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wild food 
Mon Jun 15, 2009 at 12:50:49 PM PDT
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( - promoted by Jill Richardson)
When I posted the first diary in this series on DailyKos, prodigalkat recommended The Forager's Harvest by Samuel Thayer. I regret not following up on that tip earlier. (Left: Ladybugs Mating on Milkweed by wide eyed lib)
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This book covers a relatively small number of plants (32) but does so in loving detail, featuring color photos and practical advice derived from years of foraging. The plants covered are for the most part widely available in the Eastern half of the U.S. and Canada. (Amazon has the table of contents, so take a look before buying.)
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It's unusual to find a foraging guide with plentiful color photos and a reasonable price tag, but The Forager's Harvest delivers. Highly recommended.
Covered: greenbrier, catmint & goutweed
Updated: sheep sorrel & common mallow
Previewed: blueberry
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Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:37:11 PM PDT
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 This weekend has been rough. I have 3 cats. Tig is the eldest at 13 and was rescued from a neighbor who stopped caring for him after she had a baby. He was 4 months old, and it was the middle of winter.
Tig was friendly with my cat Feral, but then he started following Feral inside our house and making a beeline for Feral's food. I asked the neighbor, who told me about her baby. I was horrified, and from then on he was my cat and I took him with me when we moved. (Right: Tig by wide eyed lib)
Seven years ago, Tig was diagnosed with feline diabetes. He'd been well-regulated on insulin, but yesterday at the vet's his blood sugar was 30 instead of 80. Blood sugar that low puts him at risk of entering a diabetic coma. The vet said to stop the injections, leave food out all day and keep a close eye on him.
Tig seems fine and is napping comfortably. We will return to the vet on Tuesday and re-evaluate insulin intake. It's possible that he might no longer need any, which is a good thing. For now we watch and wait.
Meanwhile, all around us edible plants grow, seemingly oblivious. But perhaps they simply know that the problems of people and cats don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. There's a lot we can learn from and about such calm and stable lifeforms, so let's get growing!
Covered: wild ginger, KY coffeetree & nettles
Updated: spicebush, ostrich fern & wood sorrel
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Mon May 25, 2009 at 08:33:21 AM PDT
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( - promoted by JayinPortland)
 Every forager knows the advantages of having one place to forage. You learn the area well and know exactly where to look for all the plants. You witness those plants going through their life cycle-- from leaf to bud to flower to fruit to seed.
It can feel like shopping at your favorite grocery store; the one where you know that those yummy, cheesy crackers are on the right hand side of aisle 6, 2nd shelf.
But it's also nice to depart the familiar and explore new places. It might not be as productive in terms of the variety and quantity of food that you bring home, but it's infinitely satisfying to discover old friends in new places. (Left: George Washington Bridge by wide eyed lib)
Today I foraged along the Hudson River in a meadowed and thicketed area quite different from the wooded area I normally frequent. I was a little concerned that I might not find enough new plants for today's diary, but my fears were soon laid to rest.
Walk with me beside the mighty Hudson for a new crop of delicious edibles.
Covered: black locust & mulberries
Updated: dandelion, clover & plantain
Previewed: wineberries & hawthorn
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Mon May 18, 2009 at 13:08:05 PM PDT
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 Happy Belated Mother's Day to anyone who is or might someday become a Mom!
My Mother-in-law is currently at a rehab center recovering from a bad fall. She'll be fine but it was still scary. We brought her a New Zealand impatiens bursting with hot pink flowers for Mother's Day. When she's out, hopefully she'll be able to plant it in her garden. (Right: Robin's Nest by wide eyed lib)
I also came across a mother-to-be today. I first noticed this nest a couple of weeks ago. It had been hidden in a small tree amidst a thicket, but the park groundspeople cut back the thicket leaving the nest exposed. I assumed that the nest had been abandoned, but when I peeked in today, there were 4 bright blue eggs in it, so Mommy and Daddy robin were probably somewhere in the vicinity. I took a couple of photos and then tiptoed away. If all goes well, in about 5 weeks, there should be a clutch of little robins. By that time, the thicket will hopefully have grown back a bit. At least I hope so for their sakes!
Covered: wisteria, watercress & mullein
Updated: winter cress
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Thu May 14, 2009 at 11:40:20 AM PDT
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( - promoted by Jill Richardson)
 Every week I keep an eye on the weather for the coming weekend. For me, good foraging weather means a sunny to partially cloudy day in the mid-70s with little wind. (Windy days make closeup photography difficult, to say the least.) The weather for the preceding three days also plays a role; fungi hunting is best after rainy days, while berry hunting is aided by sunny days. (For a multitude of reasons, this series won't be covering fungi. To learn more about local mushrooms, go foraging with a local group.)
Alas, Saturday's forecast was for rain, followed by intermittent rain with a light chaser of rain. Today was supposed to be even wetter. So yesterday I dutifully packed an umbrella and a light raincoat. Not only did it not rain a single drop, but the only clouds that dotted the blue sky were the puffy cumulus kind. The 70 degree weather made me feel silly walking around with a raincoat tied around my waist all day. (Left: Waterfall in Central Park by wide eyed lib)
At least I found some delicious greens to munch on.
Covered: curly dock, mallow, ground ivy & fiddleheads
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Mon May 04, 2009 at 10:05:18 AM PDT
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 PIED BEAUTY
Glory be to God for dappled things
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh firecoal chestnut-falls; finches' wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced--fold, fallow, and plough;
And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim.
All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise him.
--Gerard Manley Hopkins
I'm not really a religious person, but the religious philosophy that most appeals to me is pantheism. "Thou are God," as Michael Smith said. Join me as I present some edible pied beauties. (Right: Gnarled Tree by wide eyed lib)
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Covered: trout lily, knotweed & waterleaf
Updated: garlic mustard & jewelweed
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