Hello Aronia: one of the highest antioxidant fruits on the planet!

I've been foraging in the freezer, delighting in the harvest of warmer seasons. One gem that sparkles loudly is black chokeberry, aka, Aronia. After a fun, sweaty roller skating session (like last night), I crave it, blending it into an agua fresca, that I like to call Aronia Elixir.

Aronia Elixir: Tap This Superfruit In The Kitchen < Click here to view this video

Scientifically called Aronia melanocarpa, this fruit contains some of the highest antioxidants on the planet. Hosting a rich soup of polyphenols, anthocyanins, plus vitamin C and more, Aronia can boost our cardiovascular and immune health, while reducing inflammation and pain.

Flavor note: Aronias are sour, slightly sweet, astringent, mildly bitter.

Color note: the intense pigment of the fruit will color everything that it touches; and tells of its high antioxidant content.

Plant Aronia! If you don’t have any growing in your neighborhood, perhaps you’d like to plant some! It is very easy to grow. Then the whole neighborhood can benefit from this nutrient dense fruit.
For more about Aronia bushes in the garden < click here to the view this video 

Greetings WILD LETTUCE! Glad to see you reappear in early spring! = Happy salad bowl!

This Native American, hardy annual, scientifically named Lactuca canadensis, is sprouting wide basal rosettes, with tender leaves that make excellent salad.

I also refer to it as: “Native ancient WILD SALAD known as food for the nerves”.
Learn to identify, harvest & eat it with our free video lesson over on our Youtube channel: Wild Lettuce Video < click here to view.

TO HELP with ID, harvest and use, here is our Wild Lettuce illustrated page from Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi (me), illustrated by Wendy Hollender. More about our book on our site: www.foragingandfeasting.com The two photos are from the free wild lettuce video lesson.

Qualities:
Hearty lettuce flavor w/ slight bitterness. Eat raw or cooked. This is the tastiest of the wild lettuces, with just a hint of bitterness.

Like its cousin escarole, it can be added to soups and sautés; cooked with olive oil and garlic; simmered in broth; or tossed into fish stew, among other options.

Therapeutics:
This species of wild lettuce (Lactuca canadensis) is a mild relaxant, nerve tonic (nervine) that feeds / restores and calms the nervous system.

Offers mild pain support. Not a strong sedative like other species of wild lettuce. Note this plant can be eaten without causing drowsiness or addiction. It has nothing to do with opium.

Tasty wild lettuce (Lactuca canadensis) in mid spring! Eat it raw or cooked.

WITH MUCH LOVE!

Thankfully, there are so many herbs to help us stay well and to support us when we are sick. An abundance of herbs comes to mind that supports our immune systems: all the “spaghetti sauce herbs”—oregano, thyme, marjoram, and basil, and their wild native American cousin: wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa); the alliums: field garlic (Allium vineale), garlic, onion, Egyptian onion, chive, leeks, etc. And then there is lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), a nice, tasty, relaxing, anti-viral herb. Elder, echinacea, boneset, yarrow, spilanthes, and elecampane are quite helpful, supporting us as move through illnesses. Keep in mind that by supporting the liver, kidneys, lymph, and digestion, we support our health. So bring on the liver supportive herbs: hello dandelion and burdock! Nettle, who so deeply nourishes, also supports these central systems. Grateful to all of this herbal support!

PS: To promote health, a nutrient rich, blood sugar stable diet is key, along with plenty of rest, and a good dose of outdoor activity, especially in nature. Then there is gratitude, the practice of being grateful. So many more thoughts come to mind but for now this will do.

What are you doing to support your health? Do tell!

Please note: this sharing is not intended to be used as medical advice.

Botanical illustrations from our book Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi, illustrated by Wendy Hollender ~ Click link in our profile for more about our book or here: http://bit.ly/1Auh44Q

Nettle Love: The Stinging Gourmet Vegetable + Frittata Master recipe

Nettle love is when you can't get enough of this newly emerged, freshly cooked, wild vegetable. This perennial plant of the Urticaceae family is one of the first to show up once spring arrives. And it's so easy to prepare: just saute or steam it. Or substitute nettle for kale or spinach in your favorite cooked recipes. I love to make frittatas, and nettle frittatas are one of my favorites (see recipe below). 

Nettle leaf has a rich, hearty (meaty), deep-green flavor. It is a blood-building, vitamin- and mineral-rich tonic food, especially high in calcium, magnesium and iron. Nettle is fiery. Use it to support circulation and resolve wet cold conditions in the respiratory system. It supports kidney and adrenal function and is used for improving skin, hair, joints, allergies and arthritic conditions. In addition to all these gifts, let's not forget the place nettle has as a gourmet vegetable to be eaten with breakfast, lunch or dinner. However, keep in mind that too much can be irritating/ stimulating to some enthusiastic nettle eaters (myself included). One serving a day hasn't caused any harm yet.

To help with identification and harvest, here is our Spring Nettle Plant Map from our book Foraging & Feasting. Remember to wear gloves when handling nettle to protect yourself from its sting — unless you want to (be clear about this) engage in urtication therapy, considered a topical treatment for congested, stiff muscles and joints. 

Spring Nettle Plant Map from our book Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi; illustrated by Wendy Hollender

Frittata Master Recipe

Serves 4

Frittatas offer another great way to feature wild flavors while making a wholesome delicious meal. Serve them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner — or any time of day. A dish somewhere between an omelet and a crustless quiche, frittatas are simple to prepare. This basic recipe allows you to combine various wild greens, aromatic herbs, and cheeses to create satisfying frittatas with the seasonal offerings from fields, gardens, and farmers’’s markets. 

• 5 tablespoons fat of choice: butter, olive oil, lard, bacon drippings, etc.
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cups of wild vegetable of choice*, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons strongly flavored aromatic fresh herb, finely chopped, or 2 teaspoons if the herb is dried: wild bergamot, oregano, hardy marjoram, thyme, savory, etc.
• 6 large eggs, preferably organic and pasture raised
• 1/3 cup heavy cream, crème fraichefraîche, or whole milk, preferably organic and grassfed
• 1 cup grated cheese (cheddar or Colby type cheeses weigh about 3½ oz), preferably organic and grassfed
• 3 pinches salt to equal 1/4 teaspoon, or to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

* Some scrumptious wild choices: leaves and tender stems of nettle, yellow or broad-leaf dock, lamb’s quarter, amaranth, dame’s rocket, purple dead nettle, mallow; day lily shoots; and wild mushrooms.

1. In an ovenproof, heavy bottomed, 9 inch pan, such as a cast iron pan, heat 3 tablespoons of fat over medium-low heat.
2. Add onion and vegetable and sauté until tender, stirring occasionally; put the lid on the pan if needed to keep the vegetables from drying out.
3. Once the vegetables are tender, add the strongly flavored aromatic herbs and 1 pinch of salt, and sauté for 1–2 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix eggs with cream or milk, 2 pinches of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
5. Stir sautéed vegetable mixture into egg mixture.
6. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan, add the egg-vegetable mixture, and cook over medium-low heat for about five minutes, until the bottom of the frittata is cooked.
7. Turn oven on to broil, sprinkle the cheese over the top of the frittata, and place in the oven about 4 inches away from the broiling flame. Broil the frittata until it puffs up and browns, about 5–7 minutes.
8. Serve straight from the oven. Cold leftovers are delicious too.

Eggs from the "feral" flock of hens who live in our edible forest chicken yard.

Golden Eggs From Pastured Hens: While all eggs provide a good source of complete protein, all eggs are not equal. Taking the effort to buy the best eggs available — ideally from pastured hens given free range to eat grass, weeds and bugs outside in the sunshine, and fed naturally grown, non-genetically modified grain — is well worth the effort. These eggs are truly nutritious, full of vitamins A, D, E, and K2, and contain a balanced fatty acid profile (omegas in the right ratios). So getting to know who has the best eggs in the neighborhood is worthwhile knowledge indeed.

Elderberry Syrup: An Immune Booster

Elderberry Syrup Master Recipe Makes about 20 oz

Flavorful and sweet, elderberry syrup can be added to smoothies, herbal teas, mixed drinks, and fermented sodas, or diluted into hot water or cold sparkling water. For a visually appealing and tasty treat, drizzle this dark magenta syrup onto yogurt, ice cream, custard or cheesecake. It also tastes great spread on pancakes and waffles, or used as cookie fillings. 

Elderberry syrup can also be taken straight by the tablespoonful for nutritional and therapeutic support. Elderberries are rich in iron and bioflavonoids, and are an immune system tonic. They are helpful in preventing infections such as colds and flus; however, if already infected, they help us move through the illness.

To help with proper identification and harvest, please see our illustration below.

Elderberry identification page from our Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi; illustrated by Wendy Hollender. Book link: http://bit.ly/1Auh44Q

Ingredients:

• 4 cups fully ripe elderberries, stems removed (weighs about 23 oz). When fresh elderberries are not available, I use frozen ones.

• 1½ cups maple syrup or honey (I prefer maple syrup as I usually don’t cook honey.)

Optional ingredients:

• Add one or a combination of the following freshly ground, dried spices: 1 teaspoon aniseed, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, or 1/8 teaspoon cardamom

• 1 lime, zest and juice

Elderberries and maple syrup simmering on the stove.

1. Mix elderberry, sweetener and optional ingredients in a nonreactive 2–3 quart pot, cover, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Remove lid from pot and gently simmer mixture for 5 more minutes.

3. Remove from heat and purée mixture with a hand-held immersion blender or food processor.

4. If you would like the syrup to be smooth and seed-free (which I recommended), strain it through a fine-mesh sieve.

5. Use right away. Or, to store, pour hot syrup into very clean glass jars, cap with tight fitting lids, label, leave out at room temperature to cool, then store in the refrigerator where they should keep for at least three months. For longer storage, freeze the syrup or seal in a hot-water bath.

Elderberry syrup in jars.

Recipe excerpt from our Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by (me) Dina Falconi; illustrated by Wendy Hollender. Book link: http://bit.ly/1Auh44Q

Fall Bitters: Make your own for the holidays — Promotes Digestion & Liver Health

Bitters speak to these upcoming days of feasting. They help us digest our food, especially when eating large quantities of rich fare. Bitters also tone and support liver function which makes many things work well in our lives (the liver is responsible for over 500 metabolic functions). As a flavor enhancer, drops are often added to mixed drinks. When poured into an attractive glass bottle featuring a homemade label, these make great gifts. Why not create your own? I am excited to share my Therapeutic Spirits Master Recipe and Variations that will empower you to do so. Many of the weedy wild plants that are bitter and/ or aromatic can be used for making this therapeutic elixir. At this time of year the roots are particularly potent and great for making bitters. Think: roots of dandelion, yellow dock, burdock, and sweet cicely. Happy bitter-making!

From the Beverage Chapter of Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi; illustrated by Wendy Hollender.

One of the Burdock pages from Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi; illustrated by Wendy Hollender.

The best time to dig burdock root is when it is in basal rosette stage, as illustrated above. 

A student making bitters (aka digestive tonic) during summer herb class.

Dandelion: A Constant Companion

Wondering which wild edible to eat right now? = Dandelion. She seems to always be available, offering superior nourishment throughout the growing season. In this mid-fall moment, I like to gather her leaves and add them to salads, adding just enough; too much and the salad becomes too bitter. I also make sure to mince the leaves up, dispersing them well into the milder-tasting greens. This perennial of the Asteraceae, originally from Eurasia, is one of our most common weeds that boasts profound nutrient density: high in beta carotene, vitamin C, calcium and iron. The bitterness, while often not enjoyable to many palates, is quite healthful as a digestive aid and liver tonic. Remember when we support our digestion and our liver — many, many, good things happen. 

To help with identification, harvest and use please, look below at the Dandelion Plant Map from my book Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi; illustrated by Wendy Hollender.

From the book Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi; illustrated by Wendy Hollender.

Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata) of the Apiacae Family

The aromatic sweet seeds of Myrrhis odorata can be used in place of aniseed or fennel seed for flavoring beverages and dishes. Note the seeds are most flavorful when fully formed but still green; see image below. Now in early fall, the seeds of sweet cicely are dark brown and lack flavor. At this point the seeds are good for planting — sweet cicely seeds need to be planted soon after the plant produces them as older seeds won't germinate. 

Comfrey: a very useful yet controversial friend.

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) of the Boraginaceae family offers many gifts, ranging from food and medicine for us humans (if we dare, please see cautionary note below); as fodder for animals; and as a soil enricher referred to in permaculture as a dynamic accumulator. Right now this perennial plant flourishes, lush, vibrant and green in the landscape, making it a perfect time to gather its nutrient dense leaves for food and medicine. Dry the leaves for a mineral rich, soothing tea or use to make a topical healing oil. The smaller, younger leaves can be eaten as a cooked vegetable aka potherb: tasty in soup, quiche, frittata, etc. Or feed the leaves to your compost pile; brew them into a green manure tea for feeding plants; or if you have goats, feed some to them— they will love it.

From the book Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi; illustrated by Wendy Hollender .

Click for more on pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

Nettle Seed = Super Food

The time of year has arrived for harvesting nettle seeds (Urtica dioica). The seeds of this perennial are considered a super food with adaptogenic properties. This means they help the body handle stress... all kinds of stress, by supporting adrenal function. Dosage: 1/2–1 teaspoon of fresh or dried seeds sprinkled into salads, soups, stews, etc. The seeds taste mild with a crunchy texture and can be easily added to dishes. Amazingly, some herbalist are finding the seeds help heal damaged kidneys — wow! Here is to a wild, invasive, highly useful medicinal food. FYI, may be very stimulating/energizing to some folks, so best to eat earlier in the day. Enjoy! Image from our book Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook. Check this link for more info on nettle seed.

One of the two nettle pages from the book Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi; illustrated by Wendy Hollender .

Black Walnut

Now is the time for harvesting and processing black walnut (Juglans nigra of the Juglandaceae family). The green hull will go into organic cold pressed olive for a therapeutic anti-fungal oil-come-salve and the musky-flavored nut meat will go into our mouths. Prized for its wood in furniture-making, this large, native Eastern North American tree can be found growing in USDA zones 4-9. Now is the time for gathering these fallen fruits. Free Food & Free Medicine!

A basket of black walnuts gathered last week from the ground under the tree.

Processing black walnuts: the crime scene.

The green hull removed from the nut shell with a simple paring knife. This part will be used for making medicine. BTW, the green hull begins to brown as soon as it is cut open and comes into contact with the air.

The black walnuts after their green hulls have been removed. At this point they can be spread out and left to dry to be eaten in the future or they can be eaten right away...... 

Technique: cracking the nut open with a stone. If you want to get fancy, friends of mine who love eating black walnuts own the Hunt's Black Walnut Nut Cracker, available from Northern Nut Growers Association. FYI, even with this tool, shelling the nuts is a slow, meditative affair. An even fancier option is the World's Best Nut Cracker  — heavier duty, more expensive, and faster output.

A close up of a cracked black walnut: the white flesh is the edible part and needs to be removed from the shell.

Stone for cracking; nut shell remnants (to compost); and nut meat to eat.

The yellowish-white black walnut meat ready to eat. Can be used instead of other nuts in cooking.

Don't forget to wear gloves when working with black walnuts as they have a strong dye that will stain your hands; the staining lasts up to three weeks.

Wild Bergamot in Bloom

#WildBergamot blooming beautifully= food for the #Pollinators and for us. Right now it's time to indulge in those lovely, light lavender #EdibleFlowers full of spicy sweetness. Sprinkle them onto salads; blend them into softened butter; use them as a flavorful garnish throughout. This wild American native, aka #Mondarda fistulosa, is a perennial of the Lamiaceae family. Look for it in meadows, clearings, prairies, thickets and gardens. Harvest the flowering tops to brew into a strong flavorful tea with a spicy, pungent, oregano-like flavor; has cleansing and digestive promoting qualities.

Wild Bergamot Plant Identification page from the book Foraging & Feasting