EcoSalon | Conscious Culture and Fashion » urban foraging

Foraging Is for Foodies: Fruit and Nuts Edition

Stephanie Rogers — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 23:29:45 +0000

On my hikes through the mountains here in western North Carolina, I often pass all manner of trees and shrubs heavy with fruit and nuts, and wonder whether if I could be bringing home enough free local food to feed me and my husband for a week. Here, we have black raspberries, acorns and so many other things ripe for the picking. And whether you live in a rural area or in the middle of a big city, you do, too – the mulberry tree at the park, for example, or a neighbor’s ‘ornamental’ sour cherries.

The best way to forage for nuts and berries, whether in the woods or an urban environment, is simply to take a walk, armed with a good foraging guide relevant to your area. If you spot something tasty on a neighbor’s property, chances are, they’ll give you permission to take a bit for yourself.

The following six wild berries and nuts are easy to identify, commonly found all over the U.S. and easy to harvest. When picking edibles, whether wild or cultivated, avoid plants within 100 feet of a major road or highway and those that may have been sprayed with chemicals.

Fruit

Mulberries – They look sort of like raspberries or blackberries, but instead of growing on thorny canes, they grow on trees. Mulberry trees are often found in public areas including parks, and are known for making black squishy messes on sidewalks and cars, so why not harvest some and make some mulberry cobbler? Pick the darkest ones for best flavor.

Rose Hips – You know those little red berries that appear on rose bushes once the blooms have withered? Best harvested after a frost when they become soft and ripe, rose hips are full of vitamin C and have a slightly sour flavor that’s reminiscent of roses without being floral. They’re often used for syrup, jam and tea.

Neighborhood Fruit Trading – Perhaps your neighbor has an orange tree so full it’s arching toward the ground, or you spotted unharvested pears dropping in a nearby park. Fruit trees on private property often produce more than the owners can handle, so it’s always worthwhile to ask if you can take some off their hands. And if you’ve got fruit growing in your yard and want to trade some of it for other varieties, share the love and reap the bounty through trading websites like neighborhoodfruit.com.

Nuts & Seeds

Walnuts – When growing on the tree, walnuts resemble tennis balls. Once they drop, break open that green hull and you’ll find the familiar textured shell you’re used to seeing in store-bought walnuts. Wear gloves when handling them – the shells contain natural dye (which can be harvested as well). To sort out the bad ones, drop them all in a bucket of water and discard the ones that float. Let them dry out for a few weeks in their shells before cracking.

Hickory Nuts – These tasty nuts might be present all around your neighborhood, but they’re rarely on grocery shelves due to the difficulty of cracking the shell. Ready for harvesting in early autumn, hickory nuts are rich and sweet and their shells can be used to impart a smoky flavor on barbecued meats. See Mother Earth News for tips on cracking them.

Pine Nuts – While many of the pine trees in America produce nuts that are too small to bother with, the Southwest is particularly populated with fine pine nut-producing trees like Pinyon, Ponderosa, Jeffrey and Stone Pines. Harvesting pine nuts is really easy, and they’re delicious in salads and of course, as a crucial element of pesto.

Images: seph swain, mauroguanandi, ndrwfgg, andydr, chris breeze, tandemracer, babbagecabbage

Open Season

Stephanie Rogers — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 22:10:23 +0000

How to forage your own wild mushrooms.

Foraging for wild mushrooms is the ultimate in foodie fun, and each edible species has its own unique, earthy flavor, often making them highly sought-after delicacies prized by the world’s top chefs. The following six mushrooms are among the easiest to identify and the most delicious. Edible mushrooms can grow year-round in many regions, but the damp months of spring are particularly friendly to fungus.

Because eating a toxic mushroom can be fatal, it’s incredibly important to identify them with 100% accuracy. Make sure you take a good wild mushroom field guide – not with just photos or just text, but both – that applies to your geographical area. Second, if in doubt, throw it out (or rather, just leave it be). And finally, never eat wild mushrooms raw.

Chicken of the Woods

By far the easiest to recognize, ‘sulfur shelf’ or ‘chicken of the woods‘ is the best wild mushroom to start out with if you’re a beginner. It’s also one of the most substantial, and some say tastiest, of the edible wild mushrooms that grow in the U.S. It looks like layers of orange ruffles edged with yellow or white, and has a substantial meaty texture. Harvest the small, actively growing ‘edges’ of the mushroom and leave the large parts, which have grown too tough to eat. Avoid those growing on a conifer, eucalyptus or locust tree, as these mushrooms are a different species and can cause gastrointestinal upset.

Cook them with butter, eggs and cheese in an omelette, or with penne and wine in pasta primavera.

Morel

This prized springtime-fruiting fungus tastes better than it looks, with its spongy pitted cap. Its unique nutty flavor is hard to describe, and nothing brings it out better than butter and a little white wine. Look for morels in wooded areas, particularly at the base of dead or dying trees. Harvest just enough to eat by cutting them flush to the ground; choose firm fresh-looking caps. (A note on distinguishing from false morels, which can be toxic: true morels are hollow inside and range from yellow to light brown. False morels are dense, meaty, solid, and often have reddish or deep brown coloring. There is also a type of false morel with a skirt cap and a hollow stem; this, too, should be avoided.)

Cook them with a touch of garlic butter on the grill, or quickly sauteed with asparagus and herbs. Be sure to cook them thoroughly.

Giant Puffball

The giant puffball mushroom definitely lives up to its name: it can reach a foot in diameter, and when it’s fully mature, it bursts, sending a puff of spores into the air. Puffballs come in a number of other edible and nice-tasting species like the purple-spored puffball and the skull-shaped puffball, but the giant puffball is the most popular. Its texture is similar to that of the white button mushroom. Before the spores are produced, it’s solid white with a dense texture and a rich flavor. Look for specimens measuring at least four inches and cut into them to be sure they’re solid white with no gills.

Cook them like a pizza with sauce, cheese and toppings, or breaded and fried, eggplant parmesan-style.

Shaggy Mane

Often found growing in clusters in lawns or on the side of dirt roads, shaggy mane mushrooms are best when eaten at button stage, about three inches in height, when they are still mostly white or beige. As they age, these black-gilled mushrooms wither and drip black liquid that was once used as ink. The texture is oddly reminiscent of fish, but shaggy mane mushrooms have a delicate flavor.

Cook them with butter, scallions and chicken broth in soup or sauteed with onions and tossed with pasta and cream sauce.

Chanterelle

Tender yet firm, the chanterelle is prized for its bold, slightly spicy flavor and has a fruity apricot-like aroma when fresh. Found at the bases of trees and shrubs in temperate forests, chanterelles are golden and fleshy with wavy caps and shallow widely-spaced gills. These beloved mushrooms, in culinary use for centuries, are high in vitamins C and D as well as potassium.

Cook them with short-grain rice, parmesan and white wine in an earthy risotto.

Bear’s Head Tooth

It looks like something that should be growing under the sea, so it’s not too surprising that the bear’s head mushroom has a flavor that some liken to lobster. The shape is unmistakable, resembling a clump of translucent icicles hanging off a log, stump or tree trunk.

Cook them in butter over low heat to prevent them from getting too chewy.

Images: andriuxuk, vaprwere, damurphy, me’nthedogs, photogirl7.1, smlp.co.uk, shira golding

Broke? 20 Fun Things to Do Without Spending a Dime

Sarah Irani — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 19:35:22 +0000

The best things in life are…actually, yes, they are free. At least, creativity is free. It’s only in recent times that recreation and entertainment has been sold to us for a very high price. But do you really want to spend $30 for a movie and popcorn with a friend? Nah, you can do better – especially if you’re trying to save money these days, like most of us. Check out these ideas and step outside of the expensive, prepackaged entertainment box.

Guerrilla Gardening

Try your hand at guerrilla gardening. You know that boring patch of grass on the corner? I’m sure no one would mind if you sneaked in some sunflowers or a bunch of marigolds. Guerrilla gardening is an underground urban movement to take back the little green spaces most people ignore. Beautify your neighborhood, on the sly.

The Outdoors

Hiking, biking or walking in a local natural area or park. Yes, this is obvious, but sometimes we forget how free and easy some of the best pleasures are!

Concerts

Keep your eyes peeled for free concert and theater-in-the-park series starting in late spring and summer.

Urban Foraging

Take up urban foraging. Who doesn’t like free food? Learn about wild, regional edible plants or befriend a neighbor with an overloaded fruit tree going to waste. Augment your diet with fresh, free foods!

Sex

Have a partner? Have sex. Nature’s foremost free fun activity – get creative with it! (Getting busy is certainly one of our favorite healthy recommendations.)

Picnic

Take your honey or some friends on a good, old-fashioned picnic.

Trade Entertainment

Scour your books, CD’s and DVD’s for those items you just no longer need and trade them in for credit at a local used CD or bookstore. Spend the afternoon browsing for new reads and new tunes you’d never find otherwise. If there’s no used media store in your area, try a website like SwapTree or Title Trader.

Stargazing

Spend a night stargazing. Find star maps online or in the library, then scout out the darkest part of town and learn the constellations. Watch as they change through the seasons. Bring a romantic partner for extra motivation.

Podcasts

Explore the vast world of podcasts. I myself am a podcast addict, loving to enrich my mind with interviews and alternative news. You can find storytelling and comedy podcasts too if you prefer something a little lighter, or podcasts featuring music you’d never hear on the radio.

Volunteer

Try volunteering. I know, I know, this is not what people usually think of for fun, but my husband has shown me otherwise. He regularly volunteers for behind-the-scenes help at music festivals and expo’s, which means he meets lots of great people and attends the event for free. I’ve done it with him and I have to admit, it’s more fun than simply buying a ticket and being part of the audience.

Craigslist (and more)

Check out your local Craig’s List free section or Freecycle. This is a fun way to pick up free things you need, and maybe some fun items you can redecorate or make art with. Surprising things have been known to turn up…I’ve seen soap-making kits, antique roll-top desks and even a hot tub! It’s definitely worth a spin.

Clothing Swap

Call your friends and organize a clothing swap party. Tell them to bring all the clothing, shoes and accessories that no longer suit them (or fit them) and spend an evening hanging out and shopping for free.

Garage Sale

Have a yard sale. You know you have lots of stuff you could do well to pass along, and make a little extra cash while you’re at it. If the weather is still too cold where you live, start putting things aside now and you’ll be ready for yard sale season.

The Library

Make use of the public library. This has been one of my favorite free things since I was a kid. I mean, c’mon, books, movies, music – all for free!?! Depending on how extensive your local library system is, you will have an amazing amount of resources at your fingertips. Your taxes already paid for it, might as well take advantage.

Potluck

Host a potluck. Humans are social animals, and we all love to eat. Food is a great icebreaker.

Get Creative

Pull out a sketchbook and draw. If you’ve got colored pencils or watercolors, play around with those, too. Looking at something deeply enough to draw it can be a powerful exercise in perception – and recognizing beauty in surprising places.

Nature Knowledge

Get a regional plant identification guide (from the library, of course) and make a point of learning the names of the trees and plants in your area. It’s even more satisfying if you bring a sketchbook along and create your own personal botanical book.

Send a Note

Make homemade greeting cards for upcoming holidays and birthdays. You can use fabric scraps, magazine cut-outs and odd bits of beautiful paper. People love to receive snail mail.

Get Fit

Develop a workout routine that you can do without equipment (or minimal things you might already have, like a jump rope or dumbbells) and then do it! It’s most fun if you find a sweet spot outside, with the fresh air and shade under a tree. Need workout ideas? Here’s a place to start.

Write

Start keeping a journal. If you don’t like to write, don’t be dismayed. One of my favorite journalers simply does one small watercolor painting per day, and that’s all she needs to record the progress of her life. If you’re a crafty DIYer, you can easily make a journal yourself with simply things you have around the house.

Is that enough to get you started? What do you do for dollar-free fun?

Each week here at EcoSalon, the editors choose a post from the archives that we think you’ll love. The original post can be found here.

Images: Mr. Theklan, tanakawho, kandjstudio, orangeacid, sun dazed, davidChief, bensonkua, Phing., poplinre, Emuishere Peliculas, Dave Bezair, acloudman, mmadden, qnr, telmo32, Choctopus, kennymatic, faunng, peregrineblue, laurenatclemson’s, ghedo, peregrineblue

From Coughs to Colds, These Common Backyard Weeds Offer a Medicinal Boost

Stephanie Rogers — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:55:29 +0000

A weed is just a plant growing in the wrong place – a plant which, in many cases, could be used ease indigestion, fight the flu, treat poison ivy rashes and even make a tasty meal. They may mar otherwise perfect mats of green grass, but many weeds are chock full of vitamins, minerals and surprising healing abilities. So why throw away the medicine cabinet and free food in your yard? Check out the benefits of these 10 weeds including yarrow, purslane and kudzu.

(Of course, don’t consume any wild plants if you’re not 100% positive you’ve identified them correctly. This article is not a substitute for a good plant identification book.)

Dandelion

With its long, strong taproot, the humble dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is no favorite of those seeking a weed-free lawn. But not only does it have rather pretty little yellow flowers, it’s a nutritional and medicinal powerhouse. When young, its trademark saw-toothed leaves are a delicious addition to spring salads and can also be sauteed as a vegetable. They’re rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, folate and calcium. The flowers are also edible.

If you let your dandelions grow strong and proud, you’ll end up with large roots that can be harvested and dried as a medicinal supplement. Used commercially in many detox formulas, dandelion root acts as a powerful diuretic and kidney and liver cleanser.

Chickweed

Starry white flowers with cleft petals, dainty pairs of fuzzy green leaves and purple stems identify the star chickweed plant, which – along with its relatives common chickweed and mouse chickweed – is a great source of vitamins A, D, B complex and C. It’s also packed with minerals like iron, calcium, potassium and zinc. Chickweed (Stellaria media) has a delicate cornsilk-like flavor when eaten raw, and tastes like spinach when cooked.

Chickweed can also be finely chopped and applied externally to soothe irritated skin. An infusion made by steeping ¼ cup in a cup of boiling water for 15 minutes has benefits similar to dandelion root.

Yarrow

Tall and stately, yarrow (Achillea millefolium) bears fuzzy fern-like foliage and bouquets of tiny white or yellow flowers. Some of its other names, including Nose Bleed, Staunchweed and Bloodwort hint at one of its most prized abilities – slowing down bleeding. Found in meadows, pastures and roadsides across America, yarrow has long been used in herbal medicine not just for wound care but to increase appetite, ease indigestion and fight colds and flu.

The fresh leaves can be used as a compress with a little warm water, or even chewed up and applied to wounds if you’re out hiking or camping. A teaspoon of the dried leaves, added to a cup of boiling water and allowed to steep for 10 minutes, is said to reduce fever and help clear the sinuses.

Stinging Nettle

It looks harmless enough, but once you make the mistake of touching stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) with your bare hand, you’ll never do it again (unless you have arthritis – but more on that in a minute). This plant – often found growing near water – has a piercing sting with tiny needle-like hairs infused with several painful chemicals. But once it’s cooked, soaked in water or dried, the fibers are disarmed and the plant can be used both medicinally and as food.

Anemia, internal bleeding, eczema, bladder infections, prostate enlargement and bronchitis are just a few of the conditions that are often treated with nettle in dried leaf, tincture or tea form. But believe it or not, some people intentionally apply raw nettle leaves to arthritic joints to relieve pain. Scientists believe that it reduces levels of inflammatory chemicals in the body, interfering with pain signals.

And even if you don’t want to eat it, nettle can be a big help in a surprising way: as an extremely effective liquid fertilizer for the garden. Get an easy tutorial on its preparation from SeasonalGardener.com.

Jewelweed

If you make the unlucky mistake of brushing up against some poison ivy, don’t wander off – your savior is likely just a few yards away. Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) often grows in the same areas as poison ivy and can be used as its antidote. A substance called lawsone in jewelweed actually binds to urushiol oil, the component in poison ivy that’s so irritating, preventing it from binding with the proteins in your skin.

Jewelweed is typically the main ingredient in poison ivy soaps and creams, but you can simply chop up some of the stems and leaves, boil them until the liquid is orange and then freeze the strained liquid in an ice cube tray for quick, soothing relief.

Plantain

It’s not exactly pretty, but for the plantain (plantago) growing out of the crack in your sidewalk or the edge of your garden bed, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. This perennial weed (different from the banana-like plant of the same name) has a low-lying rosette of dark green oval leaves and cylindrical flower spikes, which produce seeds and seed husks used as the main ingredient in psyllium laxatives.

Mucilage is the magic word when it comes to plantain’s effectiveness. This slippery substance – contained within the entire plant – relieves sore throats and inflammation in the digestive tract. Plantain also has antibacterial properties, healing as it soothes. For colds and flu, add a tablespoon of fresh or dry plantain seed heads and leaves to a cup of boiling water, steep for 10 minutes, strain and drink several times daily.

Purslane

Want to add some more of those all-important Omega-3 fatty acids to your diet? Go out in your yard, snip some purslane (Portulaca oleracea) and add it to a salad. This succulent plant is commonly found in warm, temperate regions of the U.S. and around the world, and has been used historically as a remedy for arthritis and inflammation in Chinese medicine.

Purslane has more beta-carotene than spinach and can be used in much the same way in salads, pasta dishes, burritos, stews – just about any savory dish. It has a juicy, chewy texture and a mild sweet-and-sour flavor.

Peppergrass

Found in fields and roadsides in virtually every state of the union and much of Canada, “peppergrass” (Lepidium virginicum) is in the mustard family and has a flavor similar to that of arugula. Sometimes called “poor man’s pepper”, peppergrass leaves can be eaten raw in salads or used to season soups and stews. The peppery flavor diminishes with cooking, so add it at the last minute.

Mullein

Got bronchitis? One of the best things you can reach for isn’t in your medicine cabinet, but growing outside your window. Mullein resembles the ornamental plant known as lamb’s ear, with soft fuzzy leaves that grow in a rosette pattern and tall stalks of flowers that can be yellow or white.

Mullein leaves are an expectorant, stimulating coughing to clear congested lungs. The dried leaves can be taken as tea or in capsules to treat a number of respiratory ills including athsma, and oil made with the flowers is a natural remedy for ear infections.

Kudzu

Anyone who has ever taken a drive through the South has seen the tenacious beast that is kudzu (Pueraria lobata). This vine was introduced to the U.S. from its native Japan to help control soil erosion, but quickly overtook everything in its path from trees to entire buildings. It’s a menace that can grow up to a foot a day during the summer, but at least it has a few good uses.

Kudzu, “the vine that ate the South”, is related to peas and the tender shoots take on the flavor of whatever they’re cooked with. The root, dried and pulverized, is used in place of cornstarch to thicken soups and gravies. Some people even fry the leaves and eat them like potato chips.

It has also been used in Chinese medicine for centuries to treat a host of ills including dysentery, allergies, migraines and diarrhea and it’s currently being researched for use in Western medicine as a treatment for alcoholism.

Images: Muffet, Calliope, The Equinest, Mick E. Talbot, Wikimedia Commons, Bob Richmond, Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Commons, Kitten Wants

Broke? 20 Fun Things to Do Without Spending a Dime

Sarah Irani — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 23:00:30 +0000

Guerrilla Gardening

The Outdoors

Hiking, biking or walking in a local natural area or park. Yes, this is obvious, but sometimes we forget how free and easy some of the best pleasures are!

Concerts

Keep your eyes peeled for free concert and theater-in-the-park series starting in late spring and summer.

Urban Foraging

Sex

Have a partner? Have sex. Nature’s foremost free fun activity – get creative with it! (Getting busy is certainly one of our favorite healthy recommendations.)

Picnic

Take your honey or some friends on a good, old-fashioned picnic.

Trade Entertainment

Stargazing

Podcasts

Volunteer

Craigslist (and more)

Clothing Swap

Garage Sale

The Library

Potluck

Host a potluck. Humans are social animals, and we all love to eat. Food is a great icebreaker.

Get Creative

Nature Knowledge

Send a Note

Make homemade greeting cards for upcoming holidays and birthdays. You can use fabric scraps, magazine cut-outs and odd bits of beautiful paper. People love to receive snail mail.

Get Fit

Write

Is that enough to get you started? What do you do for dollar-free fun?

The New Hunter Gatherers: Urban Foragers

Vanessa Barrington — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:00:52 +0000

My heart was nearly broken last summer when I noticed that a family member’s plum tree was so heavily laden with fruit that hundreds of beautiful plums were rotting on the ground. I decided to harvest the entire tree. Since one person can only make so much jam and I knew most of my friends were too busy to take on a plum project like this, I started surfing the internets to see if there was some way I could unload a ton of gorgeous, perfectly ripe Santa Rosa plums.

That’s when I found Forage Oakland – a site run by a woman who has mapped publicly accessible trees all over my city. She always asks permission before harvesting and she harvests everything on her bicycle and redistributes the fruit. I can’t think of a greener and more socially just idea. I met her when she came to get the plums I’d harvested, which ended up at a giant Eat In organized by Slow Food Nation, enjoyed by all.

Turns out that this urban foraging thing is a bit of a movement. There are groups springing up all over the country – not to be confused with Freegans – a philosophy I support in principal, though you’ll never catch me dumpster diving. I prefer the idea of waste diversion before it hits the dumpster. Portland, Oregon has a network, Santa Fe has a map, LA has Fallen Fruit, San Francisco has a wild foraged food CSA.

Lest you think urban foraging is just for those of us on the balmy West Coast, Chicago has Nance Klehm. And Canada has The Clever Mom.

Anybody can do it. What a great way to get to know your neighbors, build community, start a bartering circle, feed the homeless, or simply avoid the waste of fallen fruit.

Though it’s winter here in Northern California, there are still plenty of laden grapefruit, orange, and Meyer Lemon trees full of lovely fruits. Watch for Friday’s recipe using Meyer lemons and in the meantime, leave a comment on any urban foraging projects in your area.

Image: bentza