May 19, 2012
Ah, yes. Spring. Warm weather, longer days, and things are blooming! In this kind of weather, I take my daily anti-histamine and start walking all over the roadways, trails and off the beaten path. I am a huge fan of foraging for edibles in our environment, not only because it's FREE, but they are also interesting to cook with. In the past I've written about finding blackberries and pecans in South Carolina, but Virginia has presented me with more interesting options!
Straight away, I must thank my mother Ginny Summerour Barber, both grandmothers (Ruby Messer Barber and Mary Lynn Morris Summerour) and my cousin Buddy Cook for teaching me about wild edible plants and flowers in the Southern United States.
My two latest finds have been right here in the heart of the city, within a mile of my apartment and where I least expected to find something edible. This spring's "foraging" has taught me two important things: 1. weeds and trees are everywhere. 2. most people don't know what they have growing in their own yards.
Almost every day I walk past the Arlington fire station 10 here in Rosslyn. They have a lovely herb garden between the sidewalk and their front door and currently, their chives are in full bloom. These beautiful, tiny purple flowers are dainty and add a nice mild onion burst of flavor when you add them to your food. After asking permission from one of the firemen to collect a few flowers, I recently took several home and added them to my tempeh sweet potato curry. It was such a pretty, gourmet touch to my cooking - and it did not cost me a thing! The firemen thought I was crazy, and I am, but it was also a teaching moment, I think I convinced them to sprinkle some chive flowers on top of their next batch of alfredo pasta before serving.
Tempeh sweet potato curry with chive flowers
Last weekend, Danger, Doug and I were walking along the C&O Canal in Georgetown, when I noticed a few familiar berries smashed into the walkway, and hanging from a tree above - a type that I remembered picking in my grandmother's Atlanta backyard during my childhood. No, it was not the blood of Pyramus. I had stumbled upon a mulberry tree.
In the last two weeks the little tart pink berries are ripening and the birds are going crazy for them. As you can see in the picture below they look kind of like an oblong blackberry, but the taste is very different. Their flavor is a little lemony with a mild sweetness. Mix them into your morning yogurt or sprinkle on top of vanilla ice cream. WOW!
In the last two weeks the little tart pink berries are ripening and the birds are going crazy for them. As you can see in the picture below they look kind of like an oblong blackberry, but the taste is very different. Their flavor is a little lemony with a mild sweetness. Mix them into your morning yogurt or sprinkle on top of vanilla ice cream. WOW!
Unripe and ripe mulberries on a mulberry leaf. The ring is a size 5, for scale.
I like to write about foraging to encourage you to be more aware of your surroundings, and spark further interest in the natural world. Foraging is so much fun, and another way to get you and your family out of the house, exercising and learning about nature.
Here are some educational resources on foraging and edible flowers:
I grew up eating mulberries from a tree near my parents' barn. I haven't seen another tree for years, but I wish I could find one!
ReplyDeleteOh, Shellaine, come to northern Virginia - they are EVERYWHERE! yummmmmm
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