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It's
probably hard to imagine a time before the convenience of supermarkets
and neighborhood grocery stores. But centuries ago, foraging
for food was part of life, and for our ancestors, creating a
salad meant going out into the wild and picking and gathering
your own mixture of leafy greens. Many of those edible plants
that our ancestors once picked are still around. Although foraging
is not a new concept, it's a unique and unusual food option
for today that's not only nutritious, but can also be fun, delicious,
and of course, free. |
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Foraging has been human beings' source for food for much
longer than the agricultural age. So where did grocery
stores come from? Over time, with the increase in population
and the development of cities and towns, cultivation of
food became a necessity.
Cultivated plants supported this growing population and
allowed for the planning and reliability of food for survival.
Recently, however, wild foods have found a new popularity
and have even made their way into the recipes of five-star
New York restaurants. "The Y2K scare forced many
people to look for alternative food sources," says
John Kallas, Ph.D., founder of Wild Food Adventures (http://www.teleport.com/~wildfood)
in Portland, OR, where he gives wild food nature walks
and provides a way of learning how to forage. But the
reinvigoration of wild foods could also be from a gourmet
need to find new flavors in foods, says Kallas. "Wild
foods are quite delicious and can be a new taste experience,"
says "Wildman" Steve Brill (www.bigfoot.com/~wildmansteve),
a naturalist who gives field walks in New York City's
Central Park.
The unique flavors of wild plants can add variety to your
palate while expanding your diet nutritionally. Because
wild plants are not cultivated to look good under the
bright lights of your supermarket produce section, the
herbicides and pesticides that can be found in many store
bought foods are not in wild foods, says Wildman Steve.
During one of Wildman Steve's pre-spring walks, I found
that many of the plants that can be seen in Central Park
are also nature's pure form of what I normally would find
in a health food store. We explored the Ginkgo tree, which
has been used by many a civilization to stimulate circulation
and mental activity, and the feverbush, which is an immune
system booster.
Aside from the nutritional value of wild foods, foraging
can also lead to healthier living. "It's great exercise
and it gets me out into the beauty of nature," says
Bruce Vogel, an avid forager in New York City. Nature
walks also provide an opportunity to learn about the ecosystem
while socializing with other nature lovers. In fact, "Wildman"
Steve met his girlfriend, Leslie-Anne, on one of his wild
food walks.
Getting sustenance from the earth teaches a new respect
for the environment, as well. If we see the side of the
road as a vegetable garden, we would probably be less
likely to throw our garbage there, explains Dr. Kallas.
Environmentally, responsible foraging is actually good
for the plants. Regeneration of plants is part of ecology
and if you are careful to pick renewable resources, like
getting a haircut, this stimulates growth in the plant.
But respecting the area that you are taking from is a
must. "You must always ask yourself, 'Am I leaving
an area better off than the way I found it?'" says
Tom Brown, Jr., of The Tracker Wilderness Survival School
in Ashbury, New Jersey, who learned his foraging skills
from his Native American "grandfather."
The Native Americans saw everything on the land as having
a spirit, and because of this philosophy, foraging was
a religious experience that honored Mother Earth. Most
people do not forage during the colder winter months,
but from the spring through the fall, there are a huge
variety of plants that you can pick not only in parks,
but also at the beach and in the desert. Different parts
of certain plants are edible throughout the year. For
example, the leaves of the wild leek can be eaten year-round,
but during the summer, the bulbs of wild leeks are can
be used in place of shallots in many of your recipes.
The summer months are also the best times for berries
including wild berries, raspberries, blackberries, and
wine berries. To get started, the tools you will need
for your foraging expedition are: a small digging shovel,
plastic bags for vegetables and herbs, paper bags for
mushrooms, plastic containers for berries, insect repellant,
and a good, well-detailed field guide (Tom Brown suggests
The Peterson Field Guide Series, published by Houghton
Mifflin Co.) Alongside many edible plants are poisonous
plants, so to forage safely, the main rule to follow is
to identify plants with 100 percent certainty before eating
anything you've picked, says Wildman Steve.
Plants often look alike, so it is important to identify
them through all of their characteristics including smell,
touch, and the time of the year that you are picking.
If you are new to foraging, DO NOT pick
and eat anything without being accompanied by an experienced
forager.
Other rules to follow to forage safely are:
• Make sure you have
permission to pick from a particular site.
• Don't pick anything
within 50 feet of heavy traffic. The pollutants from car
exhaust can contaminate plants.
• Be sure that the
area where you are picking has not been sprayed with pesticides.
• Watch out for poison
ivy.
• Pick only the parts
and the amount of the plant that you will actually use.
Do not collect more than 10 percent of any plant at a
time.
• Wash whatever you
pick thoroughly under running water before you eat it.
Foraging is a great way to add variety to your dinner
plate while getting some fresh air and exercise. But even
avid foragers don't eat all wild foods. "Eating a
variety of foods in your daily diet ensures that you are
getting all the nutrients your body requires," warns
Cindy Moore, R.D., spokesperson for the American Dietetic
Association. Eating the foods you pick is only part of
the experience. The rest should be about having fun, learning
about the environment, and taking time out to stop to
smell the dandelions before you eat them. |
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Great
Summer Recipe |
Now
that you've picked them, what do you do with your wild
foods? Here is a great summer recipe courtesy of Wildman
Steve from his book, Identifying and Harvesting Edible
and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and not-so-wild) Places
(William Morrow Publishers, 1994).
Juneberry Pancakes
Juneberries make this already-perfect batter even better.
Lecithin granules and flaxseeds are healthy substitutes
for egg yolks and whites.
DRY INGREDIENTS
• 6 oz. sweet brown
rice flour + 6 oz. buckwheat flour, or 12 oz. any whole
grain flour
• 1/4 cup flaxseeds,
ground
• 6 tbs. lecithin granules
• 2 tsp. dried lemon
balm or other mint, ground
• 1 tsp. cinnamon,
ground
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg,
ground
• 1-1/4 tsp. cream
of tartar
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
WET INGREDIENTS
• 3-1/2 cups soymilk
or nut milk
• 1/2 cup corn oil
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
OTHER INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup juneberries
(Amalanchier species) or blueberries
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix together dry ingredients.
2. Stir in wet ingredients.
Do not overmix.
3. Stir in juneberries.
4. Pour a circle of
batter onto a hot, lightly oiled griddle and cook until
lightly brown underneath.
5. Turn over with
a spatula and lightly brown the other side.
6. Repeat steps 4-5
until all the batter is used up. Serve hot with any fruit
sauce or syrup.
Time: 1 hour
Serves: 6-8 |
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