NETTLETOWN

Its been a long time

2011-04-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

Hello nettle fans! it has been a long time since this blog has stretched its legs! Hibernation of almost a year!!

Here is a simple recipe (aka guideline) for a spring treat.

Japanese Knotweed Slaw

few spring shoots of Japanese knotweed
a little shredded cabbage- napa or savoy ( or carrots!)
handful wild herbs- like fennel, lemonbalm, mint, and/or sorrel
an apple
apple cider
lemon, lime or vinegar
fish sauce
chili oil or salad oil

Peel knotweed stalks and slice thinly on diagonal. Place in a bowl and toss with cabbage and herbs. Cut apple in slices or dices and add to bowl. Drizzle cider, citrus juice or vinegar, a bit of fish sauce, and a bit of oil of choice over slaw to taste! Toss and serve.

Nettlemas this friday!

2010-04-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

Nettlemas
Announcing a special event this Friday,
April 30th, 7pm

Celebrate the eve of May Day and the beginning of the warm half of the year with Nettlemas - a day for playfulness and mischief. Come join us for this feast featuring chinook salmon, spring greens, and traditional Irish foods. We promise not to sting you!!

$40 buffet dinner with a drink, includes a 2010 Illustrated Wild Foods Recipe Calendar.
Reservations only - 206-588-3607

Nettlemas was celebrated in Ireland as festive night before the important holiday of Beltane. Beltane is the traditional Celtic fire festival to celebrate life, purification and the bounty of the new season. The first of May is the halfway point between the solstices - the time when the sun is fully released from the grip of winter and able to warm the earth once again and nurture plant and human life through growing season.

A Few Pictures

2010-04-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

come visit soon!!!

Maija finishing up the Nettletown mural

counter service

beautiful kale raab from Nash's Organic Farm

the lemongrass elk meatball sandwich

little hippo loves turnip kokeshi

NETTLETOWN IS OPEN!!!

2010-03-12T09:39:00.000-08:00

We are finally open. Opened on Wednesday with a partial menu, and ramping up for the full menu next week. Come in and say hi!

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 3/6

2010-03-06T02:18:00.000-08:00

Nettletime in nettletown, la la la, la la la........

It is time to purge out the rich winter feasting, that indulgent casserole of fireside libation, cookie sharing, and braised meaty essences with a spring cleanse I like to call nettletime. Once you have been touched by the nettles holy health sting, every springtime becomes nettletime. I recommend beginning by slowly starting to introduce nettles into your diet, poking them in between the last of the winter habits, like pumpkin cupcakes and brisket. As your constitution allows pick up the pace with some form of nettle daily. The healers of ol' could of said "a nettle a day will keep the doctor away". Sip in tea, throw in soup, bake with eggs - anyway is a good way.

Check out my previous post here with many details of this uber seasonal superfood.

This week at the markets

Stinging Nettles

Fiddleheads

Miner's Lettuce

Restaurant Website Launch

2010-03-06T00:02:00.000-08:00

Nettletown restaurant website launched today! The address nettletown.com will now go to the restaurant site. Access the nettletown blog through the blog link or at nettletown.blogspot.com.

We have an opening date for March 16th! We hope to see you all soon!

In Progress

2010-02-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

Nettletown restaurant is starting to come together - sliding all the little pieces into the crazy puzzle that is a restaurant.

planing the beautiful salvaged wood for the bar top

sunny days make work a little easier

Jason is creating the bar to highlight the character of the salvaged wood

new custom bar shelving!

Jared hard at work smoothing down the rough spots, notice the old linoleum floor - now you see it!......

...now you don't! Freshly unveiled concrete floors and a new wall in the kitchen!! Thanks to the Choi family crew for all the hard work scraping and sanding that old tile off!

the kitchen is starting to come together

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 2/13

2010-02-12T23:38:00.000-08:00

Totem Poles in Vancouver Canada

Happy Lunar New Year!!!!!! Happy Olympics!!!

This weekend at the markets

Yellow Foot Chanterelles

Nettles

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 2/6

2010-02-05T14:15:00.000-08:00

The warm weather is bringing in more greens and mushrooms than we usually see this time of year. It is always a hopeful feeling to see the first crocuses popping their pretty heads out in city yards, and it's the same feeling as seeing the first tender nettles poking out to get a move on their long season of prickly take over. Nettles and crocuses are some of the first new green growth here when the weather tilts its head towards spring. Early daffodils are on there way. Chickweed and other tender greens are sprouting in mats soaking in the moist soil too. I think I will have a real garden salad tonight.

chickweed and wood sorrel in my yard

At the markets this weekend:

Black Trumpets - only available at Ballard Market

Yellow Foot Chanterelles

Hedgehogs

Nettles

Watercress - only at Ballard

Nettletown is expanding!!

2010-02-03T22:11:00.000-08:00

I am finally able to post my BIG NEWS- I am opening a restaurant in Eastlake! Nettletown the restaurant, is taking over the old Sitka and Spruce space in the lil' unlikely spot in a strip mall on Eastlake Ave. Sitka and Spruce is moving to a new bigger spot on Capitol Hill in the Melrose Project building. Matt Dillon, the owner and chef of Sitka, is passing me the torch but will still continue to have a part in the Eastlake space with me. Matt will be my partner, and because many good partnerships are born through friendship, I am overjoyed to have him as a strong support and anchor while I launch into the restaurant whirlpool. I will be heading the kitchen and everyday affairs and Matt will be there to egg me on. The opening date is slated for the end of February.

Nettletown will be a casual cafe with lunch and brunch service to start with and we will add dinners once we get into the swing of things. The food will be eclectic comfort food with influences from my culinary heritage(Chinese, Swiss) an and our collective Pacific coast geography. My boyfriend Jason's description - "Thoughtful creative yummy menu inspired by wild and pacific northwest ingredients at reasonable everyday prices." The menu will revolve around a base of dishes available all of the time along with many daily specials to take advantage of seasonal bounty. A few menu sneak peeks - Crab or fish(depending on availability) cakes with celery seaweed salad and aioli; nettletown noodles-egg noodles with roast pork, seasoned wild mushrooms, tea egg and toasted garlic; brioche french toast with ginger butter and huckleberry sauce.

What does this mean for Nettletown blog? Honestly, I am not sure exactly what this will become in this new era. I plan to continue use this as a place to celebrate wild and seasonal foods, though now it will have more of a focus on the new restaurant. I predict I will have less time for long features but will learn to post the short and sweet. One thing for sure, Foraged and Found Edibles weekly market posts will start up again very soon.

Check out this interview series on Voracious, the Seattle Weekly food blog, about me and the restaurant. Part one- culinary musings, part two- the lowdown on Nettletown, part three- two razor clam recipes.

Before - at the Sitka closing party
Before - Matt, one week before Sitka leaves its Eastlake location

During - Jason is a saint! he is doing the remodeling for Nettletown
During - The new "dragonfly" blue
Recarving the bracket for the chalkboard in its new location above the bar

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles and the New Year

2010-01-01T18:21:00.000-08:00

Hello Dear Readers,

Times, they are a changin'! How?!? I am not able to disclose the news yet, but it will be good, and it is very exciting for us over here at Nettletown. Stay tuned!

I would like to put out a little apology for being MIA for the last couple weeks. Excuses are never very becoming but all I will say is three things- XMAS, Work, and New Ventures!

Happy New Year!! Nettletown wishes you a big full basket of whatever your heart or hands find or forage this year!!!!!!

This weekend at the Markets:
It is a light winter week

Dried mushrooms and frozen goods will be available at both markets
Black trumpet mushrooms will be available at Ballard Market

New News is Good News

2009-12-16T01:29:00.000-08:00

One - Illustrated Wild Foods Calendar Giveaway!!
A lovely local blog called Are You My Ghost? is having a calendar giveaway and all you have to do is post a comment and you may be picked! So awesome, so easy. Thanks Renai! Ends Tuesday afternoon, December 22nd.

Two - Its gift time, and it's almost 2010. It is time to move these babies! - The Illustrated Wild Foods Recipe Calendar is on SALE. At the farmer's markets or online on the Nettletown Etsy Shop - 2 calendars for $20! Now you don't have to wonder if you should get one for yourself when it buying as a gift for someone else! Just do it, someone once said.

Three - Emily Counts and I have put our friend powers together and formed an alliance of lovers of time, art, and food. Please join our The Illustrated Wild Foods Recipe Calendar Fan Club on Facebook!!! TIWFRCFC for short. I am kinda tired of typing out the name of the calendar, what were we thinking!?!

And a final blurb that really isn't news - A special thank you to all of you who have supported my calendar venture and this lil' blog called Nettletown. In this new year arriving soon, we hope to get better and bigger and to grow under the the warm wing of your continued interest and support!!!

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 12/12

2009-12-12T03:08:00.000-08:00

It has been a week full of glorious clear days, intense winter sunsets, and .... icicle temperatures. Unfortunately these crispy frozen days are not the best for mushroom season. Frozen mushrooms are not to fun to pick. Once it thaws though we should see some new growth.

We do have chanterelles this weekend and will be starting a special on the the Wild Foods Calendar. It is also a good time of year to stock up on dried mushrooms. They are nice to have around for impromptu soup and stew nights warming up by the fire. Keep your eyes peeled for a tasty dry mushroom soup recipe coming soon on Nettletown.

This weekend at the market
Chanterelles
Recipe Calendar Special - 2 for $20
Frozen White Truffles

I just started a fan club for the calendar on Facebook - please join us!
The Illustrated Wild Foods Recipe Calendar Fan Club

Also check out these two recent articles by local food writer Rebekah Denn.
This is someones writing you should follow if you haven't already found her. In my opinion she is one of the best local food writers with more focus on regional local food producers and politics, and less on the restaurant fluff. She wrote an award-winning article a number of years ago about Foraged and Found and Jeremy that really blew me away. "Out of the Woods - Forager Faber is a Master in the Wild" from the ol' PI. It drew a accurate picture of the business from field to restaurant and she truly captured Jeremy's nutty personality.
Rebekah has a great blog -eatallaboutit.com

One short and sweet and one long and thorough -
"Washington Businesses Break Ties to Industrial Food Chain"
Seattle Times
Very interesting article about local food producers and their challenge to source high quality food and to know where it is coming from. A few of them were hit by the massive countrywide peanut recall and had to rework their systems of procurement and production. Caveman Bars, CB Nuts and Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream are featured.

On the lighter side....
"Is there a better word for "foodie"?"
The Christian Science Monitor Blog
I have always struggled with this word myself. It is such a stupid word but it happens to perfectly encompass exactly what many of us are.

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 12/4

2009-12-04T02:22:00.001-08:00

a small amount of matsutake available today!

Truffle time! Jeremy is digging the first black truffles of the year out on the Olympic peninsula today. It is time for moist truffle-y scrambled eggs and creamy cauliflower soup with shaved truffles lightly floating the top. Technically the prized local black truffle is called an Oregon black truffle but patriotic tendencies toward our home state trumps the rival state name. We call it by where the geographically correct hole in the ground is - Washington. Dug in Washington or Oregon it is still a Leucangia carthusiana- a prized underground fungi with complex musty aromas and a hint of sweet pineapple. These little earthy lumps are love/indifferent affair - you either understand the lump and it hits you right in the gut with an aromatherapy-taste bud tango or you shrug your shoulders and wonder if you didn't get the memo.

This weekend at the markets -

Chanterelles
"Dug in Washington" Oregon Black Truffles
Cranberries
Come early for these at U. District Market-
Hedgehogs
Matsutake

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 11/27

2009-11-27T23:17:00.000-08:00

Note to West Seattle customers - We are no longer at the West Seattle markets until the Spring. Come see us in University District and Ballard through the winter.

Sometimes, post holiday it can be hard to get excited about cooking again any time soon. You just put in long hours in the kitchen and most likely the tupperwares are stuffed to the brim with leftovers. Turkey sandwiches are the likely five day forecast. Lots-o-leftovers are a fabulous excuse for creative transformation. How about turkey chanterelle noodle soup with Moroccan flavors like cumin and cinnamon or turkey chanterelle shepherd's pie with the gravy and mashed potatoes. Cranberry sauce, toasted walnut and ice cream parfaits sound good. Or what about fried turkey and mushroom risotto balls with cranberry sage aioli?! Well... maybe not.

This weekend at the Farmers Market

Chanterelles
Cranberries

CRANBERRY CRAZY!!!

2009-11-21T23:01:00.000-08:00

cranberry quince chutney

To celebrate the cranberry harvest and Thanksgiving I have three cranberry recipes for you, including two using raw cranberries. Raw cranberries are extremely healthy. High levels of antioxidants, antibiotic properties very helpful for those with urinary tract infections, and a preventative measure for kidney stones are a few of this autumn berry's nourishing ways.

Cranberries are native in North America and were used by indigenous peoples for food, dyes, skin treatments, and preserved in pemmican. They have been popular for Thanksgiving meals for centuries, and as a juice since the 1960's thanks to Ocean Spray, a cranberry cooperative started in the early part of the century. They are in the genus Vaccinium along with fellow bush berries, the blueberry and huckleberry.

Washington State is the 5th largest supplier of cranberries, many of them being made into juice and Craisins by Ocean Spray. In 1919 the first cranberry farm was planted in Grayland (7 miles south of Westport) and this still is the center of cranberry farming in Washington. On the stretch along the Pacific between Westport and Tokeland the area is called The Cranberry Coast. Thirty percent of cranberry farms in Washington are located here. There is even a yearly Cranberry Harvest Festival and a self guided Grayland bog driving tour available on the Westportwa website. That driving tour would be a great combo trip with some razor clamming out at Grayland Beach State Park.

Most Washington cranberry farmers sell directly to Ocean Spray. It would be nice to see some of those cranberries being directly marketed to local consumers. This year was the first time Foraged and Found Edibles has sold cranberries at the farmer's market. In the past we have picked just enough for personal use. We harvest them in a old overgrown bog in Grayland next to our friends house. Before all this farming cranberries grew wild all along the Pacific Coast and were utilized extensively by the local natives and then the settlers when they arrived. There are still different varieties of cranberries growing in the wild, just a little harder to find than in the past.

a cranberry bog in grayland

Many cranberry preparations call for large amounts of cane sugar to balance out there sour and bitter flavors, unfortunately this greatly lessens their healing properties. I have been trying to increasingly use alternatives to conventional sugar in my cooking. These recipes take advantage of fruits and honey to sweeten the berries. Apple cider is one great sweetener that is easily available to us in the NW.

Cranberry Walnut Vinaigrette

This recipe is inspired by a salad in Starting With Ingredients by Aliza Green. I am not usually a fan of fruit vinaigrettes but this sounded interesting. The bright pink color is not the most appetizing for food but it does taste great. Serve with bitter greens like endives or in a carrot slaw with dried fruit. I ended up nibbling on it like dip with treviso, sliced raw cranberries and chopped walnuts, yum.

1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1/3 cup walnuts
1 Tbsp chopped shallot
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup walnuts
1/4 orange juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp honey
salt and pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender and combine until smooth.

creamy pink yumminess

Raw Cranberry Ginger Relish

This easy sauce is great with Thanksgiving turkey or with roast game. And so good on leftover turkey sandwiches. Add some chopped walnuts right before serving if desired. With walnuts it reminds me of haroset served at Jewish Passover meals. Adjust the dates and honey to your sweetened desire.

2 satsuma oranges, washed, halved, and seeds removed
6 - 8 medjool dates, pits removed
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
2 cups fresh cranberries
2-4 tsp honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup

Place satsumas, dates, and ginger in the work bowl of a food processor. Puree until fine. Add cranberries and sweetener and pulse to chop until medium-fine but not a paste. Alternatively toss all ingredients together and run through a meat grinder. This gives it a great texture. Let sit at least one hour for flavors to combine.

Spiced Cranberry Quince Chutney

I adapted this sauce from my own recipe in the 2010 Illustrated Wild Foods Recipe Calendar for Evergreen Huckleberry Chutney. It goes with out saying - this is turkey dinner material. Also a perfect candidate for a holiday chutney cream cheese roll.

1 cup small diced shallots
3 tbsp olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground clove
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 cinnamon stick
1 ½ cups small-diced quince (about 1 med quince)
2 cups apple cider
3 1/2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
3-6 tbsp of honey

Sauté shallots in olive oil over medium-high heat until they begin to lightly brown. Turn heat to medium, add salt and spices, and cook for a few more minutes, until spices are fragrant. Add quince and apple cider; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn down and keep at a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes until quince is tender. Add cranberries and 3 tbsp honey and cook until berries pop, about 20 minutes. Taste and add more honey if too tart. Let cool to room temperature to serve, or store in refrigerator for up to one week.

Thanksgiving and This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 11/20

2009-11-20T01:25:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving means family, friends, and celebrating the American cornucopia. Though many Thanksgiving food traditions have steered away from seasonality (green bean casserole), it still is at its core a harvest celebration. I love to hear about different traditions within families and regions of the US. I think it was James Beard who said - if you tell me what you eat for Thanksgiving I can tell you where you are from. If in New England the feast may include mashed carrots and rutabagas, from the South it may be scalloped oyster saltine casserole, sweet potatoes, and pecan pie. Here in the Northwest wild mushrooms, winter squash and apple pie are common.

There is a very interesting article on Slashfood about the decline of shellfish, specifically oysters, in the Thanksgiving repertoire. Pre 1950 it was a mainstay on holiday menus, but with the decline of the oyster harvest at that time and rising prices over the years it has been pushed to the back burner. With our oyster bounty in the Northwest we are perfectly poised to bring back this tradition - oyster stew, oyster Rockefeller, oyster dressing! - all of these would fit into the turkey dinner feast.

My family's Thanksgiving menu doesn't stray to far from the classic dishes, though over time the traditions change and evolve with the times and tastes in our ever expanding family. We play a bit with turkey seasonings, the salad, the cranberry sauce. Brussel sprouts are a addition in the last couple years, but my mom doesn't like them so we had a vote to keep 'em in or not. Brussel sprouts vs. my Mom - brussels won.

The Choi family menu- sherried pumpkin soup with croutons and chives (this is something my Grandma always fed us earlier in the day while we waited for the feast), roast turkey with herbs, chanterelle gravy sometimes with truffles, plain gravy (for the mushroom haters!?), mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts with lemon, shallots and hazelnuts, dressing with chestnuts, green salad with persimmons or pears, cranberry something (I like to play around with different recipes, two recipes for cran sauce coming soon on Nettletown), pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake. This year I am going to make that southern scalloped oyster casserole too, with the pre-shucked oysters from Taylor Shellfish to make it easy. And maybe it will become a new Choi family tradition.

Tell me what you have for Thanksgiving!

This weekend at the Farmers Market

Chanterelles
Cranberries
Frozen white truffles
Frozen Mountain huckleberries
Matsutake - small amount available at the U District market

Also on Saturday from 3-5pm I am doing a calendar signing at Eat Local on top of Queen Anne. There also will be live music in the store from Pro Musica.

Also, this may be our last weekend at the West Seattle Market. Our harvest is dwindling and it is hard to support two Sunday markets. We may be at the one or two more before Xmas though.

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 11/14

2009-11-13T22:25:00.000-08:00

We have some exciting stuff this weekend. Finally some black trumpet mushrooms and really ripe and beautiful cranberries from coastal bogs. These sweet cranberries would be great in a raw cranberry relish.

It is pretty much over with the porcini season but our mushrooms were featured in a Design Sponge recipe with pictures by local photographer Lara Ferroni yesterday. Check out the Porcini Mushroom Tapioca here.

At the markets this weekend -

Chanterelles
Black Trumpets
Hedgehogs - just a bit available early at U District
Watercress
Cranberries

Wild Food Calendar Dinner at the Corson Building

2009-11-09T16:15:00.000-08:00

Just a little reminder that I am teaming up with Chef Matt Dillon for a very special wild food dinner at the Corson Building next Monday, November the 16th. We will be making a couple recipes out of the calendar and every other dish will feature wild ingredients too. Everything depends on availability, but for sure we will be using elk, black truffles, rosehips, chanterelles, huckleberries, and watercress. Possibly will also have hedgehogs, matsutake, black trumpets, razor clams, and wild salmon. Lisa Gordanier, my recipe editor, will be helping in the kitchen too! It is a sort of kitchen reunion - she worked with Matt and I back at The Herbfarm.

There will be two seatings - 5:30 and 8 pm. Reservation only.
Cost $60 and includes one copy of The Illustrated Wild Foods Recipe Calendar. Additional copies will be available for the special price of $10.
See the Corson Building event calendar here and call 206-762-3330 for reservations.

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 11/06

2009-11-06T00:04:00.000-08:00

The week that started with clear skies has given us some nice dry chanterelles for the market. Of course you will be buying them in the pouring rain if you slosh it to the markets this weekend. Rain or shine, we go year 'round. And we feel fortunate that ardent customers and the farmer's market organizations are there to support us and all the other farmers that can provide 365 days a year. The cold season markets really depend on people that are intensely passionate about healthy, unique and local food and are willing to tough it through the Seattle "elements".

If we forage high (northern Washington) and low (southern Oregon) there is almost always something delicious hiding in the woods, even in the cold of winter. Those winter mushrooms, such as hedgehogs and black trumpets, are barely starting though, and either they are hiding better than usual or they may not want to perform as big of a show this year. In abundance we call it a flush, in scarcity, a blow out. Just as most things go in nature, we will just have to wait and see......This is one of the most beautiful and difficult things about foraging, and probably farming for that matter. We are subject to the expressions of the earth and its fantastic and complex organisms (wild mushrooms happen to be one of the most unpredictable!). We are given the generous opportunity to reap the harvest, but in so many ways have no control over it. We wouldn't have it any other way.

This weekend at the markets -

Chanterelles
Wild Watercress

Fresh-Picked Seattle

2009-11-03T14:28:00.000-08:00

Lets say you love food, you live in Seattle, and you have a weekend with no plans, what do you do?!? Actually lets say you just live in Seattle, because freshpickedseattle.com has good info and events for any Seattlite - foodie or not, bored or not.

I am so thoroughly impressed with this site that I must to share it with all you. Fresh-Picked Seattle is dedicated to being the place to find out about food events and culture in Seattle. A woman named Leslie Seaton hosts the site; I don't know how she keeps up with all this info, but she does and does it well. It is refreshingly thorough with lots of links and useful information including stuff such as free happenings, kids events, seasonal interests. For example a recent post on National Chocolate Day and has links to local chocolate shops, a Google event calendar, various tours available around the area, and a resource list. Also included a nice video of a tour at Theo Chocolate (I have been dying to do this and fresh-picked post was a great reminder to get myself there).

There is also a great page for Pacific Northwest wild food, foraging, and ethnobotany. This should be THE GUIDE for wild food resources in the Northwest. Links to articles and blogs(including this one!), local mycological societies, wilderness schools, and Google event calendar which includes razor clam dig days and cooking classes.

Fresh-Picked Seattle's little byline is pretty cute too- Seattle=Let's Eat
Go there, you will be inspired to venture out foraging for new (fresh!) experiences in your home town.

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 10/30

2009-10-30T22:58:00.000-07:00

It is a light week at the markets. We are in the lull between the fall and winter flush. Soon there will be an abundance of hedgehogs, yellowfoot chanterelles, black trumpets, and truffles as the nights get chillier. Speaking of cold weather, the watercress has been really beautiful, and will be around until our patches get hit with a frost. Wild watercress tends to be much spicier and more flavorful than the limp bunches found in grocery stores. Try pairing the spicy leaves in a salad with sweet roasted beets and a hazelnut viniagrette.

We have this weekend -

Chanterelles
Hedgehogs - a small amount
Wild Watercress

Rose Hip Harvest Time

2009-10-30T17:19:00.000-07:00

bushes and bushes full of hips along the Burke Gilman trail

Small sunset colored globes brighten up the desolate fall landscape every year. Rose hips are the fruit of the rose bush that forms after the blossom dies away. They ripen in fall turning vibrant red to orange colors, and are best harvested after a frost, when slightly soft and wrinkly. Like many other fruits and vegetables of the autumn season, such as parsnips, grapes, and brussel sprouts, cold temperatures help convert their starches to sugars. The conversion is a survival mechanism, sugars help keep the plants from freezing. Rose hips will persist on bushes through out the cold months and if you happen to get lost in the woods they can be eaten as a winter survival food.

The texture and taste of fresh rosehips are moist, bright, and pasty, reminiscent to overripe apples and tangy cranberries to which roses are related. Rose hips are one of the highest plant sources for vitamin C and also contain significant amounts of vitamin D and E, antioxidants, and pectin.

Wild rose bushes grow like weeds all over the city and country, and are easy to find cultivated in many home gardens. Avoid plants in decorative gardens that have been sprayed with pesticides. Rose hips contain many hairy seeds; the fine hairs are said to cause mild intestinal irritation. There are conflicting accounts, but the seeds seem to be best removed unless final preparation is strained through cheesecloth or very fine sieve, though many recipes do not do this. Removing seeds can be a daunting task if your fruits are very ripe. A good way to avoid this hardship is to partially dry fruits for a few days or so and then remove seeds when flesh is firmer.

Tea made with fresh or dried rose hips is one of the most common ways to enjoy this fruit but there are many interesting traditional preparations. Try making a simple rose hip syrup (one more recipe here) for mixed drinks, or as a vitamin C elixir. In Sweden rose hip soup with sour cream or yogurt is a mainstay. You can even buy rose hip soup dry mixes there. Two different recipes for soup are here and here. Combine apples and rosehips for jam, jelly, or fruit leather. Dry sweet large pieces and use as a snack or raisin substitute. I am thinking about making rose hip syrup with honey, dried rose petals to increase the floral notes, and a touch of ginger. I will also dry a bunch to add to my cold weather tea mix with nettles, mint, and elderberries.

Mushroom Recipe Plea Answered

2009-10-20T21:44:00.000-07:00

I sent a call out for mushrooms recipes about a month ago. I wanted to hear what was going on in your kitchens, the ways you eat and create.
I had many nice responses but the Lobster Mushroom Bisque really stood out. Lobster mushrooms do have a shellfish aroma and nutty taste that reminiscent of shrimp shells, so it makes perfect sense to make a bisque out of them. I cooked it up a few days ago and ate it with a cheesy grilled fig and proscuitto sandwich, a perfect quick dinner.

creamy orange lobsterness

Naomi Bishop, The GastroGnome, sent in the recipe-

"This is unbelievably tasty...and uses one large lobster mushroom to make a soup that feeds at least 4 people. Simply make a roux using about half a cup of flour, about 6 tablespoons of butter (I didn't measure, so this is my best guess!) You can keep it light, just make sure the flour is all well coated, then add about 2 cups homemade stock (I used turkey, since I'm still working through last thanksgivings bounty) and bring to a boil. Add the mushroom, all cut up, then let it boil for about ten minutes, blend it (I used an immersion blender, so it all stayed in the pot, didn't have to transfer. After blending, I added a small handful of fresh thyme, salt and pepper to taste and a splash of sherry vinegar to lighten it up. This is still a thick and hearty soup, and makes an amazing meal. Sometimes I sautee chanterelles with rosemary and sprinkle on top."

This recipe stood out for its simplicity verses its sophistication. Basically I mean this recipe is fast and easy, but fancy enough for a dinner party, if needed. Her recipe was technically loose so I took it upon myself to measure and play with the ingredients, and come up with a ratio for all of you cooks that like to follow recipes to the T. The only big change I made was to add onion and milk to the liquid ingredients to give it a bit of creaminess.
Thank you Naomi, for your contribution!!

Lobster Mushroom Bisque, Nettletown version

An immersion blender is a must for making this a fast project. I was thinking a nice variation would be a touch of saffron, fennel seeds, celery and lemon to play with the "seafood" theme, instead of the thyme and sherry vinegar. If you try it let me know. I reserved a little bit of diced lobster mushrooms to garnish my soup, though sauteed chanterelles, like Naomi suggests, would be great too.

1 pound lobster mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
6 Tbsp butter
1/2 sweet onion, diced, about 1 cup
4 cups mild stock- like veggie or poultry
6 Tbsp flour
2 cups whole milk
2 tsp thyme, chopped
1 tsp sherry vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
black pepper or cayenne to taste

Dice a large handful of lobster mushrooms for soup garnish. Over medium high heat heat in a large straight-sided pan, saute diced mushrooms in a 1/2 Tbsp butter until tender and lightly browned. Add a splash of sherry vinegar and a sprinkle of thyme leaves, remove from pan and set aside. Place pan back on heat and saute onion and the remaining lobster mushrooms in 1 1/2 Tbsp butter for about 5-8 minutes, until vegetables begin to sweat. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile in a large pot make the roux - heat 4 Tbsp butter over medium heat and stir in flour until incorporated, cook for a few minutes. Slowly add milk in batches, whisking constantly until smooth. Add warmed stock and mushrooms and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes until soup thickens and flavors combine. Add thyme, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper or cayenne and blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning and serve garnished with sauteed mushrooms.

More inspirations-
Many others sent in recipes (alot of soup!, its that time of year I guess) that all sounded great too, so here are links to a few more bloggers mushroom inspirations-
From the Desk(top)Russell H. Everett - The Sexiest Soup Ever with chicken-of-woods
From Phoo-d - Mushroom "Cappuccino" with Truffle Foam
Cook Local - Wild Mushroom and Fig Risotto

Cider Press at the Corson Building

2009-10-17T19:41:00.000-07:00

This is a bit of a late notice but I just made arrangements with The Corson Building to provide recipe calendars for purchase at the Cider Pressing tomorrow. $5 dollars of the calendar proceeds will go to Teen Feed, an organization that provides hot meals to homeless youth.
The Corson is a fabulous place to go for special events, they are always festive and the garden is a great place just to hang out no matter what else is going on. I urge you to check this one out - Press your own cider, eat some delicious food, and get a t-shirt and recipe book! More info on their website journal. Some of these beautiful posters will also be available for purchase.

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 10/16

2009-10-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

The height of the mushroom season is winding down. The harvest for the weekend is not as plentiful as last. Come early this weekend to get what you want!

We will have at the markets this weekend

Porcini
Chanterelles

probably available only at University District Market
Matsutake
Lobsters

Events, Happenings, Dinners

2009-10-09T21:06:00.000-07:00

I am tromping through the (greater) Seattle landscape with wild food calendars in tow, reaching my arms far and wide to spread the good recipe word. I am having a number of calendar happenings in the next few weeks, come one and all to hear the wild food word.

Food- Ins

Cooking Demo at the Puget Sound Mycological Society's Annual Fall Mushroom Show.
I will be demoing this Saturday from noon to 2 pm on Saturday. I will be making the Kashmiri Morel Curry Recipe with dried morels from June in the 2010 calendar, and other mushroom goodies using fresh chanterelles and matsutake.
The exhibit features a fabulous display of hundreds! of mushrooms set up in a natural habitat (think overblown high school science fair). There is also an mushroom art contest gallery, talk by Langdon Cook of Fat of the Land, Mushroom experts to ID your forest finds, mushroom books, t-shirts, etc for sale, and a cooking demo kitchen open the whole time.

Admission- $7 general, $5 students and seniors, 12 years and younger free.
Saturday October 17th - 12noon to 7pm
Sunday October 18th - 10am to 5pm
The Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH), University of Washington
3501 NE 41 Street (Mary Gates Drive)
Seattle, WA 98195

The Corson Building Wild Foods Calendar Dinner - November 16th
Chef Matt Dillon and I will be putting together a four to five course dinner featuring a couple dishes from the calendar and focusing the whole of the menu on seasonal wild mushrooms and other wild foods.

There will be two seatings - 5:30 and 8 pm. Reservation only.
Cost $60 and includes one copy of The Illustrated Wild Foods Recipe Calendar. Additional copies will be available for the special price of $10.
Make reservations here or call 206-762-3330.

Local Roots Farm Dinner-
All summer Farmers Jason and Siri have been hosting visitors to their farm in Carnation for tours and enjoying a meal featuring the farm's awesome produce cooked by local chefs. The date is not set yet but I will be doing multi-course dinner featuring wild dishes from the calendar and other foods from the farm. Like the Corson dinner it will include a copy of the recipe calendar.
In the summer the dinners are set outside in the middle of the fields, in the fall we head inside to the greenhouse to keep warm and dry. I did a dinner last week that was Asian- themed. A fun challenge to use as much seasonal and local foods for the dinner as possible.

The date will probably be either the Friday 30th of October or Monday the 2nd of November.
Donation- $90 and includes wine and a calendar.
Send Jason an email if you are interested or would like to be on the mailing list - jasonsalvo@earthlink.net.the rustic local roots farm setting

Pan-Roasted Porcini with Bay Leaves

2009-10-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

use chopsticks to gently turn mushrooms

This recipe is inspired by Jonathan Julia, many of you may know from the University District Market booth. Jonathon had chef-ed at many great local restaurants, including Lark and the Herbfarm, before Jeremy snagged him to work with us at Foraged and Found. Don't forget to use him as a great resource for recipe ideas. He says this is his favorite way to eat porcini, and he prefers eating the stems to the caps. Browning king boletes brings out their nutty rich flavor and delicious creamy texture too.

Small Porcini ( King Boletes) - stems only or whole
Butter
1 or 2 Bay leaves per mushroom, preferably fresh
Salt and Pepper

Cut mushrooms into thick wedges. Heat a healthy amount of butter with bay leaves over medium high heat in a saute pan that will fit mushrooms in a single layer. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Turn down heat slightly and cook mushrooms turning often until lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Do not over brown or bitter flavors will develop. Serve.

i accidentally had video mode on but I went with it, and it turned out nicely so here it is

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 10/9

2009-10-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

And featuring ........ Foraged and Found!!

A few local restaurants are taking full advantage of the height of the fall mushroom season-

The Herbfarm is doing their annual Mycologist's Dream Menu from October 16th through 24th.

Art of the Table in Wallingford will be featuring fungi at their Weekend Supper Club - Magical Mushroom Madness October 15th through 17th

Pagliacci's Pizza is doing a Foraged and Found Chanterelle Mushroom and Proscuitto Pizza for a month or so. Available at all locations!

Please support our friends!!

At the market this weekend -

Matsutake
King Boletes (Porcini)
Gold Chanterelles
Lobsters

We have plenty of mushrooms to last through the day at all the markets. Prices are probably the lowest of the season, it will only go up from here.

I will be at the University District Market in the Chef in Residence booth answering all the mushroom cooking questions you can drum up - from 10 am to noon on Saturday.

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 10/2

2009-10-02T21:43:00.001-07:00

Matsutakes are in!!!

These fine treasures of the fall forest have begun to sprout. Matsutakes, meaning pine mushroom in Japanese, are highly sought after by culinary crusaders. We are lucky to have them growing in abundance in the Northwest, so abundant that much of the annual harvest is actually sent to Japan to feed the foodie frenzy. That is one reason the price stays so high close to home. Another is they are very hard to find hiding in mosses and duff, and often grow on the steepest of hillsides. Why are they so special? Matsutake have a distinct aroma unlike any other mushroom- sweet, cinnamon-y, warm. The traditional matsutake dishes of Japan highlight the preciousness of this mushroom. A frugal but glorious dish is a simple broth with thinly sliced matsutake brought to the table covered and unveiled to reveal the matsutake's lovely hypnotic aroma. Another is matsutake slices quickly grilled over an open flame served simply with lemon or a light soy dipping sauce. Or matsutake gohan - steamed short grain rice with matsutake and light seasonings.

This Weekend at the Farmer's Market

Matsutake
Chanterelles
Porcini- possibly only available at U District Market
Lobsters- also possibly only at U District
Huckleberries

Queen Anne and Thursday Bellevue Markets are closed for the season.
We will continue to be at University District, Ballard, and West Seattle Market through the Fall.

Call Out For Recipes!!!!

2009-09-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

working on a recipe for fresh corn tamales with mushrooms

Dear Nettletown Readers -

I would love to hear from your kitchens and homes with a recipe for your favorite wild mushroom dish. It is always nice to see other peoples approaches to food and flavors. If I choose to publish it on this blog I will gift you a pound of chanterelles or a 2010 calendar, your choice, and ship them if need be. Send it over to honeyfromaweed@gmail.com by October 10th and let me know where you live. Can't wait to see 'em!!

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 9/25

2009-09-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

We have entered the prime time for chanterelles - abundant but still dry with the price low and affordable. The mushroom booth is filled with other interesting edibles like white chanterelles and the occasional chicken-of-the-woods. The air is cooler, winter squash and cauliflower are showing up in farmer's stalls and it seems the switch has flipped towards craving the fall mushroom harvest. Market customers are filling their bags high for fall feasts and for gifts to friends and family.

This week at the market -

Gold Chanterelles
Lobsters
King Boletes
Huckleberries
Watercress

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 8/18

2009-09-18T02:00:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year when we start a mix and match program at the markets- gold and white chanterelles, and lobsters are all the same price. If we have other mushrooms like hedgehogs or boletes they may be added into the mix too. It gives you a good reason to try all varieties and you can throw them all in the same bag.

We will have this weekend at the markets -
Porcini - small amounts so come early
Gold Chanterelles
White Chanterelles
Lobsters
Huckleberries

This years berries are huge, juicy, and sweet!

picture perfect

Lobster Mushrooms Two Ways

2009-09-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

Lobster mushrooms are the story of a special bond. A relationship between two fungi joined together, growing with cells intertwined. Edible, but not choice, Russala and Lactarious species are parasitized by Hypomyces lactifluorum and transformed into a delicious beautiful mushroom.

Lobster mushrooms are characterized by their bright orange-red skin, flower-like shapes and firm nutty flesh. The skin really is as bright as a cooked lobster and the scent is even reminiscent of shellfish's nutty rich seaward aroma. Lobsters are a versatile mushroom lending well to simple sauteing or roasting and its firm flesh also holds up well in longer cooking preparations like braising.

Lobster mushrooms often grow pushing up through the first layer of needles and decaying leaves, embedding their tops with dirt and debris. The best way to clean is to rinse in water and use a pairing knife to scrape away any dirt set in the cap. The flesh is dense and firm and barely soaks up any extra moisture from washing.

Both of these recipes are super quick and easy and can be served warm, room temp, or cold. They are also nice to make in bulk for a few days of ready-to-go, prepared dishes to eat with rice or noodles.

Lobster mushrooms roasted with zucchini, cherry tomatoes and cumin seeds

1 medium lobster mushroom, about 1/3 pound, cleaned and cut in 1/2 inch dice
1 medium zucchini, about 1/3 pound, cut in ½ inch dice
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
large pinch curry powder
2 dashes soy sauce
½ pt cherry tomatoes

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a small baking pan (9” by 9”) toss all ingredients together except cherry tomatoes. Bake for about 25 minutes, until vegetables begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Depending on the moisture content of the vegetables this could take a bit longer. Add cherry tomatoes and bake for 5 more minutes.

Japanese-style simmered lobster mushrooms

This recipe would work well with almost any mushroom.

½ pound lobster mushrooms, cleaned and sliced into ¼ inch thick pieces
2-3 shallots or a small onion, sliced thick
2 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp sake
2 tbsp mirin
2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Heat sesame oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add shallots or onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add lobsters and saute for one more. Stir in sake, mirin, and soy. Turn up heat a bit and bring to a simmer. Turn down and simmer for about 8 minutes until mushrooms are tender and liquid has reduced a bit. Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds.

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 9/11/09

2009-09-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

The abundance of Autumn foraging is here. I know it isn't quite fall yet but the slight chill in the air, the cooler nights, and a scattering (or a downpour) of rain has brought the mushrooms out.
So far it is a steady year for chanterelles and lobsters. Good quantities, great quality. White chanterelles are fruiting in large amounts right now. Some years their aren't too many of these white beauties but this year its definitely a flush. On the other hand, porcini that usually grow high elevation in the mountains are not fruiting much right now, unfortunately. Hopefully we will see a good coastal crop next month.

This weekend at the markets -

Gold Chanterelles
White Chanterelles
Lobster mushrooms
Huckleberries - Probably here for the last week

Come early to the markets and we may have small amounts of mushrooms like chicken of the woods, porcini, and hedgehogs.
PSMS Wild Mushroom Show is October 17th and 18th

Pickled Huckleberries

2009-09-06T03:30:00.001-07:00

It is near the end of huckleberry season and it is time to add something else to your huckleberry preservation repertoire other than jams and bulk freezing. Pickled huckleberries are sweet, tangy, richly flavored and a versatile condiment. Not only are these utterly delicious, it is very easy and fast to make. Some of the many possible uses -Toss berries in salads, purree berries and brine with olive oil for a viniagrette, add to a pan sauce with game meats, serve along side duck liver pate, or to top a smoked salmon and goat cheese crostini. Use the pickling brine like a flavored vinegar or add along with the berries to the dish.

In either of these recipes add to, or substitute part of, the huckleberries with sliced shallots for extra flavor and crunch. One pound huckleberries will fit in four 8-ounce jars or two pint jars.

Pickled huckleberries with star anise, coriander seeds and chilies

1 pound huckleberries (about 3 cups), washed
1 cup sugar
2/3 cups red wine vinegar
2/3 cups water
2 tsp whole coriander seeds
4 small star anise
2-4 spicy chilies, dried or fresh (use thin fleshed chilies such as fresh cayenne or smoky chilies such as guajillo)
1/2 tsp salt
sliced shallot, optional

prepared canning jars

Divide huckleberries between jars with shallots if desired. Cut a small slit in small chilies to aid in flavoring the brine or tear large chilies into pieces. Place vinegar, sugar, water, spices, chilies, and salt in a small pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 7 -10 minutes and pour over huckleberries, dividing brine and spices evenly between jars. Cover and let sit for at least one day before using. Refrigerate up to 2 months. For longer preservation cool brine before adding to berries and process jars in a hot water bath for ten minutes.

Pickled huckleberries with apple cider vinegar, juniper, and fennel

1 pound huckleberries, washed
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup water
2 tsp juniper berries, lightly crushed
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns, lightly crushed
1/2 tsp salt
sliced shallots, optional

prepared canning jars
2-4 bay leaves
2-4 small umbels wild fennel flowers or seeds (or 1 tsp fennel seeds added to brine while heating)

Divide fennel umbels and bay leaves between jars.
Follow the directions for preparing pickled huckleberries from previous recipe but strain out spices from hot pickling brine before adding to huckleberries.

Fat of the Land At PSMS

2009-09-05T11:08:00.000-07:00

Langdon Cook of the local blog Fat of The Land will be presenting his new book , Fat of the Land: Adventures of a 21st Century Forager, at Puget Sound Mycological Society (PSMS) this Tuesday the 8th of September. Langdon's talk will surely be fun and informative and this is also a great reason to check out the local mushroom club.

PSMS is a rich community of mushroom enthusiasts from weekend foragers to acclaimed mycologists. They have monthly meetings with interesting and varied presenters, a great snail-mail newsletter, workshops, and organized mushroom hunting forays. Their Annual Mushroom Show in mid-October is a legendary event celebrating everything fungi - cooking demos, mushroom specimen exhibits, and expert identifiers to name a few things. Actually at every meeting there are mushroom identifiers, so bring your backyard fungi and find out what it actually is.

It is free to check out a meeting, and membership is only $25 for a one person or a family. Starting this Tuesday they will be selling my calendar as a fundraiser for only $12 ($1 off the sugg. retail price) along side their choice selection of nature and guide books for sale.

Puget Sound Mycological Society September Meeting
Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 7:30pm
Center for Urban Horticulture
3501 NE 41st St
Seattle, WA 98105

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 8/4

2009-09-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

Chanterelles are in fulll swing. Lobster mushrooms are steady too. Huckleberries are in there last weeks so enjoy them while they are here.

We will also have white chanterelles. White chanterelles are meatier and firmer than their golden cousins. White chanterelles grow under the top layer duff, poking their heads up just enough to be able to find them hiding under the needles and rich humus.

There is a small possibility we will have King Boletes at the markets on Sunday. If not we will have them next week hopefully.

Have a great holiday weekend!

We will be at the Queen Anne Farmer's Market until the end of the month.

Wild Fennel

2009-08-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

fennel blossoms, sometimes called pollen

Wild fennel plants grow abundantly as invasive weeds through out the city and country side in many parts of the world. Fennel is a tall growing perennial, with thick stalks, feathery leaves, and yellow flowers that grow in clusters called umbels. It looks very similar to dill and is in the same plant family. It's a good bet that there is a towering bush within a couple blocks of your home. Some people plant this as an herb or ornamental plant but for the most part it is considered a noxious weed. You might understand this if you have seen it taking over in California - in many areas fennel grows thick on roadsides and is littered across the golden hills. A friend of mine who lives in Olympia received a notice from the city demanding her to eradicate fennel from her yard or be fined. Of course I have been a weed advocate by planting this in my own garden to use as a herb, though have regulated it to one corner so I can keep a eye on it.

Invasive relentless weed to some; prized aromatic herb to others. Fennel pollen is sold dried for as much as $22 a ounce! Go pick yourself a paper bag full for a year's supply of these tiny golden flowers. The window to pick fennel blossoms is closing. Luckily those blossoms are turning into another fine product - fennel seeds. Most local plants have a mix of flowers and emerging seeds growing on them right now. Both can be used fresh or dried to add a subtle pleasing licorice flavor to foods. Tender fennel fronds are also another part of this plant that can be savored. Harvest the softest youngest leaves for the finest texture and flavor. The best time for the feathery fronds is in the spring when the plant emerges from its winter nap. Also stalks and fronds can be used for scenting foods or providing a cooking bed for meats or fish. Florence fennel differs from wild fennel because it is cultivated for the thick bulb vegetable that forms at the base of the plant. Except when very young wild fennel has tough stalks. Bronze fennel is another variety grown for its brown foliage.

To dry fennel pollen and seeds cut umbels from a plant and lay out to dry on a tray or in a basket for a few days to a week. When dry rub flowers or seeds off of stems. Store in an airtight container. When using fennel pollen crumble between fingers to release the scent.

Fennel is one of my favorite seasonings I find myself using again and again. It adds a depth of flavor to food that brings it to another level of deliciousness. The pleasing licorice flavor of wild fennel doesn't overpower, it layers on with other flavors to give richness and body to its subjects.

Use pollen or ground seeds as a rub for fish or meats. Try chicken stew with fennel, coriander seeds, and figs. Make fennel oil with the seeds. Sprinkle pollen on fresh mozzarella or ricotta with olive oil, and lemon zest. Add fronds to green salad or tuna salad. Stew lentils with tomatoes, chilies, and fennel seeds. Toast almonds with fennel seeds and pimenton.

the umbels between blossoms and seeds

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 8/27

2009-08-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

An update from Jeremy two weeks in a row!-

"A few cold nights and alas some fall mushrooms have started. My favorite, the white chanterelle, seems to thrive in dry years and they are coming up in full force now. Lobsters are coming up under the duff in the devils club and vine maple. And even a few matsutake, enough to eat at home at least. Overall though it still too dry for a large flush of yellow chanterelles or kings. This week the huckleberries are at their best, so get enough to freeze for the winter. Hope for some moisture followed by even cooler nights and more mushrooms will come."

It is the best week to get stock up on huckleberries- ripe and sweet but still firm. As the season comes too an end in the next few weeks the berries get riper and therefore a little juicy.
We will be having a special on five pound baskets of huckleberries if you want to freeze or make jam.

At the market this weekend -

White Chanterelles
Golden Chanterelles
Lobsters
Chicken of the Woods
Huckleberries

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 6/21

2009-08-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

An update from Jeremy Faber, head forager and proprietor of Foraged and Found -

"it is august of course. up and down weather is what to expect this time of year. after a little spat of rain the little golden creatures of the underworld finally were coming up. well, at least in the wettest of places (in the mosses and salal), but alas here comes two of the hottest and windiest days of the year for the coast. heat is one thing, but wind is the real mushrooms killer. so what was coming up either got picked or dried out a bit in the weather. any way should see some cooler temps which will help, but without another significant rain it will delay any sizable crop once again. huckleberries are liking the weather though, in quantities and flavor. certainly an above average year for them. as for any other favorite fall mushrooms they are still sleeping, waiting for some cooler nights to come."

We will have at the farmer's markets this weekend -

limited quantities so come early!

Chanterelles
Blue Mountain Huckleberries
Lobster Mushrooms

It was all about Succotash

2009-08-18T21:57:00.000-07:00

freefoto.com

"It was all about succotash. He said that succotash was made with lima beans and she said that succotash was made with string beans, and there you are."
-origin unknown

The definition and understanding of succotash depends on from where and when you are. The word succotash is derived from the Narragansett Indian word msakwitash meaning fragments or boiled corn. From this dish of Native American origin, succotash was born into, and survived centuries of interpretation and localization.

The poor man's staple of corn and beans that was popular during the Great Depression, had its roots in colonial adaptation, which had its roots in first peoples' wild food sources.
In every step people utilized what they had and made of it what they knew, depending on the times. The Holly Grove Farm puts it well - "each version of succotash may tell a story......What ever the case may be, it is a plate of cultural anthropology, a taste of history." They go on to give a recipe for Creole succotash with okra.

The only essential ingredient of succotash is fresh corn cut off the cob, and beans (green, dried shell, lima) cooked along with other "fragments" - old recipes usually included onions, salt pork or bear fat, and possibly squash or other meat. In The Story of Corn by Betty Harper Fussel, Zuni succotash is described thickened with ground sunflower seeds or pinon nuts, and in Native Harvests by Barrie Kavasch succotash is simmered with nut butter. During the Great Depression succotash was commonly topped with pastry and baked into a pie. We even have an insipid version found in every American grocery store freezer. Other evolutions- dried corn, sweet or hot peppers, cream, maple syrup, fresh peas, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, summer squash, leeks, fresh herbs, even curry and coconut, and of course, mushrooms.

My personal story of succotash involves wild mushrooms. I find myself coming back again and again to this basic formula - corn, sweet onions, mushrooms. The standard bean component has been replaced or augmented with mushrooms. In some ways wild mushrooms are woven into the story of my whole life and with the question - Why wild mushroom succotash? - you would get an answer years long.

Whether okra or lima beans or green beans or mushrooms, "there you are" sustaining yourself with what is fresh, locally available, and preferred by your taste buds or cultural conventions, eating a dish that connects you to our collective evolving history.

Use the recipe below as a guideline to make your own variations of, or rather evolutions on, the succotash theme. Meaty lobster mushrooms are great substitutes for chanterelles. Yesterday I made a version with lobsters, cippollinis, corn and purlsane tossed in at the end (no beans). Thick purslane leaves hold up nicely in warm dishes.

This recipe is from The Illustrated Wild Foods Recipe Calendar 2009.

Summer Chanterelle Succotash

The chanterelles of late summer are smaller, firmer and drier than the fall harvest, and this recipe takes advantage of those qualities, along with other delicious bounty found in the farmers market during August. Serve this atop grilled salmon or a juicy pork chop. Or with fresh cooked shell beans, such as cranberry, tossed in the mix.

1 pound fresh cippollini or Walla Walla or other sweet onion
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
3 ears sweet corn
4 tbsp unsalted butter
¾ lb small chanterelles, cleaned, and halved if big
½ lb romano green beans, cut on diagonal in thirds, and blanched in salted water
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lemon, zest and juice
½ cup basil, slivered

Heat oven to 325˚F. Cut onions into medium wedges and place in baking dish. Toss wedges with 1 tsp salt, a few grindings of pepper and olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. Meanwhile, cut corn off cob and scrape the cob with a knife or spoon to get the all the corn milk left behind. In a large skillet heat 2 T butter over medium high heat. Add chanterelles, 1 tsp salt, and a few grindings of pepper. Sauté until tender and liquid has evaporated. Turn heat down to medium and add corn, continue cooking until heated through. Add romano beans, baked onions with all their juices, the lemon zest, half the lemon juice and the remaining butter. Heat through for a few minutes. Turn off heat and add tomatoes and basil. Taste and adjust seasonings and lemon juice.

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 6/14

2009-08-14T18:25:00.000-07:00

Chanterelles have returned. Lobsters mushrooms are on too. Ahh, it is so nice to have shrooms again. I encourage you to enjoy the summer peak mushroom crop while it lasts; the summer shrooms are firmer, smaller and brighter before the autumn rains. Late summer lobster and chanterelle mushrooms are great combined with, another late summer favorite, fresh corn. Corn chowder with chanterelles is a richer version of the classic soup, or try a warm salad of lobster mushrooms and purslane with corn viniagrette.

Blue mountain huckleberries are also at their peak and here for the second week. Out of hand, on your granola, or baked in a dessert, these are undeniably the king of huckleberries. Speaking of hands my favorite way to really savor the essence that is huckleberry is to eat a whole juicy handful at a time - a purple burst of deep tangy sweetness.

Also we will begin selling the 2010 Illustrated Wild Foods Recipe Calendar tomorrow!

See you this weekend!

Eek! The Zucchini Are Coming!!

2009-08-13T01:24:00.000-07:00

Great, grand, abundant, ample, enormous- all words that can be used to describe the vegetable with humongous possibility many gardeners are graced/laden with this time of year. A few days ago (August 8th) was National Zucchini Day, formally known as Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day. I love this idea - after the sun goes down the zucchini people come out, creeping around the neighborhood with their hefty organic baggage, who are either exacerbated at what more to do with their bounty or just excited to play Secret Summer Squash Santa.

I remember a fellow cook telling me he didn't like summer squash (" boring, plebeian, nothing special"). I was shocked and felt pains for all the zucchini he may have neglected in his life. I quickly expressed my love for this most versatile vegetable and explained my favorite ways to enjoy summer squash.
Grilled, fried, fritters, pickled, raw.... And there is so much variety possible under the summer squash leaf umbrella - in addition to the common green zucchini and yellow crooknecks, there are multiple colors in all shapes and sizes -bright yellow, creamy yellow, dark green, speckled green, minty green, patty pans, ridged, bumped, round, crooked. I don't recommend growing this many types or you will be forced to play Squash Santa, but you can always find a large variety at the farmer's market. My personal favorite varieties are the flavorful costata romanesca, a green-speckled striped ridged Italian heirloom variety, and the little fine-textured pale green tromboncino pictured below. I tried to grow the costata romanesca zuke this year but I think my baby was switched at the nursery- I got a green eight ball variety instead.
Ideas for the Summer Squash Glut

These have been my standbys year after year....

Grilled- See my recipe from a couple weeks ago for Grilled Zucchini with Red Huckleberries and Feta

Fried- Try zucchini fries- battered or dry, oven-baked or fried.

Fritters- Turkish zucchini cakes with dill and served with yogurt sauce. Check out this recipe for Kabak Mucveri. This is a good way to use the bigger squashes.

Pickled- Every where you look on the interweb for zuke pickle recipes you run into Judy Rogers' awesome version for Zuni Cafe Zucchini Pickles. Check it out here. Another fun spicy version is here.

Raw- Use a mix of small to medium multi-colored summer squashes. This is a beautiful display of summer squash's pleasing colors and silhouettes. Shave squash thin on a mandoline and toss with lemon, olive oil, salt, and a fresh herb. Good herb pairings - basil, mint, tarragon, chives, fennel pollen. Try on top of grilled bread with fresh mozzarella.

Soup- Chilled green zucchini soup thickened with potato and topped with yogurt. See recipe below.

Eggy- Like my grandma used to make - a little sliced onion with zucchini cooked soft and soupy and eggs stirred in at the end. Recipe below.

Spread- An easy Tunisian dish-boil whole zucchini til soft, mash, drain excess liquid, and mix with harissa, garlic, lemon, caraway, coriander and olive oil. Yum. Yum yum on fresh pita with feta cheese.

Curry- Made this for the first time the other day- I think it will be a new standby- coconut turmeric lemongrass curry with summer squash and cherry tomatoes. Just make a favorite curry sauce, drop in squash and cook til tender. Remove from heat and stir in cherry tomatoes. I served mine with quinoa and a plethora of aromatic herbs and lettuce on the side.

Soft Zucchini and Eggs

This sounds simple, and it is easy to make, but for just a few ingredients it is so tasty and satisfying. I like this as a quick lunch. My grandma would make this as a side dish with dinner. My partner says this is his favorite breakfast.
I have never measured anything out when i make this- the technique is the most important part. The soft wet texture of the dish is best with "zucchini style" summer squash- the green or yellow straight tube varieties.

butter, a couple pats
onion, about a half, sliced thin
2-3 medium zucchini, sliced thick(1/3 -1/2 inch)
2-4 eggs, beaten
S+P
basil, optional

Heat frying pan (nonstick is nice because of the eggs but not necessary) over medium high heat. Add butter, onions and zucchini. Stir about and season with salt and pepper. Turn down heat to medium to keep vegetables from browning. Cook until zukes are tender, soft and vegetables release liquid. If not that much liquid comes out add a water to cover bottom of pan by about a half inch. I aim for a mix of textures- some of the zuke pieces to be just turning soft and some to be on the mushy side.
Add eggs and stir until they begin to set. Pull off heat and continue stirring until eggs turn to soft curds. Stir in optional basil and enjoy.

Chilled Humongous Zucchini and Potato Soup With Yogurt

This is great dish to rid yourself of huge zucchini. Honestly, it might taste a nip better with the younger sweeter sizes but it is still delicious with the big ones and a nice alternative to the ubiquitous zucchini bread. This makes a lot- share or freeze for later use.
During 'Heat Wave 2009' a couple weeks ago I made this in the morning coolness and brought the vat to an after-the-hot-hot-sun-goes-down-late-night-BBQ. All I wanted to eat that week was chilled soup. There is only a little bit of potato in here to give it that pleasing thick grainy texture. The cucumber is optional but helps lighten the soup, and very convenient if you have excess of those too. And this is actually really good hot or cold.

Olive oil
1 large or two medium onions, sliced
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
2 humongous zucchini, halve and remove any big hard seeds, sliced thin
1-2 cucumbers, peeled(unless soft skin variety), large seeds removed, and sliced thin, optional
5 -6 scallions, green and white part separated and chopped
a few handfuls of herbs- parsley, dill, and mint, chopped
S+P
plain yogurt- flavor with herbs if desired

In a large pot saute onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Add potatoes and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender. Add zucchini, optional cucumber, and white part of scallions. Stir and push down into liquid. Just cover by 1 inch with water and bring to a boil for a couple minutes. Remove from heat. Residual heat will continue to cook vegetables. Stir in half of the chopped herbs. Let cool to room temperature. If desired place in a ice water bath to speed up this process.
Once cool, puree soup with green scallion tops, remaining herbs, and a glug of olive oil. Adjust the seasoning with salt and herbs and consistency with water if needed. Chill until cold.
Serve with a swirl of yogurt and lemon wedges.

Calendar hot off the press!

2009-08-07T12:23:00.000-07:00

Here a few pictures of the press check for the calendar. I went to look at the first run off the press to make sure the color match and color intensity are what we are looking for. The bright green needed a little more saturation to make it pop off the page. In the end Emily's artwork looked vibrant and still held all the nuances in her watercolor and line work.

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 6/8

2009-08-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

We are back! We will be at all our regular markets this weekend- University District, Ballard and West Seattle.

Lobster mushrooms are here! These rich and meaty mushrooms are one of my overall favorites. Lobster mushrooms are an interesting phenomenon. One mushroom colonizes another turning into a delicious bright orange red edible. Get to the market early for these beauties.

Also sea beans are still available but it is their last week at the markets.

The hot sun has been quickly ripening the huckleberries and we may have blue mountain huckleberries this weekend. If not this weekend, next for sure. These big juicy hucks rival blueberries with a deep and tangy flavor that is delectable in any berry dessert.

2010 Wild Foods Recipe Calendar on it's way!

2009-08-05T12:58:00.001-07:00

Calendar this, calendar that.....My friends and family are pretty tired of me talking about the calendar. Maybe now that it is almost here I can zip up about it for a few. First though, I need to share with all of you that it is printing this week! Emily Counts and I have been diligently working to polish the writing and artwork till it is shiny and perfect before it goes on the presses. We are proud of and pleased with the final work. Thanks so much to Phyllis Counts(Em's mom) for all her precision graphic work and Lisa Gordanier for her editing prowess.

The 2010 The Wild Foods Recipe Calendar will be available August 15 at the Foraged and Found Booth at Seattle Farmers Markets. Soon after it will be also available at many local grocery stores and boutiques. In Seattle Whole Foods and PCC markets will be carrying it. You will also be able to find it at Eat Local on Queen Anne, Kobo at Higo and Kobo Capitol Hill. In Portland look for it at Pasta Works, Food Front, New Seasons, and Whole Foods. Also Pharmaca stores nationwide. You can directly purchase it online at our Etsy store. The retail price is only $13 this year- thanks for all the support last year that makes this possible.

My friend Matty Harper from Dreamlets is working on our website for the calendar that should prove to be style-y and cool. This will have a updated list of stores it is available at. Also some launch parties and calendar dinners are in the works too so keep posted.

And to kick us off to a good start, earlier this week I also got a nice write up by Angela Garbes on the Seattle Weekly food blog Voracious with a sea bean recipe and sneak peak of a page from the new calendar.

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 7/31

2009-07-29T16:52:00.000-07:00

wild fennel flowers

Foraged and Found will not be at the markets this weekend due to heat and lack of enough goods to spread the love around. Will be back soon. Enjoy the sun!

Wild Weedy Purslane

2009-07-28T23:47:00.000-07:00

Purslane is a edible weed found all over the world. It was known and used in ancient times in the Mediterranean and Middle east, though facts of its origins are still iffy- I have seen sources state origins as varied as western Asia, North Africa and even the Americas. I myself have seen this hearty green growing in Italy and Vietnam. Purslane is a classic ingredient in the Lebanese pita bread salad fattoush. In Mexico it is popular and known as verdolaga, where it is usually cooked instead of eaten raw.

I introduced purslane to my yard many years ago. Many people would question this as bad judgment. Though considered a prized cultivated green by some, it is a despised relentless weed to many others. It has taken a few years to establish itself in the weed community in my garden but this year it has definitely seeded its way to the top. One plant can produce hundreds of thousands of tiny black seeds!

I have always enjoyed purslane for its uniqueness among other everyday greens. Its beautiful succulent leaves are reminiscent of jade bushes and their slightly sour taste is a pleasant surprise. Its thick leaves stand up in vegetable salads with out wilting-- perfect when going to summer potlucks. I recently made this super simple salad for a BBQ with purlsane-- four different types of cucumbers(they grow intertwined with purslane in my garden), raw sea beans, scallions, dill, a tin of sardines and just a simple dressing of rice vinegar, lemon and olive oil.

A search on the web finds many cooks and health foodies praising this little known weed. The number one reason purslane stands out from the other greens in your fridge is its high content of omega 3 fatty acids, more than any other green vegetable. Some experts recommend eating this superfood instead of taking omega 3 supplements. Also can be used as a healing herb for such things as healing wounds and chronic cough.

If you haven't been introduced to purslane by your garden's weed community it can often be found at farmer's markets or Asian and Latino grocery stores. In Seattle, Local Roots and Alm Hill sell it at the farmer's markets this time of year. There are many varieties of purslane-- wild types are usually small leafed, cultivated have big leaves and longer stems. It is best to harvest before flowering and stems toughen.

with the soft bun, omega 3's, and mayonnaise
this sandwich is like a veggie version of a lobster roll

Heirloom Tomato, Mayo and Purslane Sandwich

Put this all together and enjoy a purely summer treat:

Bread of choice, toasted-
best on sliced sandwich style bread, though good on both wonder type bread and seedy hippy bread (or even a hamburger bun as I used in the picture)
Thick sliced heirloom tomato-
it's the beginning of tomato season around here but Billy's at the West Seattle and University markets has luscious heirlooms already
A thick slathering of mayonnaise
Sprigs of purslane
Salt and pepper
Optional- Few leaves basil or mint, pickled or raw sweet onions, or cucumber slices

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 6/24

2009-07-24T14:23:00.000-07:00

I received a lovely email from a reader yesterday about finding wild trailing blackberries. Thought more people might be interested in her request....

Hello Christina,
I hope I'm not asking you to give away a trade secret but here goes. My husband and I are in our 60/70's, are natives of the PNW and have been spoiled to always have access to the wonderful trailing blackberries on property owned by the family. Every year it has been a ritual to go pick and freeze for my husbands favorite winter treat...blackberry pie. And I always make him a pie for his birthday in May. And no, using the big seed ridden things is not an option.

Last summer we were forced to sell the property and hence lost our happy berry hunting grounds. We live in South King County and just don't know where we might find a good patch. we would be happy to pick enough for even a couple of pies. I was searching the net for possible leads and ran across your blog and thought you might be able to help me out by suggesting an area to look.

Sincerely and hopeful, Nan Peterson

Hi Nan,
Wonderful to hear from someone who understands the greatness of these little berries. I can't give you specific spots but there are many areas these berries grow. The best places to look for them are clear cuts. They like to grow in disturbed areas and often take over slash piles in old clear cut areas. These are not the most picturesque places to pick them, but the most prolific. The best spots are west of I-5 in south west Washington. There are miles and miles roads in tree farms north and south of highway 12.

Another tip is these clear cuts also have other berries growing there this time of year, but not in as big of quantities- black cap rasberries, red huckleberries, and salal berries. Unfortunately, searching for new spots to pick any wild edible usually takes a lot of road time straining to look out the window for the perfect patch. But there is nothing like coming home with blue stained fingers, a sweet taste in your mouth, and a bucket of the best berries.

If you are interested in just purchasing some berries Foraged and Found Edibles sells frozen trailing blackberries for a fair price. It is a great berry year so far so we should hopefully have a stock for a few months. We sell at farmer's markets in Seattle and do special orders for pick-up at the market or the warehouse. The best way to connect with the company and place an order is through the business email- foragedandfoundedibles@gmail.com.

Good Luck, Christina

You can read more about trailing blackberries in my post from last week.

This weekend we will only be at the University District Market.

We will have sea beans and wild trailing blackberries.

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 6/17

2009-07-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

Wild berries are here! We will have trailing blackberries and red huckleberries this weekend. Because of the hot weather this is going to be a great wild berry year.

Trailing blackberries(Rubus ursinus) are the only native wild blackberry in the northwest. They are also known as pacific dewberry and California or pacific blackberry. These special berries are small but have an intense flavor. Wonderful right off the bush but cooking does bring out their extra ordinary blackberry-ness. Blackberry lovers evangelize that these are the best ones for pies or jam.

When the sun hits red huckleberry bushes they look as if they have little round ruby gems sprouting from the branches. These bright red translucent tart berries are a nice contrast to other fruit in a compote or in a berry parfait. Or try in something savory like a green salad with shaved fennel and parmesan.

We will also have the ol' reliable sea bean this weekend too.

red huckleberry pic by

http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurelfan/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Grilled Zucchini with Red Huckleberries and Feta

2009-07-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

This is easy and tastes even better than it sounds. Substitute red currants for huckleberries if you like.

Zucchini and other summer squashs- any shape, color and size
Olive oil
Garlic
s + p
lemon
feta
red huckleberries
mint

Slice summer squashes 1/2 inch thick. Toss with olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper. If preparing in advance don't salt more than 15 or so minutes ahead of time or the squashes will leach out their water and be soggy. Grill until tender and browned. Place on a beautiful platter. Zest a lemon over the top, and sprinkle a little of the juice on too. Crumble feta and scatter about. Sprinkle on chopped mint and red huckleberries and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Heaven and Earth

2009-07-15T01:34:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it takes many reminders to appreciate what we have like our health, good friends, family. Other times one hits you in the face.

My Gramma passed away last week.
My mourning is wrapped up with new insight to really appreciate my friends and family, and take better care of my body so I can live to 88 too. The same day as my Gramma's funeral my sister Liz gave birth to her first baby. A bittersweet reminder of the beautiful comings and inevitable goings of existence on earth. The arresting truths that life is a breathe towards birth and heartbeat away from death are ringing in my ears.

One way we all appreciate life in the moment is through food, savoring flavors and the company you are with. With my Gramma's passing I have thought a lot about our family history and those traditions that included her, the constants in our lives together. I pulled out a family cookbook my sister Theresa made a few years ago, put together for my five siblings and I, filled with family recipe favorites from my grandparents and my parents. It flooded me with memories of holiday dinners and the dishes she regularly made to nourish and fill us with love. In her intro to the book Theresa states- "Growing up we were all affected by the foods we ate."

I have to share how important my Swiss grandmother Florence Knusel was to my love of food and entertaining.

She seemed to always pickling and canning something such as sweet dills, yellow cherries, or prune plum jam. Our family always had a healthy stock of jams and applesauce from her hard work. She was dutifully preserving the harvest my grandpa tilled, the boxes and boxes of prune plums from the dozens on their property, or gifts of produce from her country neighbors.

We all looked forward to the a ridiculous spread of snacks(see recipe below) she had waiting for us after the long drive from Seattle to the Knusel home in Scappoose, Oregon. It always included homemade pickles, tinned fish like smoked mussels and chex mix with hazelnuts. As we got older we were able to take advantage of the the full liquor cabinet ready for any mixed drink. She told me how, once upon a time, her and my grandpa, following an old bar book, stirred up a different mixed drink every day.

Lunch was usually a grand "supper"- Swiss macaroni (see recipe below)and broiled garlic studded steak, green beans cooked 'til soft (Swiss style, she hated crispy green beans), and always some sort of yummy dessert. Her enjoyment of sweet breads, "gristle", tripe, liver, and other such meat bits definitely rubbed off on me. She, and now I too, never let a bone go with out nibbling off the fatty chewy parts. For breakfast we often had rosti potatoes with sunny side up eggs or the best pancakes--she just used Bisquick mix but for some reason they were so good, she knew how to perfectly cook and infuse them with her love. Cooked fresh fruit in syrup always ended the breakfast meal. Sometimes it would be Swiss style berry brie-cooked fresh berries or cherries with a white sauce mixed in- like a cold creamy fruit soup.

In the last years, as she had a harder time walking, I would help her with the annual summer parties she loved to throw. There was the Swiss party of old friends and musicians that have known my family for decades. This always included festive music and singing and bratwurst. The other was the "Spanish speaking"(as my gramma said)- parishioners my uncles Frankie's churches he is a priest at. There was still bratwurst at these, in addition to piles of taquitos and salsa someone would inevitably bring.

The last time I saw Gramma I brought a container of corn chowder with seabeans and thyme to the hospital. It was still warm from the stove and after a hard meeting with her doctors about her state of health I gave her a cup. As far as I know it was the first non-hospital home-cooked food she had eaten in a long time, and it was full of salt which she was restricted from. At this point restrictions didn't matter though, and I sat next to her with my arm around her shoulders while she ate. She kept saying how good the soup was and wanted to know everything that was in it.
I said my good bye and I love yous, not knowing it was for the last time. The next afternoon she said good bye to this world for good. I feel happy to know she enjoyed her last meal, and I was able to give back to her a little of something like she gave me.

The following recipes are adapted from
Get To The Table Mable: The Choi Kids Family Recipes, by Theresa Choi

Himmel and Erde Hardaepfel
Means heaven and earth potatoes in Swiss German.

3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 apple, peeled and quartered
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 slices bacon, diced
1/2 medium onion
2 tsp vinegar
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Combine first four ingredients in a pot, cover with water and cook until tender. Meanwhile fry bacon slices until crisp. Remove from fat and add sliced onion and saute until light brown. Drain potato mixture, add vinegar and pepper, and mash coarsely. Transfer to serving dish and top with bacon, onions and nutmeg.
soft-cooked green beans with bacon and swiss macaroni

Gramma's Swiss Macaroni

This is a dish we ate hundreds of times at my Gramma's house. Gramma always used whatever mix of old cheese ends there was in the fridge, the more pungent the better. Because the cheese always changed, it tasted a little bit different every time. I always tried to get as many burnt onion bits possible on my serving.

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
1 1/2 cup grated cheese- Swiss or whatever is in the fridge
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
Maggi seasoning to taste

Cook macaroni in boiling salted water until very tender(almost overcooked). Drain and and while still hot layer macaroni in casserole pan with grated cheese until cheese is the last top layer.
Brown onion in butter until burnt on the edges. Add milk and Maggi, heat through and pour over macaroni. Serve immediately or hold in a warm oven until serving.

Variation: for Alper Macaroni- add cubed cooked potatoes while layering cheese and macaroni. Bake in a 350 F oven until browned. Serve with sliced cooked apples. YUM.
Gramma always browned the onions in this old enamel pan

Gramma's Appetizer Platter

Gramma always had snacks for us when we arrived at her house.
Put a selection of the following in serving trays with separate compartments:
black olives, ham and cream cheese rolls, homemade cuke or sweet onion pickles, tinned smoked fish or shellfish, cheese spread, celery or other veggies, creamy dip like clam or onion, salami, liverwurst, assortment of crackers and chips, bread or toast, and chex mix.

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 6/10

2009-07-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

Another light week at the market- read my post from last week about the state of wild food affairs.

We will have SEA BEANS!!-
Really no apologies for just having sea beans- they are one of my favorite summer ingredients. Less mushrooms just means more reasons to use this interesting plant. Ah, reliable sea beans...we can always depend on you.

Dried Mushroom Sale too!
Stock up for the year on dried mushrooms-you cant get dried mushrooms any cheaper than this unless you pick them yourself!
$2 off any 2 packages
$5 of any 4 packages

Psst-If you get to the University District market early we might have small amounts of morels and chanterelles.

Because of the lack of fresh products we will not be at the WEST SEATTLE MARKET this weekend and through the month of July. We hope this is doesn't inconvenience anyone. Please come see us at the University District and Ballard Markets.

New addition to the market this weekend- CHANTERELLES

2009-07-03T17:03:00.000-07:00

The first of the summer chanterelles are here!!!!!

The summer chanterelles grow on pacific coast under sitka spruce trees in the spray of the ocean.
They are bright orange, almost florescent. This time of year the fog helps bring them on; they tend to sprout in the drip line around the trees. Though more expensive then the fall crop, savor these special mushroom morsels for their firm flesh and small perfect appearance. These are a far cry from the big moist fall chanties. Serving idea- a warm salad of sauteed chanterelles tossed with purslane, sea beans, sweet young walla wallas, and a light mustard viniagrette.

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles 7/2

2009-07-02T00:19:00.000-07:00

We have entered the lull between seasons- the spring crops are fading out and we eagerly await the summer ones to begin. Porcini are done with their flush for now, and trailing blackberries are ripening on the vines. Morels are waning in their summer show, though we might see a few more. And the delicate elder flowers are undergoing their transformation into healthy hearty berries. Summer chanterelles are right around the corner, waiting to saturate our cooking into the fall.

In the meantime, we have at the market this week:

SEA BEANS - Because of the lack of fresh mushrooms this is a perfect time to experiment with sea beans. Add to your Fourth of July potato salad for extra crunch and savoriness, or try in a tuna salad sandwich. Last week I made corn chowder and threw in some sea beans. Or put up some sea bean pickles using any recipe for green beans or asparagus.

DRIED MUSHROOM SALE!!!!
Bulk wild mix for sale, and a $5 discount if buying any 4 packaged dried mushrooms.
Dried mushrooms are a wonderful item to stock in your pantry. Use in soups, stews, sauces
to add body and deep flavor.

Because of the lack of fresh products we will not be at the WEST SEATTLE MARKET this weekend and possibly through the month of July. We hope this is doesn't inconvenience anyone. Please come see us at the University District and Ballard Markets.

This Week at Foraged and Found 6/26

2009-06-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

It is looking like a light week at the markets, but-

Porcini(King Bolete) are still on! Maybe just another week of good quantities so get them while they last. One of the easiest and enjoyable ways to enjoy them is grilled, check out the recipe below for a porcini salad.

Seabeans will be available every week until August. Shelf life is 1 to 2 weeks- store in a airtight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Morels are very sparse but we will have small amounts off and on in the coming weeks as available.

Dylan gets very excited about fresh salmon

Also available at other farmers stands this week-

Fresh Salmon!
Loki Fish Co. will have the first fresh salmon of the season this weekend at the University District, West Seattle, and Ballard farmers markets. Dylan Knutson just started a blog- Loki Fish Co.'s Market Fresh Blog. Check out his post about his dad Pete and brother Jonah's trek up to Alaska to start the fishing season.

Greens, Peas and Young Onions- this is the time of year for an abundance of these crops-
every type of young tender lettuce, snap peas, shell peas, peavines, spring wallas wallas, scallions......
Local Roots Farm has a beautiful selection of these spring beauties- including lettuce varieties with cool names like Flashy Butter Oak and Brown Golding Romaine, Japanese pink turnips, and the sweetest shell peas( at the Ballard Market last week I ate them on top of fresh mint ice cream from Empire Ice Cream!)

Siri and Jason from Local Roots

Sweet Pea Flowers- these are my all time favorite flower because of the heavenly scent! Stick your nose in a bouquet and fly away. I have been lucky to be next to Children's Garden at the Ballard Market and I get whiffs all day long of sweet peas. They are doing a nice bouquet combo with big stalks of mint and sweet peas.

Foraged and Found Edibles is a northwest wild food business selling locally to restaurants and at farmers market in the Seattle area. Throughout the summer you will find us Saturdays at the University District Market, and Sundays at Ballard and West Seattle markets.

Grilled King Boletes with Wild Salad

2009-06-26T01:08:00.000-07:00

This recipe from June in from The Illustrated Wild Foods Recipe Calendar 2009....

Grilled King Boletes with Wild Salad

My favorite way to savor king boletes is simply grilled. Pair them with truly wild delicate spring greens and you have a match made in foraging heaven. This recipe is a guideline to spark your creativity and to use whatever you have found and foraged in the woods or your local farmers market.

For each serving:
1 medium King Bolete
Olive oil
Garlic
A few herb sprigs such as marjoram, thyme, oregano, or parsley
Salt and pepper
A couple handfuls of foraged greens-chickweed, dandelion, fennel fronds, lamb’s quarters, miner’s lettuce, purslane, spring beauty, sheep sorrel, wood sorrel, wood violets, etc
Fresh squeezed lemon juice or wine vinegar
One small button king bolete, sliced paper thin, optional
A crunchy tasty garnish-toasted pinenuts, crispy bacon, or shavings of a hard cheese, etc.

Slice mushroom ¼ inch thick. Mix a spoonful of olive oil with a little minced garlic, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper. Brush liberally on mushroom and grill slices over hot coals until browned and tender. Toss wild greens with a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar or lemon, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and optional raw bolete. Serve next to grilled king boletes sprinkled with garnish of choice.

This Week at Foraged and Found 6/18

2009-06-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

Morels are back this week!! Finally some forest fires are producing.

And we have a new item this week- Saskatoon Berries.
For the first time Jeremy found a large field of them in Washington. They are also known by the names serviceberry and juneberry, but I definitely like the name saskatoon- so much funner to say. Saskatoons are more prolific farther north in Canada and are very popular there as well. There are even u-pick saskatoon berry farms. Saskatoons look similar to blueberries but the fruit is actually a pome, such as apples and pears. The texture reminds me of a juicy soft apple, and tastes neither too sweet or sour with hints of plum and fig. They are very high in antioxidants, higher even than blueberries, and a good source of fiber. Native use of this bush included using the wood and leaves medicinally and drying berries into cakes for later use. Also often an ingredient in pemmican-a dried meat, fat and fruit mix-that is used as emergency food. This is the original energy bar of the native North Americans, so useful that it became popular with explorers and fur traders too. I would like to try making this- how does elk saskatoon pemmican with a touch of juniper and honey sound? Check out this detailed recipe. Not feeling that adventurous?- Sauces, jams, and pies are also good ways to enjoy these special berries.

We will have at the markets this weekend:

Morels
King Boletes
Sea Beans
Miner's Lettuce
Elderflowers- see following recipe
Saskatoon Berries

Foraged and Found Edibles is a northwest wild food business selling locally to restaurants and at farmers market in the Seattle area. Throughout the summer you will find us Saturdays at the University District Market, and Sundays at Ballard and West Seattle markets.

Strawberry, meet Elderflower

2009-06-18T00:14:00.000-07:00

...meet Onepot, meet Foodista.....

Elder flowers are one of the prettiest ingredients around. Tiny white star shaped flowers gathered on droopy pom poms, thousands full. I was shaking these pom poms around at the dessert course for a special event with One pot and Foodista last Monday. One pot is a organization that puts on experimental eating events in Seattle and around the world. Recent boring events have included a hike through LA culminating with dinner on a "island" next to I-5 and a slightly more plebeian dinner with the Master Musicians of Jajaouka from Morocco. (I saw these musical wonders perform in February. I wish I knew about that dinner!)
Foodista is a locally based website that is an editable(wiki) encyclopedia of food and all things related. Posts range from bacon grease to supreming(cutting citrus segments from pith). The cool thing is if you don't like a post you can change it!

Michael Hebb from One pot, Conor Donahue- a chef newly relocated from San Fran, and I created a menu featuring only foraged and local food for Foodistas core team and guests. All the recipes were transcribed as we cooked them and posted on the website. This was an interesting experiment to showcase the strengths of the Foodista website as and tool for instantly and easily sharing food inspiration and wisdom with the masses. Here is a description of the event on the Foodista blog with the menu and recipes attached. And here are links to some recipes:

I harvested 5 different varieties of basil, and 2 shisos from my garden for this scallop dish.
And we used Taylor Shellfish dry pack scallops. Taylor is the only company locally farming scallops and they are selling them fresh and untreated.
Go see Oyster Bill at the farmers market for these sweet tender morsels.

One of my favorite dishes from the event-

Elderflower Shortbread and Strawberries

At the dinner, Conor commented that this was a very feminine dessert after I heavily laced the strawberries with elderflowers- well I am a lady I guess. This would be very nice served with vanilla ice cream or ricotta. The syrup also can be used for summery cocktails or sorbet.

Elderflower Shortbread Cookies

This dough can be rolled and cut into desired shapes, or made into a cylinder and easily sliced into cookie rounds.

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup elderflowers, removed from stems, plus a handful more for baking
1/2 pound butter(2 sticks), softened
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups all purpose flour

In a food processor combine sugar and flowers, grind until flowers are fine. Add butter and salt, blend until well creamed. Add flour and pulse to combine, pushing down ingredients on the sides of work bowl. Remove to a piece of plastic wrap or parchment and form into a cake(if rolling out cookies) or a cylinder(if slicing cookies). Refrigerate dough for a few hours or overnight. Heat oven to 300F. Roll and/or cut dough into desired shapes 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle some elderflowers on top of cookies and lightly press on with fingers or a rolling pin. Bake for 18-20 minutes until edges are just beginning to brown.
Makes about 30 small cookies.

Elderflower Syrup

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 lemon, zested and juiced
5 cups elderflowers, removed from stems

Heat sugar, water and zest and lemon juice together in a sauce pan over high heat. Bring to a simmer, add elderflowers, remove from heat, steep at least one hour or up to 3 days. Strain through fine sieve. Makes approximately 3 cups.

Strawberries with Elderflower Syrup

Fresh local strawberries
Elderflower syrup
Elderflowers

You probably will need about 1/2 pint strawberries per person, depending on appetites.
Clean, trim and cut strawberries. Toss with enough syrup to coat berries with a little pool on the bottom of bowl. Sprinkle in some elderflowers. Let sit for a few to macerate. Serve with cookies and creamy stuff if desired.

This Week at Foraged and Found 6/10

2009-06-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

Today we have a message from Jeremy out in the field.
He has been searching hard for morels this week.....

"2000 miles later, 5 pounds of morel total....That should explain the morel year so far. After a so-so year of natural morels, the burn morels are looking scarce. Without many fires from the previous year there is a limited area to look in. And what larger fires there were, they are mostly either too steep and dry or very high elevation to produce morels. But I have faith in one place that is within a few miles of a small fire which I picked near a couple years earlier. One large snow pile to melt, one more warm week and hopefully we will see morels once again. Porcini are still strong, but remember these babies will be gone soon. The last of the spring greens are being picked high in the Cascades- miners and violets. Elderberry blossoms should be on too."We will have at the markets this week:

King boletes(porcini)
Seabeans-see following recipe
Wild salad mix- Miner's lettuce and Wood Violets
Elderberry Flowers- use for sweet infusions(teas, syrups, sorbet) or for blossom fritters

Also seen at the other farmer's stands last week:

Fresh bamboo shoots from Rockridge-

I was so disappointed to see Wade hadn't sold out of these at last weeks West Seattle market. Luckily I got the leftovers, but go out and get them- these are too special to pass up! The easiest thing to do is grill them whole, peel and dip in a tasty Asian sauce.
Snap peas-
Many farmers have these now, snap peas are the perfect summer snack.

Baby turnips-
Eat these raw like radishes, or roast whole with greens for the treat.

Basil plants-
Still huge basil plants in different varieties available from Billy's. Lime basil is my favorite, also holy basil, a pretty ruffly variety(forget the name), and classic big leaf basil. They also are selling big healthy tomato plants, strawberries(so sweet), rhubarb, basil in bunches, spicy heirloom arugula, and a few greenhouse tomatoes are coming in too.

Foraged and Found Edibles is a northwest wild food business selling locally to restaurants and at farmers market in the Seattle area. Throughout the summer you will find us Saturdays at the University District Market, and Sundays at Ballard and West Seattle markets.

Grilled Spot Prawns with Sea Bean Carrot Salad, Fresh Herbs and Nuoc Cham

2009-06-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

This is a classic interactive Vietnamese meal with few separate fresh and flavorful components that make a delicious whole. Using our northwest local bounty- spot prawns and seabeans- makes it even better. Though not found in Vietnam, sea beans aren’t out of place with Vietnamese foods’ briny undercurrents.

Regular prawns can be used in place of spot prawns but spots are worth seeking out at local fish markets; I think they are superior to lobster. The spot prawn season goes through the summer.

Eat components together in a rice paper leaf or toss over chilled rice noodles. Serves 4- 6 people.

4-5 scallions, green part only, sliced
1/3 cup vegetable oil
½ pound sea beans
½ pound carrots, julienne
½ cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 pounds prawns, peeled
Fresh herbs- such as basil(any type), shiso, dill, mint, cilantro, Vietnamese cilantro(rau ram), fennel, lemon balm
Nuoc cham- recipe follows
Cooked rice vermicelli noodles or dried rice paper wrappers
½ cup crushed peanuts

Make scallion oil- In a small pan heat oil over medium, add scallions a pinch of salt and turn down to low, cook for a few minutes, remove from heat and let cool.

Sea bean carrot salad- blanch sea beans in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, remove and shock in ice water bath; drain and toss with carrots and rice vinegar. Chill until serving.

Toss prawns in a little scallion oil and salt, skewer and grill. After removing from grill pour over the rest of the scallion oil.

Serve all components together for guests to assemble themselves. Tip for using dried rice paper wraps- dip dried paper in warm water for a moment to get wet, set on plate, top with fillings. By the time filling is added rice paper should be pliable enough to roll. Roll into cylinder and dip in sauce to eat. The moisture in sauce should be enough to finish softening the wrapper with out the insides breaking through.

Nuoc Cham

This is the all purpose Vietnamese sauce. Use as a table condiment, salad dressing or marinade. This version is tangy, salty and sweet though some prefer it sweeter, more sour or saltier - adjust to your desire.

¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup fish sauce- nuoc mam
1/3 cup sugar
¾ cup water
1 garlic clove, minced
1-2 small shallots, thinly sliced
1-2 chilis, minced, optional

Mix all ingredients together until sugar dissolves.

Orcas Island Wedding Feast

2009-06-03T02:15:00.000-07:00

I was lucky to have one of the greatest cooking opportunities of my life placed before me on Memorial Day weekend. Let me set the scene:

What: Two old friends, finally tying the knot with their families in tow. End of May bounty at my disposal.

Who: A beautiful highly accomplished creative chef and the other a handsome wine-know, well posed server - a striking duo.

Where: Orcas Island, waterfront cottage and lush homestead on a small inlet.

My inspirations were overflowing for the event. First of all, it's a wedding - bring out all the stops, feast ‘til you drop, and only the best ingredients! Secondly, cooking for great lovely foodie friends- creative freedom and reasons for extra special touches. Thirdly, it's spring - so many awesome things to work with!
I made a list of possible ingredients - morels, porcini, seabeans, watercress, miner's lettuce, violets, asparagus, peas and favas (from down south), green garlic, spring onions, oysters, spot prawns, razor clams...to name just a few. The bride and groom had some requests which were a good jumping off point- they knew they wanted lamb two ways and lots of seafood. My head exploded with ideas, I never had the occasion to do such a lush menu. For some reason I had this obsession with adding flowers to everything...the wedding bells were ringing in ears!

Looking at the bounty that we gathered for the meal I was floored by all the beautiful ingredients we procured from our gardens, friends and farmers in the area. Local Roots Farm radishes and baby turnips. Foraged and Found mushrooms and wild greens. Kurtwood Farm raw milk for making yogurt. Coffelts Farm Lamb from Orcas. Spot Prawns and Razor Clams from my friend Doug in Grayland. A dozen or so herbs from the Corson Building's garden and my own yard too....
the Menu....

After the ceremony - served on a lookout deck over the water
Hibiscus Orange Flower Water Ice Tea
Judd Cove Oysters With Celery Shiso Mignonette
Spring Seven Layer Dip- ricotta, peavines, peamole, fennel lemon salad, sheep cheese, scallions, pinenuts
Hazelnut Dukkah With Olive Oil
Pacific Razor Clam Seviche with Aleppo Pepper,Whole Lemon, Parsley
Mt Townsend Seastack Cheese
Crudite and Crackers
Sit down - served family style on the cottage deck
Shaved Bolete and Artichoke Salad on Lemon Balm Leaves
Razor Clams with Dill, Scallions, and Fried Shallots
Spot Prawns with Soft Almonds, Butter and Saffron

Seafood Fiesta Platter!
Chilled Spot Prawns, Tiny New Potatoes, Asparagus, Sea Beans, Fiddleheads, Hard Boiled Eggs, Baby Miners Lettuce, Creamy Sorrel Anchovy Sauce

Roasted Leg of Lamb rubbed with Sumac and Cinnamon
Lamb Kefte with Cumin and Allspice
Morels, Peas and Fava Beans
Yellow Violet Mint Sauce
Homemade Yogurt
Rose Petal Harissa

Pickled Fennel with Golden Raisins and Coriander
Red Wine Pickled Spring Onions with Rosewater
Homemade Pita

This Week at Foraged and Found Edibles

2009-06-02T18:58:00.000-07:00

The seabean season has begun. Also known as salicornia, glasswort or pickleweed. This salty tide flat plant adds texture and fun. Can be eaten raw or cooked. Perfect with fish dishes, potato salads, soups, and dishes with an Asian flair.

Spring kings are here! The spring flush is on. Kings Boletes (also known as porcini in Italian) will be available off and on into July. Quantities are limited but it is worth coming to the market in early hours to hopefully pickup some of these beauties.

Porcinis grow from small firm buttons to large spongy giants. Because of this difference in size, texture, and gill formation we sell them in different grades. One is not necessarily better than the other, just different and used for varying types of preparations. It is like the difference between baby vs mature zucchini.

Small button boletes(#1's) are firmer fleshed, and can have a longer shelf life. Use for roasting, sauteing, and can be eaten raw. Also good if you want a picture perfect presentation. Medium to large boletes(#2's) are softer moist fleshed, with a slightly more pronounced flavor. These are perfect for sauces, sauteed, or my favorite, grilled. The mature gills on the older mushrooms are delicious when grilled- crispy on the outside, custardy on the the inside. Remember boletes are best eaten asap, shelf life can vary but you don't want the bugs to beat you to the feast. And always refrigerate.

Also still in season- fiddlehead ferns, miner's lettuce, watercress, and morels.

Seen at the farmers stalls this week-
The first snap peas! from Alvarez Farms from Eastern WA (I could live on snap peas- minimum allocation -2 lbs a week)
Lots of greens- spinach, scallions, spring onions, mint and garlic scapes
Asparagus is still marching in droves- great with morel mushrooms

Foraged and Found Edibles is a northwest wild food business selling locally to restaurants and at farmers market in the Seattle area. Throughout the summer you will find us Saturdays at the University District Market, and Sundays at Ballard and West Seattle markets.

Raw King Bolete Salad on Lemon Balm Leaves with Chive Flowers

2009-06-02T07:25:00.000-07:00

Here is a recipe for a easy little pre-dinner bite - fancy enough for guests, easy enough for movie night.

Small King Bolete Buttons- need a 2-3 per person depending on size
Large Lemon Balm Leaves- 2-3 per person. Not usually sold at markets but easy to find growing like a weed in yards across the city. Looks like a large wide leafed mint. An awesome but under-appreciated herb
Chives with Flowers- a few flower tops and a smidgen of the unflowered stems- if you don't have any growing in your garden I bet your neighbor does.
Lemon
Olive Oil
Salt

With a sharp knife or mandoline cut boletes into very thin slices. Toss with a sqeeze of lemon, drizzle of oil, sprinkle of salt, and chopped chives. Place a spoonful on a lemon balm leaf and sprinkle with chive flowers. Enjoy!

Variations- Try adding thinly sliced raw artichoke hearts, chiffonade of mint, or shavings of parmesan or young pecorino.

Welcome Fat of the Land readers!

2009-06-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

Thanks for visiting! One of my favorite recipes from the 2009 calendar was the pickled fiddleheads, and was happy to hear that Langdon had tried them. As you can see I'm just getting started here but hope you'll be able to stop by for more wild foods goodness. With all the summer bounty starting to appear I'll be doing a weekly post on what's new at the market along with yummy ideas. Please stay tuned!

Devil's Club is not a goth bar

2009-05-19T22:58:00.000-07:00

Even though I have only tried it once, I must start out by saying that Devils Club is my new favorite wild food!
Devil's Club , also known as Alaskan Ginseng, is a tall shrub with a main stalk covered in long spikes, with large maple like leaves, also spiny. Not fun to run into when you don't notice it tromping through the woods. It is related to Ginseng and has been used medicinally by Native Americans for everything from respiratory ailments to diabetes and arthritis. Medicinally the wood and bark are used, but for a springtime delicacy go for the new shoots. There is only a short window to harvest the tender shoots of this formidable plant before they become to spiney to consume.

At Foraged and Found, Jeremy(the head forager) harvested some Devil's Club shoots for the Herbfarm as a special request. I snuck a handful to try, not realizing I had a small treasure. I sauteed them in butter and tried a shoot. Oh my was it delicious- soft and furry, tender and intriguingly tasting of evergreen trees. This piney flavor is what will make you come back for more.
I continued to build upon my taste test. To the shoots in the pan I added a touch of cream from Golden Glen Creamery, frozen peas( my favorite convenience food), a squeeze of lemon and a few leaves of mint. This is a picture of my tiny spring ragout. I savored every little bite!

Bam! nettles in your face

2009-05-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

Nettles are everywhere this year.

If you are looking you probably will find them. They grow abundantly, well, are invasive in parks, farms, roadside lots. But the word is spreading in the cooking world- stinging nettles are awesome. I have read quite a few gushing articles here and there lately and seen many interesting recipes too. Fat Of The Land can't seem to stop talking about them- it's understandable- once you eat them it is easy to get hooked. FOTL has some great posts on nettle tonic and first of spring nettles. At Foraged and Found Edibles we have been selling them since late winter, slowly picking our way through the Northwest towards higher and cooler micro climates, moving on when one area begins flowering.

I thought for my first feature stinging nettles would make perfect sense for Nettletown blog....

Why are nettles so awesome?
First of all, as I mentioned they grow everywhere- prolifically in many places all over the world. Secondly, they are delicious- rich green flavor and a toothsome and delicate texture at the same time. Thirdly, they are incredibly healthy for you (off the charts!)- high in vitamins A and C, protein, iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. One of the most widely spread, tasty, and healthiest green wild plants you can find!

Mama always said eat your nettles
My first exposure to nettles as food was through Italian cuisine- nettle gnocchi and nettle ricotta filled ravioli are common nettle imbued versions of these favorites. After years of harvesting I have expanded my nettle repertoire. My favorite use now is in green fillings for Mediterranean style pies, such as a nettle version of spanikopita or something like my recipe in the 2009 Illustrated Wild Foods Recipe Calendar for Flaky Semolina Flatbread Stuffed With Nettles And Herbs. This tasty filling is a great way to use whatever greens and herbs you have foraged or might have in your fridge or garden. Also perfect not only as a bread or pastry filling but also eaten tossed with pasta or in frittata.

In the spring harvest a large bag once a week and just keep it in the fridge adding to dishes throughout the week. Easy to throw into soups, stewed beans, or eggs dishes for extra greens and nutrition. You can even cook a pot full and just have them ready to use. Blanch nettles in boiling water for a few minutes, strain out greens, cool in ice water or on a tray, and remember to save the cooking liquid. Drink blanching water as tea with honey, use for soup stock, or water your house plants.

Pureed nettle soup is always a welcome way to basically just drink the green gold. Nettle, green garlic, and potato soup anyone? Or a miso nettle soup/cure- just boil water add nettles and a slice of ginger or clove of garlic and cook for a few minutes, take off heat, add a spoonful of miso and puree.

Preserving for year round use:
>Freeze cooked nettles- whole, chopped or purreed.
>Nettle pesto- this would freeze well for a couple months.
>Dried nettle possibilities- Teas- a foraged tea mix for boosting your immune system of nettles, elderberries, elder flowers or a morning tea mix of nettles, mate and mint. Infusion- making an overnight infusion of dried nettles increases the health giving properties significantly. Boil water, add dry nettles, cover and let sit overnight. More information about this wonder drink from cavemanfood and Conscious Choice. Dried herb- homemade spice or salt seasoning mixes; crumbled or powdered to enrich soups or pilafs or even smoothies. Dried vegetable- try making a healthy backpacking soup mix with dried nettles, dried porcinis, lentils and rice.

Harvesting
Nettles are one of the first plants to pop out of the ground in early spring. Harvest until flowering in late spring or early summer. As the season progresses head for higher land to find younger plants. After plants get taller than 8 to 10 inches, harvest only the top two sets of leaves for the most tender and nutritious part. As the plant gets older the lower leaves become gritty and tough. Use gardening gloves and scissors to trim just under the top two leaf sets. If you cut close enough you won’t need to trim any tough stem off later when cooking.

And even more from the useful nettle……… There are so many known uses a whole book could be written about this wonder plant. A small list- Make rope out of dried stem fibers; a nourishing survival food if you ever get lost; tea can be used for- watering plants, hair tonic, bath water; nettle rennet is used for cheese making; whip body to increase blood flow( for arthritis or cold temperatures); green or yellow cloth dye; consume in tea or freeze dried capsules to alleviate allergies.

Pork and Dill Stuffed Nettle Rolls in Broth

2009-05-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

This recipe was inspired by my friend Mike Klaport, a serious food explorer living in Vietnam. He always wants to stuff everything. One of his crazy ideas (stuffing little leaves?!?) inspired this soup- pork swaddled with delicate nettle leaves, flavored with fish sauce and dill, and floating in perfect chicken broth. These days I can’t seem to stay away from dill-it just seems to make almost everything taste better. For the nettles- you need large to medium sized leaves but I suggest just cooking mixed size leaves and then separating out the bigger ones.

Pork filling:
1 lb ground Pork
3 T dill, chopped
3 scallions, chopped
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp soy
1 Tbsp sake or sherry wine
1 Tbsp cornstarch
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
1/3 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground

about 1/3 lb nettles
2 qt Super Easy Asian Chicken Broth (see below)
1 tsp each fish and soy sauce

Mix together pork filling ingredients. Set aside while you prepare nettles. Bring large pot of water to a boil and blanch nettles for 1-2 minutes, remove nettles with and cool in an ice water bath. Save nettle water for another use. Remove nettles from ice water and gently squeeze dry. Sort through leaves and separate large and medium sized whole leaves to use as meat wrappers. Lay out a leaf and place a small spoonful of meat filling on top. Roll nettle around meat into a cylinder shape with open ends. Continue and fill leaves until filling is all used.

If you run out of bigger leaves to use as a wrap just chop some nettles and add to rest of filling and form into meatballs to eat in soup, or pan fry patties to eat separately. Use remaining small nettle leaves for another use. Bring broth to a boil with fish and soy sauce. Taste and adjust salt. Carefully add nettle rolls, adjust heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 5-8 minutes or until done.

Serves four to six.

Super Easy Asian Chicken Broth plus white-cooked chicken
The tastiest most chicken-y light broth. Clear in color and clean taste- perfect for any Asian soup. This is kind of a funny broth recipe because the by-product is perfectly cooked Chinese style moist chicken(called white-cooked), but who’s complaining? Serve cold white-cooked chicken with any Asian dipping sauce. My favorite sauce is chopped scallions, ginger, vegetable and sesame oils, salt.

1 whole chicken, or bone-in chicken quarters(thighs or breasts), 3.5 to 4.5 lbs
4 scallions
4 slices ginger, 1/8 inch thick
a few cilantro sprigs, optional
2 T salt
3 1/2 quarts of water

Rinse Chicken. In a large pot with lid bring water to a boil with remaining ingredients. When water boils add chicken, cover and bring back to a boil. Turn down to low and keep at a simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for one hour for whole chicken, 40 minutes for pieces. Do not remove lid. Remove chicken with tongs and strain broth. If using whole chicken remove very carefully with tongs placed in the chicken cavity, letting liquid drain. Try not to puncture or tear skin. If serving cold place chicken in ice water bath for ten minutes to firm skin and flesh. Remove and cool in fridge at least one hour. Strain broth through a fine sieve or cheesecloth, skim off fat.

Wild on.... Radio

2009-05-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

I was lucky to join a live radio discussion with Steve Sher on Weekday, a morning radio show on KUOW in Seattle. My fellow guests are great contributors to the world of foraging in Seattle-Patrice Benson, president of the Puget Sound Mycological Society(PSMS), and Langdon Cook of the blog and soon to be out book- Fat of the Land. We were invited to talk about foraging, the whats and hows and wheres. It was wonderful sharing the table with Patrice and Langdon, so passionate and knowledgeable. Despite my nervousness, Steve made it fun and easy. I even got a few plugs in about my recipe calendar.
The plan is to come together again for a show in early fall- keep your ears peeled.
Listen to the show here.

spring sprouting

2009-04-26T00:57:00.000-07:00

Spring is just one big season of emergence.

All the little plants we have been eagerly awaiting to feast on all winter start poking their heads out of the moist soil.
Herbs renew with new leaf growth.
The hibernating bulbs bring paint splashes of color and the flowering trees explode with beauty you forget is possible.
Chives, fiddleheads, garlic shoots, magnolia trees, mint, nettles, peas, tulips- so much abundance.
This blog too is emerging, but out of the rich soil that is my head, and heart.
Nettletown will be a venue to share and celebrate all deliciousness that comes from this earth.
lets see how this little sprout grows........