Ramp-ness has Arrived—Ramps / Wild Leek / Allium tricoccum = same plant w/ many names.

Ramps need to be protected, replanted, and if harvested, to do so with care and consciousness toward these ends. Ramps take time to develop: production from sowing seed to root harvest can take 5 to 7 years.

They are slow growing Native American perennials of the “onion family’ who are endangered in some regions

If you find a well-established colony, harvest should be less than 5% of the plants. Another recommendation is to harvest only one leaf from several mature plants. This approach leaves the roots intact so the plants are not killed. My handful oframpleaves was harvested in this manner.

I encourage those of us that are able to plant this lovely, tasty friend so we can regenerate this resource, since zealous harvesting may cause it to become endangered.

If you can, plant seeds as they mature later in the season to create new patches. And if an area is super abundant and ramp congested, thin it a touch and dig up by the root to replant and create more abundance.

Ramp seeds found in the fall after their leaves have died back.

I'll preserve these ramp leaves in salt making a kind of bouillon to eke out through the year.  More about + recipe for making old school bouillon here: https://bit.ly/3nhC2o4

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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

SUMMER OYSTER MUSHROOM MADNESS (Pleurotus pulmonarius) = Treasure of the woodlands (found on 8/1/19 Hudson Valley, NY)

These beauties were growing on dead ash trees in a forested flood plain (now dry). So many (!) of them peeking out to see us, we left much abundance behind. And still gathered plenty to keep me busy processing for a few hours. I decided to bake them lightly coated with olive oil for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees, flipping them at about 8 minutes. Some we ate right from the oven but the majority (after baking) I stuffed into pint glass jars with a clove of garlic, a pinch of dried ginger, celtic sea salt (1/2 tablespoon per pint); and tamari, org. apple cider vinegar and org. olive oil to completely cover the mushrooms. I’ll store these in the refrigerator to savor over the next couple months.

These saprobic, white rot fungi grow in clusters off dead or living trees (in our case dead ash), see first photo above. Range: North America.

 Whitish shelf-like cap can be: 1.2–4 inches across lung-shaped (hence its scientific name) to fan-shaped or semicircular in outline.

Gills: Running down the stem (if stem is present); close or nearly distant; short-gills frequent; whitish.

Stem: can be absent, a nub or very short.

For more identification info check Mushroom Expert: http://mushroomexpert.com/pleurotus_pulmonarius.html

MUSHROOM SERIOUSNESS: A mushroom mistake can be fatal. You must triple confirm your id, and with an experienced mushroomer in person, before you consume any fungi.

Having heralded that warning, what mushrooms have you been finding lately?

Grateful to the fungi!

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