14
August
2008
You might think the glossy dark brown caramelized ‘butter’ looks appetizing, or not. I happen to know it’s delicious so to me it’s appealing, and besides I have to love apples right now. I have quite a few.
We’ll take as many as we can to the local food bank over the next few weeks – they welcome fresh produce that’s in good condition. Or contact Tilth Hotline if you have extra fruit. They have a Community Fruit Tree Harvest program that allows us/helps us to share the abundance.
Mine is just another backyard with apples ripening by the bushel. It’s happening everywhere right now. Poppy was making applesauce last week while across town I was making a crockpot full of apple butter. In fact, we seem to have the same barely identifiable old apple trees dripping with Transparents, and in our yard we think we have old varieties of Gravenstein and King.
Our house is one hundred years old and way back when was known as Goocher’s Orchards. Now it’s an urban lot, but with the added character of three obscure apple trees, relatively young pear and Montmorency cherry trees which we’ve planted, and the remnants of a beloved Italian plum blown down in the storm a year and a half ago. We’re doing our best to honor the legacy of this little bit of land - we seem to have farming in our blood so it’s not such a stretch. Go back just a few generations and we all have that in common.
The three apple trees ripen sequentially from July through September and we do our best to keep up with most of them by making applesauce, apple butter, apple-ginger chutney, a few apple pies, and a very quick and easy sautéed apple dessert (instructions below). Smear the apple butter on a piece of toast, or on a piece of cheese. Heaven.
Here’s the apple butter technique passed on to me by my grandmother. You have to be willing to let apples simmer away quietly in a crockpot for two or three days without much more than an occasional stir and the addition of more apple slices.
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Posted: Desserts, Eat Local, Foraged Foods, In The Garden, On the Local Table, Produce
22
April
2008
When I think of foraging, I think of going out in the woods to gather something exotic like mushrooms. Gathering flowers is more like meandering through the garden, unless it starts hailing, snowing and raining. In that case, a rather fluffy pastime can turn into an extreme sport of running in and out of shelter with camera and tripod in tow. Lucky for me, I have easy access to loads of Viola volunteers close to my house.
The genus Viola includes violets, pansies, johnny-jump-ups and many more. I have 4 of the more common species in my yard and didn’t plant any of them from seed. I did “relocate” one from a parking lot years ago but the rest just showed up and continue to find perfect little spots here and there to take hold.
According to Robert Henderson in the Neighborhood Forager, all Violas are edible. He mentions eating the foliage, either raw or steamed. I have sprinkled the flowers in salads but I wanted to try to crystallize them for decorations on cupcakes. My assistants showed up and I immediately put them to work.
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Posted: Desserts, Foraged Foods, On the Local Table
5
April
2008
Last night everyone in the MixedGreens family was talking about a segment on KUOW on Langdon Cook, aka Finspot, foraging for dandelions and other plants right here in Seattle. He has a great blog, Fat of the Land, with all kinds of info and recipes specific to our area, including the link to yesterday’s show. Check it out.
Posted: Field Trips, Foraged Foods, In The Garden
1
April
2008
Foraging for wild food can turn an ordinary hike into an adventure. While visiting family on Orcas Island, I had the perfect opportunity to forage for nettles. They are free, local, delicious and the new shoots are coming up everywhere. I put on heavy work gloves and brought along a grocery bag. In no time, I had plenty for dinner.
The easiest way to pick nettles is to hold the main stalk with one hand and snap off the newest shoots at the very top of the plant with the other. Always wear gloves, preferably with no holes (as I found out). The tender shoots have a purplish blush. It is okay to get a little stem along with the leaves.
Once nettles are cooked, they lose their sting but maintain loads of vitamins, minerals and protein. When fresh, they live up to their superfood reputation. You can’t help but feel energized after eating them. Many people just steam or saute with some garlic or onions. You can use them in practically any recipe that calls for spinach as long as they are cooked. I tried this creamed spinach recipe from The Union Square Cafe Cookbook and the results were outstanding.
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Posted: Field Trips, Foraged Foods, On the Local Table
