I was blessed to grow up in the South with a Mother and Grandmothers who were familiar with the fun and benefits of "foraging".
If you are unfamiliar about what's edible and not in your surroundings, consult with a Foraging expert or blog, but always take caution with unfamiliar items, ESPECIALLY wild mushrooms!
Here in the Lowcountry, there are many wild varieties of berries and salad greens that are ready to be picked in late spring & early summer.
A few that I've enjoyed this past week are: (click on the links for nutrition information)
The blackberries are just about to be in full swing. There are a few here an there now that are ripe, and they are very nice additions to fruit salad or just eating as you walk!When you can't find many fruits or berries out in the public areas, look around your local farmer's market and ask the fruit vendors there where you can start.
On Thursday I went and picked my own strawberries cultivated on Barefoot Farms (St. Helena Island, SC), and the owner pointed me to a lady down the street who lets you pick your own blueberries!
Here is a recipe for a fruit salad that I like very much:
The Fruits of my Labor:
2-3 peeled, diced Kiwi fruit (grown in Ridgeland, South Carolina!--who would have known?)
5-6 large strawberries, washed and caps off (St. Helena Island, South Carolina)
handful of blueberries--washed first (St. Helena Island, South Carolina)
handful of blackberries--washed first (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina)
3 Loquat fruits--washed, quartered and seeded (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina)
- Toss together with 1 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice and a teaspoon of local honey if you want it a little sweeter!
- I enjoyed this mixture by itself with my breakfast, but makes a lovely topping for ice cream!
Loquats are an amazing find for me this last week. I discovered them growing in front of my clinic! They are also known as Japanese plums, and many yards on Hilton Head Island contain these "ornamental" sub-tropical plants. Rumour has it, Charleston was one of the first places in the U.S. these plums were brought to, due to it's climate and reputation for impressive ornamental gardens.
Loquats are very popular in China, Japan and India for eating raw or in preserves and chutney. My neighbor on Hilton Head has a very large, 12 year old Japanese plum tree that is LOADED with fruit this year. He was kind enough to share them with me now that they are ripe.
Loquats are the "perfect" dessert splurge for dieters, especially if you are cutting back on sugar. Not only are loquats loaded with NATURAL sugars, but are high in fiber, B-vitamins and Vitamin A. So the next time your trainer tells you to cut back on the sugar intake, put down the chocolate chip cookies and grab a few loquats! About 10 of these small snack-sized fruits contain ~100 calories.
Here is what this "exotic" fruit looks like:
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