Oh Winter.....

Not surprisingly, the month of December was the absolute worst time to begin my endeavor as a forager of wild plants. Seattle this time of year is unforgiving to the pedestrian, with rain and wind tearing at your many layers without regard. So, no foraging has been conducted thus far, but in between trips to the library and walks in St. Edwards Park I have begun to easily recognize the skeletons of some of the most beneficial plants that will be ready to harvest soon enough. Thankfully, in my downtime, I have also been able to begin researching some of the widely available literature on the subject. Though not as effective practically as down and out foraging, my reading has given me much to think about and a beginning plan once the first signs of early spring are upon us.

Without a doubt, my favorite book that I have encountered thus far is called simply: The Edible Wild by Berndt Berglund. This compilation of more than fifty wild plants available in the continental U.S. and Canada is not entirely valuable for the descriptions or illustrations of the plants, but for the multitude of "antique" recipes that can be found within its pages. Some of them are listed in ingredient form (with weights and measures), but my favorite recipes are listed in a basic form that you might find in your grandmothers cookbooks. These recipes omit the constraints of telling the forager what exactly to put into the recipe and instead offer gentle guidelines that allow the chef to participate in a trial and error session that I find appealing.

Though I don't anticipate that this book will help me greatly as a field guide (this is not a book to rely upon as a beginning forager because of the minor descriptions and lack of color photographs), but as I mature in the craft I think that it will be a welcome resource for preparing the plants in a colorful manner.

Hello!!

I am beginning this blog in order to learn how to forage. My goal is to go out at least twice a month, find edible foods in the confines of Seattle (along sidewalks, in parks, maybe a little dumpster diving), prepare the food and then write about the experience.
Though I haven't always been aware, I have perpetually been interested in living off of the land the way the first people may have. As a kid, I went on numerous camping trips in Eastern Washington with individuals who had a lot of knowledge concerning the edible plants in the area, I fondly look back at those trips but regret not learning more about the plants and how to harvest them. So I will, with the help of books and other sources, learn by myself and try to communicate those experiences to anyone interested in learning or in helping me to learn.
By doing this I hope to strengthen my foraging, cooking, and writing skills in the process. In the end, I hope to be able to sustain myself in a way that is healthy and fulfilling, and to sustain the environment around me. I would also like to bring together a community of like-minded people who are interested in learning about foraging for food.
Hopefully I will be back with a post of my first experience within the month of December.