibbons fan (back in my college days more than 30 years ago), and I've been wanting to revive that interest since starting paleo eating.

Today I harvested some day lily stalks from my back yard, following Euell's instructions. If anyone else wants to try this, here's what I did:

First: make sure they're day lilies. If you can't positively ID them, don't proceed. Neighbors who are gardeners could be good sources of information.

Second: They're about 6 or 8 inches high around here now. Nip them off at ground level. I used my garden pruners.

Third: Remove outer leaves, cut off tops where the leaves branch out.

Fourth: Go to kitchen now. I cut them in half length-wise, rinsed them, and then sauteed in unrefined coconut oil. I had picked a small batch - cooked they were about 1/2 cup. Very good - a mild vegetable flavor. I will definitely eat more while they're in this stage of growth.

Next time, I will just remove outer leaves but not do the cutting-off-the-top part.

I am so proud of myself for accomplishing this feat. I am cave woman!!!!!!

I would love to try some dandelion greens too, but, oddly enough, I don't have any dandelions in my yard. The book says the greens become too tough and bitter after the plant flowers, so I only have a few days, probably, to find some.

Anyone else foraging for wild foods?

Alice, the gatherer

300-ish/266(start lc)/222/150
Posts: 381 | From: Oak Park, Illinois, USA | Registered: 11-22-03

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Maggie
Admin/Moderator
Low Carb For Life


Apr 2, 6:23 PM 04-02-04 04:23 PM

quote: Anyone else foraging for wild foods?

Been doing it for years, but not as much the last few years (not as much time.)

Favorites are: the dandelion greens, cat tails, sorrel and violets to sprinkle on my salad.

Maggie
5'1" ~~ Atkins since '98 (160 + lbs)
~ 50 lbs. of "water" gone forever! ~

~~Redhead until further notice! ~~ Posts: 2716 | From: Hooterville, NY, USA | Registered: 08-29-03

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paleofornow
Low Carb Veteran


Apr 2, 6:42 PM 04-02-04 04:42 PM

Good for you, Maggie. I found some dandelions and I will go after them tomorrow. I have violets here too. I tried cattails once - I'll have to go after them again. (None in my urban yard, though)

If I need to, I'll ask for a consult on the dandelion greens, OK?

Alice

300-ish/266(start lc)/222/150
Posts: 381 | From: Oak Park, Illinois, USA | Registered: 11-22-03

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Maggie
Admin/Moderator
Low Carb For Life


Apr 2, 8:47 PM 04-02-04 06:47 PM

Sure, Alice. My favorite way to do them is to swish them in a couple of changes of cold water to get the dirt off, then just shake off the excess and toss them into a heavy pot in which I pre-cook some diced bacon. Leave the bacon fat in there. Then cover and steam them in the moisture left on them till they wilt. Pour them & the bacon bits into a bowl and sprinkle with cider vinegar.

My boys (now in their thirties) STILL tell the stories of dinners during my initial Gibbons period. "Oh, no. She brought home more weeds again." LOL!

Maggie
5'1" ~~ Atkins since '98 (160 + lbs)
~ 50 lbs. of "water" gone forever! ~

~~Redhead until further notice! ~~ Posts: 2716 | From: Hooterville, NY, USA | Registered: 08-29-03

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paleofornow
Low Carb Veteran


Apr 3, 7:16 AM 04-03-04 05:16 AM

Ok, now my goal is to get my boys to say the same about me and my weeds lol. That's my favorite way to cook any kind of greens. If I'm out of bacon I use coconut or olive oil with a little onion or garlic.

Alice

300-ish/266(start lc)/222/150
Posts: 381 | From: Oak Park, Illinois, USA | Registered: 11-22-03

Alice,

You inspired me to go out and get some dandelions yesterday - no shortage in MY lawn, since I don't do anything to it but mow it with a mulching mower, LOL!

(Yesterday I could gather dandelions and today I woke up to an inch of snow 15 degrees, and 35 mile per hour winds. Blahhhh!)

Anyway, it reminded me to remind you that, if you're in approximately the same growing zone as me, you'd better put a hustle on it. As I was gathering, I had to reject many crowns because they were already forming little flower buds. You can identify these by their round look at the base of the crown. If you pull the crown apart, you'll see the little buds. Once they've started this process, the leaves are a bit on the bitter side, so a little "discretion" in the field, will result in a tastier bunch of greens. I didn't pick a lot, just enough to make a substantial contribution to my nightly salad. Very good!

Hope your gathering is going well.

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Maggie, I'm going out right this minute to gather what I can. And then I'm looking up Hooterville on the map to see why you have such crazy weather!

Doesn't our friend Euell say that those undeveloped flowers are tasty too?

Alice

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lc since 12/18/01

Look up Binghamton, Alice. It's the closest city to me that you'll find on your map. But I'll save you the trip. I'm zone 4.

Yes, he likes the undeveloped flowers, but I (personal taste) like the greens best if picked before the buds appear. They're not at all inedible after that, as long as it's before the flowers emerge, just a bit more bitter than I prefer. The buds, by the way and if I remember, do passably as capers if you pickle them. I think he has some instructions for making "faux" capers from some other kind of buds in one of the books. (ok, you've convinced me that it's been so long that I'm going to have to try to get my books back from DH#3- LOL!) ... and this is the time of year to do it!

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Ok, Maggie, I'm eating the dandelion greens right now.

A little gritty - I cleaned them in about 3 or 4 changes of water, but it wasn't enough.

Because of bitterness issue I decided to eat them cooked rather than raw. Furthermore I parboiled them for three minutes, drained, then sauteed in coconut oil and garlic (out of bacon).

They're a little bitter, and mostly savory. I picked more stuff besides dandelions than I realized - I'm plucking out grass stems!

LOL it was fun, but my technique needs more work.

I see your point about leaves vs. buds. You have to decide which ones you want. The reason I never had dandelion greens before is because of the short season. I always forget about them, the snow melts, and then they bloom. It happens too fast.

Next year I'll remember what they were like today, and maybe I'll get them before the buds form.

I'm in Chicago, zone 5, and actually I'm surprised they're not blooming right now. Some had buds that looked pretty mature, other were much more immature. That probably accounts for the mixed flavor.

I'd have to say the day lilies were more successful.

DH #3???!!! Good grief, Maggie. I hope you do get your books back - we can have fun with foraging!

Alice

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lc since 12/18/01

" DH #3???!!!"

Well ... some of us are hard to live with.


You'll find that with careful "field" choices and careful rinsing, you'll get just what you want. I find that, if I cut them off RIGHT at the crown as putting them into the water (so the leaves are not attached to each other anymore) I can get pretty adept at plucking the actual dandelion greens out of the water, leaving behind the grass, grit and other assorted ... uhhh ... stuff (LOL!) leaving only what I want. As I pick them out, I give them a shake, which helps remove the grit.

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ohh i wish i had untainted yard. they spray our yard w/ a pestacid to kill misquitos we have a small naturl sprin that runs out of the ground in difrent spots near our house.. and in the spring causes pooling of water... so hubby sprays most of our yard beacuse last year we had misquitos so bad only time we could go out side was if we were drenched in repelant.. i wont let him spray anywhere near my garden so unlees some pop up in my garden.. or around it.. and i love dark green salads.. esp baby greens..
i wonder how well spinich would grow here..

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7-05-04 198 8/30/04 - 190 (got lost after that-)
4/03/08- 261 -
Goal-140-145

OOH, gilley, I hate those yucky sprays too!! And, I also hate mosquitoes, so I understand why your dh sprays!

It's so great to have a garden - I bet you could grow spinach.

Maggie - thank you so much for all your tips and encouragement re the dandelions. Next on my hit parade will be the violets, which are coming up nicely, as well as more day lily shoots. Then I will have to study the book to see what to go after next. We have fiddlehead-type ferns in the back yard....

I fell in love with Amelanchier (serviceberry, we call it Juneberry or Solstice Berry) after reading Euell's chapter. I was smart enough to remember that and plant one in our front yard. It's a huge tree now - planted in '88 - and we pick berries every year. Strictly hand to mouth. When neighbors stop to see what we're doing, I tell them that I'm training the children to be hunter-gatherers. The tree is ready to bloom now - I hope we get lots of berries this year.

I think I have read that this is the berry that Native Americans dried and added to their pemmican - maybe I can try that this year!

Alice

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lc since 12/18/01

I do think im going for the spinch... i have never had asparges... either.. i am realy tempted in trying that...

I was getting stuff rdy for my garden.. and maby if i have off this weeknd (yeah i dont know if i work or not this weeknd :( _) i was probly going to till my garden ... i was starting my seeds for spaggetti squash... i still havent masterd the freezing of that stuff.. wish there was some way to can it or something.. but anyway you do it im sure its not going to be the same..
Tommrow im probly planting my green peppers and some herbs.. but my herbs i gota get my big teracota pot w/ the difrent holes.. so i can bring it in come fall.

I'm very intersted in the food that grows around me.. in the area alot of people gather mushrooms but im so afraid beacuse you have to know just what your doing or you will eat them and not wake up...

always told hubby i loved plants and herbs and should go take some classes .

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01/02/04-248{ 4/29/04- 218} 6/30/04- 204
7-05-04 198 8/30/04 - 190 (got lost after that-)
4/03/08- 261 -
Goal-140-145

Hey Fellow Foragers!!!! This is going to be a very interesting thread, I can tell already. I thought of something while catching up on your posts. Anybody know what plantain weed is? It grows abundantly in my yard, both the American and English varieties. If you don't know what it is, it's a very miniature version of Hostas (which are also plantain, plantago I think) anyway.......it is the BEST thing for bee and wasp stings. I haven't ever eaten any, but when my kids were growing up, I would blend a bunch in water in my blender and keep a bottle of it in the frig. Then, when someone came screaming home with a sting, I'd whip it out and soak a cotton ball and plaster it on with a band-aid. An hour later you couldn't even see where the sting was. Amazing stuff!!!!

LOL, if I had read this thread earlier, I would have known you've dabbled with cattails, Alice. I have yet to try it. So also as I was saying in the Tater thread, burdock has edible roots and I've read that the stalks are supposed to taste like asparagus. I haven't tried the stalks yet. Burdock is the weed with the huge "elephant" ears, kinda fuzzy, with the BIG burrs on them in late summer. They get huge and will take up a whole section of yard. If you find one that big, good luck digging up the roots, they are mammoth-sized. You have to go after the small plants.
We used to have a Mulberry tree in our yard, which ended up getting cut down. I used to love to go out and stand under the tree and just graze. I wish wild strawberries tasted good, but they are woody and tasteless. :(
If I think of anything else I've tried I'll post it later. My brain has reached its limit on power and must retire for the night............SOON (and it's not even 9:30 yet!!)

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HI, Barb, glad you joined us!

I've used plantain for stings, but a different method from yours. I would pick a leaf and chew it, and then apply directly to stung area. It only sorta kinda worked - I will try your technique this summer. Susun Weed also recommends making a sort of "anti-itch cream" from plantain. You pick a jarful of leaves, add olive oil and steep a while, then strain and add some beeswax. (This is my memory talking, not right out of the book). I'm going to try this as well. Euell Gibbons has us eating plantain as well, but I've not done more than eat a leaf or two.

Speaking as an herbalist, what do you think of Susun Weed? I have been reading her guide to menopause, a very interesting read. She has a general book too, I'm going to track that down.

We have a lot of burdock in our yard. I had read that it was very very hard to dig up, so I never gave it a try. Maybe now that I'm a member of the LCE Foraging and Typing Society I will develop the gumption to dig one up. Also, eating the stalks does not require digging.

I have noticed that once they bloom (they're biennials, so that's after the 2nd year) the roots just pull up. Probably, of course, they're no good after that, having spent all their resources to produce those gosh-awful hitch-hikers.

If I'm better from this darn cold (gee whiz, I'm profane tonight) tomorrow, I will do the day lilies again.

Alice

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lc since 12/18/01

Here's a link to a foraging website. I found this through the paleo diets website. www.foraging.com

Alice

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lc since 12/18/01

Here's something from the Medicinal Plants link about Plantain: WOW, I have to do this, I have some crappy lard that I have been meaning to return, but never did. I finally have a use for it.
"Medicinal tea: For colds and flu use 1 tbls. dry or fresh whole herb (seed, root, and leaves) to 1 cup boiling water, steep 10 min. strain, sweeten. Drink through the day.

Healing salve: In large non-metallic pan place 1lb. of entire plant chopped, and 1 cup lard, cover, cook down on low heat till all is mushy and green. Strain while hot, cool and use for burns, insect bites, rashes, and all sores. Note: used as night cream for wrinkles.

Article by Deb Jackson & Karen Shelton " This makes sense since Psyllium comes from Plantain and is mucilaginous and very soothing to irritated mucous membranes.

I've never heard of Susun Weed. (what an interesting name, ) I have a zillion other books about herbs, but none of hers.

My focus on herbs has been MOSTLY medicinal and not in the area of foraging for them as foods, although most are useful as both. When I had my shoppe, one of the things I would have written all over my handouts and stuff was, "Herbs are food."

I think you are probably right about Burdock being spent after it blooms and creates seeds. That would be true of most plants. Burdock is a wonderful blood cleanser.

Thanks for that link, I will mark it as a favorite!!!! It's chock full of info!!!

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Barb, you said wild strawberries are not good? Hrmm i have them that grow along side the road where i live... in LARGE amounts.. i help an elderly lady pick them and make jam.... they are wonderfull if the season does good.. if we get a late freeze they tend to get woody.. Last year the black berries and strawberries neither did well around here i think it was due to the long winter.... not a real bad winter just froze late in season...

I'm trying to think of the name of this tree that grew wild in the woods near my house, it is an apple tree. every other year it would grow the sweetst most delicious fruit you would have ever tasted... some kind of bug hit the tree and now :O( no luck... it dont produce anything anymore...

this is a very intersting thread.. realy makes me want to use my resorses... I LOVE LIVEING IN THE COUNTRY!!!!!! *just wish i lived near the ocean too LOL.. (love sea food)

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01/02/04-248{ 4/29/04- 218} 6/30/04- 204
7-05-04 198 8/30/04 - 190 (got lost after that-)
4/03/08- 261 -
Goal-140-145

Gilley, if you ever live or travel near the ocean, get a copy of Euell Gibbons's "Stalking the Blue-Eyed Scallop." He brings a lot of experience as a beachcomber to this book.

I never ate any wild strawberries, but Euell (my hero, can't you tell?) says they're delicious. Barb, maybe the ones you ate were the exception. What Gilley says about the influence of weather and so on sure makes sense.

I re-read Euell's chapter on burdock. He says to gather roots only from the first year plants (the ones that don't develop a flower stalk). Apparently they're already too woody and fibrous even early in the second year. He has a good digging technique too - dig the hole next to the plant, then pull the root sideways into the hole.

Gilley - that apple tree sounds wonderful!!! Too bad there's no more fruit!

Barb - I'll definitely be making plantain ointment this year. The lard recipe sounds good - easier than tracking down beeswax. I have lots of plantain in my yard. Haven't checked out Euell's chapter on plantain yet. Coconut oil might be a good choice too, it would bring it's own healing qualities to the ointment.

Alice

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lc since 12/18/01