Foraging

[Yeshuasdaughter]

Does anyone else want to start a thread about foraging for food, medicine, or fiber plants in the wild?

Earlier this afternoon I was down by a river that was about to jump its banks, and I collected a grip of horsetail. I was really happy to find it in such abundance. But then, I thought about the location of the horsetail, and how it's a soil detoxifier, so any heavy metals or pollution from that river would be taken up into the plant, so, unfortunately, I had to get rid of it.

I know of a more rural location, where the plants will be cleaner. I am thinking of heading to the hills sometime in the next couple weeks, and checking on a hawthorn grove that I know of. Hawthorn is amazing for coronary, respiratory, and mental health.

It is made into a tincture that is famous in Russia, called "Boyaryshnik". It is very powerful. You take a shot of that, and you could have bronchitis, pneumonia, anything, and your lungs will open up like you never were sick. It's a wonder herb.

I need to get up into the hills to forage. The spittlebugs are already making their little foamy colonies on a lot of the wild herbs. I hate them. I want to get up there and collect my herbs before the spittlebugs go crazy on everything, like they do every summer.

I was thinking of making a pot of tamales. You can make dozens of them for very cheap. Instead of corn husks, I like to use maple leaves. It infuses a sweet, nutty flavor into the masa, plus it's local and free.

Are you doing any foraging, or planning to?

 

[RotanotNino]

I don't know enough about it to do so. Tamales made with maple leaves is interesting. Right now I am on a low dose of Metformmoin and asthma drugs and I have to balance my magnesium, calgium and B12 so I'm being careful of what I take that might be contraindicated.

 

[Aspychata]

Tamales sound so good.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I don't know enough about it to do so. Tamales made with maple leaves is interesting. Right now I am on a low dose of Metformmoin and asthma drugs and I have to balance my magnesium, calgium and B12 so I'm being careful of what I take that might be contraindicated.

Do you mean metformin? Yellow corn can be counted as a whole grain for blood sugar control. The same with beans, any legume. The carbs are so bound to protein that release is slow.

I like the Oaxacan tamales wrapped in banana leaves.

Recently my spouse has been harvesting the roadside Asparagus. She also picked a bunch of wild ramp leaves in our woods that we turned into a vinagrete to have with roasted asparagus on a nice piece of fish like Walleye from Lake Huron. No grocery store for that meal (except oil, salt, and vinegar).

 

[RotanotNino]

Do you mean metformin? Yellow corn can be counted as a whole grain for blood sugar control. The same with beans, any legume. The carbs are so bound to protein that release is slow.

I like the Oaxacan tamales wrapped in banana leaves.

Recently my spouse has been harvesting the roadside Asparagus. She also picked a bunch of wild ramp leaves in our woods that we turned into a vinagrete to have with roasted asparagus on a nice piece of fish like Walleye from Lake Huron. No grocery store for that meal (except oil, salt, and vinegar).

Yeah I hit two extras in that post.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

Research, and ask your doctor about Berberine. It is a supplement sourced from Goldenseal or Oregon Grape. It has been shown to be as effective as Metformin, if taken over at least a three month period.

I take it for my hypoglycemia. It balances my blood sugar without the crashes. There are usually gelcaps, but I often take sublingual drops of pure berberine. It's very bitter.

I take 500 mg after every meal, if I remember.

 

[FayetheAspie]

I would like to learn how and where to collect wild herbs. I own multiple books on the topic.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

Soon the Wild Ramps that are in the woods will be coming up, just about the time when Asparagus in my garden is coming up. I like to make a Wild Ramp Vinagrete: Ramp leaves, olive oil, rice wine vinegar, salt, oregano. Put it all in the blender and have a metal bowl chilling on ice. Puree everything and do not overdo it, and once pureed, pour it in the iced bowl to cool it immediately and preserve the bright green color. It is wonderful on grilled Asparagus. I also think this year I am going to attempt cream of Asparagus soup.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

Does anyone else want to start a thread about foraging for food, medicine, or fiber plants in the wild?

Earlier this afternoon I was down by a river that was about to jump its banks, and I collected a grip of horsetail. I was really happy to find it in such abundance. But then, I thought about the location of the horsetail, and how it's a soil detoxifier, so any heavy metals or pollution from that river would be taken up into the plant, so, unfortunately, I had to get rid of it.

I know of a more rural location, where the plants will be cleaner. I am thinking of heading to the hills sometime in the next couple weeks, and checking on a hawthorn grove that I know of. Hawthorn is amazing for coronary, respiratory, and mental health.

It is made into a tincture that is famous in Russia, called "Boyaryshnik". It is very powerful. You take a shot of that, and you could have bronchitis, pneumonia, anything, and your lungs will open up like you never were sick. It's a wonder herb.

I need to get up into the hills to forage. The spittlebugs are already making their little foamy colonies on a lot of the wild herbs. I hate them. I want to get up there and collect my herbs before the spittlebugs go crazy on everything, like they do every summer.

I was thinking of making a pot of tamales. You can make dozens of them for very cheap. Instead of corn husks, I like to use maple leaves. It infuses a sweet, nutty flavor into the masa, plus it's local and free.

Are you doing any foraging, or planning to?

Two years ago I was at the Smithsonian's Folklife Festival on the Mall. At the food tent they had Costa Rican Tamales made in a Banana Leaf. Count on the Smithsonian people to have interesting food.

 

[Mary Terry]

Two years ago I was at the Smithsonian's Folklife Festival on the Mall. At the food tent they had Costa Rican Tamales made in a Banana Leaf. Count on the Smithsonian people to have interesting food.

Banana trees grow here although they don't produce fruit because the growing season is too short. I harvest a leaf or two (they're about 10 feet long when full-sized) and use them to wrap tamales for steaming instead of using dried corn husks and to make cochinita pibil in the Big Green Egg smoker. You might be able to find them in Asian or Mexican food stores near you. They're fun to experiment with, impart a tasty, almost fruity flavor to whatever you cook in them and are commonly used in Mexican cuisine.

Happy Cinco de Mayo tomorrow.