<![CDATA[Forager's Forum - All Forums]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/ Thu, 17 May 2012 19:45:41 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[Spammers and Spam Bots]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=7528 Sat, 05 May 2012 20:14:19 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=7528
If you are a spammer reading this, know that I have developed a keenly honed sense of who will turn out to be a spammer, and I permanently ban the account immediately. Your spam never sees the light of day, and Google and the rest never see your spam, ever. So don't bother! You are wasting your time and mine.

If you are a newbie here (and legit), please be patient for your first posts to appear; they are moderated by humans who cannot stand by 24/7 to approve your post. If it's legit, it will get approved. If it's in a non-English language, it will be flagged for spam. Sorry.

Lastly folks, watch links in your signature, your homepage (in your profile) and in your posts. These are the hallmarks of spammers, whose point is to use links to give someone an unfair boost in the search engines (or even destroy a legit business's good standing!) Links to things not wild food or related will increase your odds of being deleted and banned for all time, so link wisely. Your contribution to the forum will we considered.

Well, that about covers it. It's unpleasant, but it has to be done. If you have any doubts, look at the birthday list at the bottom. That shows we are wildly popular with the spambots!]]>
If you are a spammer reading this, know that I have developed a keenly honed sense of who will turn out to be a spammer, and I permanently ban the account immediately. Your spam never sees the light of day, and Google and the rest never see your spam, ever. So don't bother! You are wasting your time and mine.

If you are a newbie here (and legit), please be patient for your first posts to appear; they are moderated by humans who cannot stand by 24/7 to approve your post. If it's legit, it will get approved. If it's in a non-English language, it will be flagged for spam. Sorry.

Lastly folks, watch links in your signature, your homepage (in your profile) and in your posts. These are the hallmarks of spammers, whose point is to use links to give someone an unfair boost in the search engines (or even destroy a legit business's good standing!) Links to things not wild food or related will increase your odds of being deleted and banned for all time, so link wisely. Your contribution to the forum will we considered.

Well, that about covers it. It's unpleasant, but it has to be done. If you have any doubts, look at the birthday list at the bottom. That shows we are wildly popular with the spambots!]]> <![CDATA[Watercress?]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=6673 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:17:11 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=6673 <![CDATA[Wapato?]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4003 Wed, 14 Mar 2012 03:39:03 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4003
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.jpg  in the swamp2.jpg (Size: 209.39 KB / Downloads: 26) ]]> <![CDATA[Cooking with Mesquite – also known as kiawe]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3621 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:43:40 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3621 <![CDATA[Eating Pine Sap]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=2959 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:52:06 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=2959 :]]> :]]> <![CDATA[Polk Sallet Question]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1692 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:10:12 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1692 <![CDATA[Hello from California]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=776 Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:27:34 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=776
I work in the IT industry on computers (server administrator for a mid-size business).I've been doing this job for about 5 years and really enjoy what I do.

Im lookin forward to being a contributing member to the forum and it looks like I'll be here awhile.

Moderators, if this is in the wrong section, I'm sorry. I must have missed the new user forum.]]>
I work in the IT industry on computers (server administrator for a mid-size business).I've been doing this job for about 5 years and really enjoy what I do.

Im lookin forward to being a contributing member to the forum and it looks like I'll be here awhile.

Moderators, if this is in the wrong section, I'm sorry. I must have missed the new user forum.]]> <![CDATA[New books, a complimentary set]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=635 Sat, 17 Dec 2011 18:34:37 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=635
But I am particularly appreciative of these last two from Linda, which complete the Essential Wild Food Guide with a spectrum of possibilities for foragers and gardeners to utilize or cultivate the green and life all around for nutrition and a sense of security at the threshold of an unpredictable future.

The Essential Wild Food Guide
Eat the Trees
The Wild Food Identification Guide

I truly believe everyone should have at least these three books, so much so that I have made sure my entire family has the collection. I say this not as any kind of boast but more a plea that all who read this post and have qualms about the year(s) ahead of us get this information out in whatever way you can.

If you can not afford to buy the material then you have a plethora of information right here on the forum complete with photo gallery and almost 200 down-loadable radio interviews on the gathering and use of the wild food all around us with one of the most experienced foragers on the planet – FREE!

So please, get the word out any way you can to whoever has an ear.

wokman]]>
But I am particularly appreciative of these last two from Linda, which complete the Essential Wild Food Guide with a spectrum of possibilities for foragers and gardeners to utilize or cultivate the green and life all around for nutrition and a sense of security at the threshold of an unpredictable future.

The Essential Wild Food Guide
Eat the Trees
The Wild Food Identification Guide

I truly believe everyone should have at least these three books, so much so that I have made sure my entire family has the collection. I say this not as any kind of boast but more a plea that all who read this post and have qualms about the year(s) ahead of us get this information out in whatever way you can.

If you can not afford to buy the material then you have a plethora of information right here on the forum complete with photo gallery and almost 200 down-loadable radio interviews on the gathering and use of the wild food all around us with one of the most experienced foragers on the planet – FREE!

So please, get the word out any way you can to whoever has an ear.

wokman]]> <![CDATA[Howdy - It's Mikey from Sunnyvale]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=528 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:29:05 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=528
I am an IT professional working in the IT industry for the last 5 years. My hobbies include bike riding, hiking, and video games (a big Xbox 360 gamer).

Thanks for having me and I look forward to making many contributions to the forum.]]>
I am an IT professional working in the IT industry for the last 5 years. My hobbies include bike riding, hiking, and video games (a big Xbox 360 gamer).

Thanks for having me and I look forward to making many contributions to the forum.]]> <![CDATA[Farm Story #2]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=323 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:05:22 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=323
BUT, if I was sitll home on the farm. NO WAY IN ****!!!!!!,HA,HA,HA. Dear ol' dad would just be getting the corn picker greased and oiled ready to roll. Yep, we were always the last ones to start picking corn, to bale hay, to cut oats, ( and everything else ) where we lived. We would still picking corn when it had started snowing. Dad always wanted to have our stock cows to calve in the winter time so they would have hardier stock.

Anyway, we'd usually be done by the end of Dec., have everything put away, and get back to 'normal'. Hunt rabbits for supper every 3rd or 4th day, trap to make some pocket money, cut wood for grandpa and garndma, and cut hedge post to mend fence all summer.


The only wild items I remember harvesting were elder berrys, wild grapes, mint,gooseberrys, walnuts, wild plums, blackberrys, raspberrys, aspareagus (sp), and morel mushrooms.

We lived on an 80 acre farm and my grand parents lived on 80 acres also. It was 7 miles between farms. Our farm had alot of water ways which gave ares for small game and birds. The grand parents farm had a 10 acre timber/pasture where the fruits and nuts were. But in the long run life went on, everybody went there own ways, and we all have our thoughts of how life use to be when times were good. I guess. weed

Oh yah, I got laid off from work last week due to not enough work at the grain elavator. Guess it'll be an easy winter for me.]]>
BUT, if I was sitll home on the farm. NO WAY IN ****!!!!!!,HA,HA,HA. Dear ol' dad would just be getting the corn picker greased and oiled ready to roll. Yep, we were always the last ones to start picking corn, to bale hay, to cut oats, ( and everything else ) where we lived. We would still picking corn when it had started snowing. Dad always wanted to have our stock cows to calve in the winter time so they would have hardier stock.

Anyway, we'd usually be done by the end of Dec., have everything put away, and get back to 'normal'. Hunt rabbits for supper every 3rd or 4th day, trap to make some pocket money, cut wood for grandpa and garndma, and cut hedge post to mend fence all summer.


The only wild items I remember harvesting were elder berrys, wild grapes, mint,gooseberrys, walnuts, wild plums, blackberrys, raspberrys, aspareagus (sp), and morel mushrooms.

We lived on an 80 acre farm and my grand parents lived on 80 acres also. It was 7 miles between farms. Our farm had alot of water ways which gave ares for small game and birds. The grand parents farm had a 10 acre timber/pasture where the fruits and nuts were. But in the long run life went on, everybody went there own ways, and we all have our thoughts of how life use to be when times were good. I guess. weed

Oh yah, I got laid off from work last week due to not enough work at the grain elavator. Guess it'll be an easy winter for me.]]> <![CDATA[My Identifications]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=299 Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:40:26 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=299 A common thistle, some mullein (the boys thought it was soft and fluffy) some type of oblong leaf which I haven't tried to identify yet but the one that stumps me the most...

a type of grass, one of the other guys described it as "soft and fluffy" just a field of it looked soft and fluffy to him he wanted to sleep in it haha
The longest of the pieces he brought me was 10 inches tall, very fine grass with tiny white "wheat" looking tips, but itty bitty...so of course I know that in AZ we don't have poisonous grass so I took a bite and it was SWEET and delicious...my first thought was sweet grass but it doesn't look right...I'll try to get a picture up but if anyone has any idea what it might be let me know...



.jpg  DSCF0231.JPG (Size: 83.39 KB / Downloads: 53)


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the sweet tasting grass was originally green with pale green to white tips, I dried one out and kept the other in a greenhouse with water because it had little buggies all over it and I wanted them to live so I could add them to my ecosystem Smile they lived a few weeks (which is great!))]]> A common thistle, some mullein (the boys thought it was soft and fluffy) some type of oblong leaf which I haven't tried to identify yet but the one that stumps me the most...

a type of grass, one of the other guys described it as "soft and fluffy" just a field of it looked soft and fluffy to him he wanted to sleep in it haha
The longest of the pieces he brought me was 10 inches tall, very fine grass with tiny white "wheat" looking tips, but itty bitty...so of course I know that in AZ we don't have poisonous grass so I took a bite and it was SWEET and delicious...my first thought was sweet grass but it doesn't look right...I'll try to get a picture up but if anyone has any idea what it might be let me know...



.jpg  DSCF0231.JPG (Size: 83.39 KB / Downloads: 53)


.jpg  DSCF0232.JPG (Size: 115.7 KB / Downloads: 51)
the sweet tasting grass was originally green with pale green to white tips, I dried one out and kept the other in a greenhouse with water because it had little buggies all over it and I wanted them to live so I could add them to my ecosystem Smile they lived a few weeks (which is great!))]]> <![CDATA[My Wild refrigerator and Drying Tips]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=278 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:37:19 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=278 http://wildblessings.com/2011/08/23/my-w...on-drying/
Wild blessings!
Holly

It occurred to me today as I was cleaning out my refrigerators (I have two of them), that they are filled with rather odd contents. Just for fun I decided to record a list of what wild goodies I have in stock.

My WILD refrigerator contents list:

Pickled and fermented jars: pickled beets with Milkweed shoots, sweet and sour Burdock root, Nettle and Milkweed sauerkraut, Pickled Milkweed flower buds, Gingered carrots with Milkweed pods, Milkweed shoot kimchi, Japanese sauerkraut with Nettle, Japanese Knotweed pickles, Purslane Pickles, pickled Cattail Shoots, Elderberry capers

I’m really into fermenting using whey from wonderful RAW milk from happy grass fed loved-on cows. You can check out my blog about that here: http://wildblessings.com/?s=my+fermenting+frenzy

Wild syrups: Wild cherry syrup, Autumn Olive Berry syrup, Elderberry syrup, Dandelion syrup, Sumac syrup, Pomegranete syrup, Peach syrup, MAPLE syrup boiled down from my trees

Wild Jams: Knotweed berry jam, Wild grape jam, Elderberry jam, Violet flower jam, Purslane Chutney, Blackberry jam, Blueberry jam

Wild oils: Bee Balm oil, Evening Primrose oil, Dandelion oil, Oregano oil, Mullein flower oil…

Bone broths: made with many wild roots (burdock, Dandelion, Evening Primrose, Queen Anne’s root, Astragulus) and wild leaves the secret ingredient to my bone broth (besides the wild ingredients) are the chicken feet. I clip their nails before tossing them in the pot. The key to a great soup is great stock. I take delight in making mine as healthful and wildly tasty as possible.

Freezer list:

Milkweed (shoots, buds, pods), Knotweed rings (they look like calamari!), Cattail shoots (taste like cucumbers!), Cattail cobs, Blackberries, Autumn Olive Berries, Elderberries, Deer meat…

My pantry is a bit odd as well: Amaranth seeds, dried Elderberries, Hawthorn berries, Mullein leaf and root, Rose Hips and Petals, Lavender flowers, Blackberry and Raspberry leaves, Yellowdock seeds, Dandelion Leaves and Roots, Red Clover flowers, Lambsquarter seeds and leaves, Burdock roots, Evening Primrose roots, Joe Pye weed roots, Thistle buds, ……. all these and much more line my shelves waiting to be used reconstituted in soups and stews, or floured to add nutritious boosts to my breads, or made into healing teas and decoctions.

Drying tips

It is very important how you dry wild plants. First, it is best to harvest in the morning after the sun has burned off the early dew but before the day is too hot. If you are a really organized person you can bundle them as you harvest. I prefer the rubber band method. These bundles are then carefully placed in your foraging basket (grocery cart). It would be so easy to do it that way. I’ve only ever done that once or twice, usually I toss my days catch in a basket and when I get home dump the contents on my kitchen counter where I garble and sort them into piles. Garbling is removing bugs, bug bites, dead leaves….quality control.

Here is a photo of my August 23rd shopping spree all garbled and ready to hang to dry or just eat for lunch.

Photo of kitchen counter with: Mugwort, Lambs 1/4 seeds, Yellowdock seeds, Wormwood, Motherwort

The Wormwood (Artemisia) I am drying to use as a wooden floor cleanser (works great and smells good), the Mugwort I’m drying to make dream pillows with, the Yellowdock (Rubus crispus) seeds I’m collecting for winter stores and to make Yellowdock crackers for my upcoming wild foods dinner, the Lambs Quarter (Chenopodium album) seeds I am collecting to dry for making nutritious granola and hot cereal (gruel) or to put in my Sea Zest blend, the Sorrel (Oxalis) I am using for a soup for my lunch, the few piddly flowers Evening Primrose (Oenothera biensis) and Saint John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) I am adding to their respective jars of oil to infuse for a plethora of delightful reasons, the Cardinal Flower is medicinal but I can’t remember what for (I’ll study it this winter when I have time!), greenbeans from my teepee pole, some basil and a jalapeno pepper are the only cultivated plants I harvested from today and I am just as thankful for the weeds as I am these grown gifts. Oh and I always pick flowers for setting a nice table.

More on drying

The spot where you hang your ‘catch’ to dry must be dry and out of direct sunlight. I have pounded nails in the wooden ribs of my attic eaves and from this hang bunches of fresh herbs to dry. The bundles should never be too large for the purpose of thorough drying.

I also pounded a nails in old tobacco hanging rods and perch these on door frames in my hallway. Our ceilings are tall and the herbs that I hang from these nails are still above our heads. It looks really cool and depending what is hanging there to dry, the scents are delicious. Spearmint, Lemongrass, Lavender and Peppermint is especially overpowering in it’s aroma therapy! Some of my younger friends think my home looks like a set from the Harry Potter movie!

I also consider the moon cycles to harvest wisely. The best time to harvest inorder to increase yield is in the first two quarters of a new moon. This is because the moon is pulling hard on the earth and all it’s life from the ocean tides to our physiological cycles during these phases. If you want to tame a particularly out of control weed, harvest it in the 3rd or 4th quarter of the moon’s cycle. I follow this rule of thumb in mowing the yard as well. Mow it in the first quarter and it will be ready to mow in a few days, mow it in the second half (particularly the 4th quarter) and it will grow back MUCH more slowly.

Once dry the next step is to destem the herbs. This is a fun thing to do when you have a friend over for a visit. It is a bit tedious but not requiring much brain power so you can talk and enjoy your company while desteming your fragrant intriguing dried wild foods.

Hanging Nettle in the hallway to dry

Tips for destemming

Hold the plant upside down and pull the leaves off with a closed hand as you go down the stem. This doesn’t work on all plants (like Motherwort for example!).

Keep the dried stems as fire starter material or as smudge sticks. It is a delightful way to bring Summer into a Winter fireplace scene when the smell of Spearmint or Peppermint from the kindling sticks explode into your olfactories.

I forgot to mention when you were bundling herbs to dry, it may be helpful to label them so you know what you are destemming. It is often hard to recognize a plant once it has shriveled into a dry state. I never bother with that cause I like to trust my sense of smell and taste and I’ve been at this for a long time. Still there are mystery plants that I get stumped by but that makes it all the more funSmile.

Storing

Now that your plants are dried perfectly it is time to store them in glass (preferably). They will keep in this state for years and years. Linda Runyon claims that her dried wild edibles that she has jarred from 30 years ago are still viable (albeit minus some chlorophyll). As a rule of thumb, I keep my dried plants that I use for medicinal purposes for a year and then relocated them to ‘food’ or to the compost bin.

Since I dry WAY more than a quart sized jar of each plant, I store the rest in large paper bags (labeled) and then stored in either trash bags (plastic) or in a storage bin. My goal would be to one day have gallon sized or larger glass bottles to keep them all safely in but that is just a goal.

Recording

Herbs whether dried, oiled, vinegared, tinctured or canned have a way of multiplying like rabbits. To me, the more the merrier, but after awhile it does get kind of confusing. What DO I have anyway? So keep a ledger, a daily log of what you shopped for, and what you did with it. The only way to keep track of this is just to do it. Then you know what you have in stock.

Hope this was helpful.

We are indeed WILDLY blessed!

Holly

Psalms 145:15, 16 “The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”]]> http://wildblessings.com/2011/08/23/my-w...on-drying/
Wild blessings!
Holly

It occurred to me today as I was cleaning out my refrigerators (I have two of them), that they are filled with rather odd contents. Just for fun I decided to record a list of what wild goodies I have in stock.

My WILD refrigerator contents list:

Pickled and fermented jars: pickled beets with Milkweed shoots, sweet and sour Burdock root, Nettle and Milkweed sauerkraut, Pickled Milkweed flower buds, Gingered carrots with Milkweed pods, Milkweed shoot kimchi, Japanese sauerkraut with Nettle, Japanese Knotweed pickles, Purslane Pickles, pickled Cattail Shoots, Elderberry capers

I’m really into fermenting using whey from wonderful RAW milk from happy grass fed loved-on cows. You can check out my blog about that here: http://wildblessings.com/?s=my+fermenting+frenzy

Wild syrups: Wild cherry syrup, Autumn Olive Berry syrup, Elderberry syrup, Dandelion syrup, Sumac syrup, Pomegranete syrup, Peach syrup, MAPLE syrup boiled down from my trees

Wild Jams: Knotweed berry jam, Wild grape jam, Elderberry jam, Violet flower jam, Purslane Chutney, Blackberry jam, Blueberry jam

Wild oils: Bee Balm oil, Evening Primrose oil, Dandelion oil, Oregano oil, Mullein flower oil…

Bone broths: made with many wild roots (burdock, Dandelion, Evening Primrose, Queen Anne’s root, Astragulus) and wild leaves the secret ingredient to my bone broth (besides the wild ingredients) are the chicken feet. I clip their nails before tossing them in the pot. The key to a great soup is great stock. I take delight in making mine as healthful and wildly tasty as possible.

Freezer list:

Milkweed (shoots, buds, pods), Knotweed rings (they look like calamari!), Cattail shoots (taste like cucumbers!), Cattail cobs, Blackberries, Autumn Olive Berries, Elderberries, Deer meat…

My pantry is a bit odd as well: Amaranth seeds, dried Elderberries, Hawthorn berries, Mullein leaf and root, Rose Hips and Petals, Lavender flowers, Blackberry and Raspberry leaves, Yellowdock seeds, Dandelion Leaves and Roots, Red Clover flowers, Lambsquarter seeds and leaves, Burdock roots, Evening Primrose roots, Joe Pye weed roots, Thistle buds, ……. all these and much more line my shelves waiting to be used reconstituted in soups and stews, or floured to add nutritious boosts to my breads, or made into healing teas and decoctions.

Drying tips

It is very important how you dry wild plants. First, it is best to harvest in the morning after the sun has burned off the early dew but before the day is too hot. If you are a really organized person you can bundle them as you harvest. I prefer the rubber band method. These bundles are then carefully placed in your foraging basket (grocery cart). It would be so easy to do it that way. I’ve only ever done that once or twice, usually I toss my days catch in a basket and when I get home dump the contents on my kitchen counter where I garble and sort them into piles. Garbling is removing bugs, bug bites, dead leaves….quality control.

Here is a photo of my August 23rd shopping spree all garbled and ready to hang to dry or just eat for lunch.

Photo of kitchen counter with: Mugwort, Lambs 1/4 seeds, Yellowdock seeds, Wormwood, Motherwort

The Wormwood (Artemisia) I am drying to use as a wooden floor cleanser (works great and smells good), the Mugwort I’m drying to make dream pillows with, the Yellowdock (Rubus crispus) seeds I’m collecting for winter stores and to make Yellowdock crackers for my upcoming wild foods dinner, the Lambs Quarter (Chenopodium album) seeds I am collecting to dry for making nutritious granola and hot cereal (gruel) or to put in my Sea Zest blend, the Sorrel (Oxalis) I am using for a soup for my lunch, the few piddly flowers Evening Primrose (Oenothera biensis) and Saint John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) I am adding to their respective jars of oil to infuse for a plethora of delightful reasons, the Cardinal Flower is medicinal but I can’t remember what for (I’ll study it this winter when I have time!), greenbeans from my teepee pole, some basil and a jalapeno pepper are the only cultivated plants I harvested from today and I am just as thankful for the weeds as I am these grown gifts. Oh and I always pick flowers for setting a nice table.

More on drying

The spot where you hang your ‘catch’ to dry must be dry and out of direct sunlight. I have pounded nails in the wooden ribs of my attic eaves and from this hang bunches of fresh herbs to dry. The bundles should never be too large for the purpose of thorough drying.

I also pounded a nails in old tobacco hanging rods and perch these on door frames in my hallway. Our ceilings are tall and the herbs that I hang from these nails are still above our heads. It looks really cool and depending what is hanging there to dry, the scents are delicious. Spearmint, Lemongrass, Lavender and Peppermint is especially overpowering in it’s aroma therapy! Some of my younger friends think my home looks like a set from the Harry Potter movie!

I also consider the moon cycles to harvest wisely. The best time to harvest inorder to increase yield is in the first two quarters of a new moon. This is because the moon is pulling hard on the earth and all it’s life from the ocean tides to our physiological cycles during these phases. If you want to tame a particularly out of control weed, harvest it in the 3rd or 4th quarter of the moon’s cycle. I follow this rule of thumb in mowing the yard as well. Mow it in the first quarter and it will be ready to mow in a few days, mow it in the second half (particularly the 4th quarter) and it will grow back MUCH more slowly.

Once dry the next step is to destem the herbs. This is a fun thing to do when you have a friend over for a visit. It is a bit tedious but not requiring much brain power so you can talk and enjoy your company while desteming your fragrant intriguing dried wild foods.

Hanging Nettle in the hallway to dry

Tips for destemming

Hold the plant upside down and pull the leaves off with a closed hand as you go down the stem. This doesn’t work on all plants (like Motherwort for example!).

Keep the dried stems as fire starter material or as smudge sticks. It is a delightful way to bring Summer into a Winter fireplace scene when the smell of Spearmint or Peppermint from the kindling sticks explode into your olfactories.

I forgot to mention when you were bundling herbs to dry, it may be helpful to label them so you know what you are destemming. It is often hard to recognize a plant once it has shriveled into a dry state. I never bother with that cause I like to trust my sense of smell and taste and I’ve been at this for a long time. Still there are mystery plants that I get stumped by but that makes it all the more funSmile.

Storing

Now that your plants are dried perfectly it is time to store them in glass (preferably). They will keep in this state for years and years. Linda Runyon claims that her dried wild edibles that she has jarred from 30 years ago are still viable (albeit minus some chlorophyll). As a rule of thumb, I keep my dried plants that I use for medicinal purposes for a year and then relocated them to ‘food’ or to the compost bin.

Since I dry WAY more than a quart sized jar of each plant, I store the rest in large paper bags (labeled) and then stored in either trash bags (plastic) or in a storage bin. My goal would be to one day have gallon sized or larger glass bottles to keep them all safely in but that is just a goal.

Recording

Herbs whether dried, oiled, vinegared, tinctured or canned have a way of multiplying like rabbits. To me, the more the merrier, but after awhile it does get kind of confusing. What DO I have anyway? So keep a ledger, a daily log of what you shopped for, and what you did with it. The only way to keep track of this is just to do it. Then you know what you have in stock.

Hope this was helpful.

We are indeed WILDLY blessed!

Holly

Psalms 145:15, 16 “The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”]]> <![CDATA[Witches Shoelaces, AKA Dodder Vine]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=277 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:36:26 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=277
If you want to see the many photos you'll have to go to my website, here is the link: http://wildblessings.com/2011/08/19/witc...rey-plant/
Holly

Witches Shoelaces, Devils Guts…. A Scarey Plant

The below monologue is not about an edible plant, though it does resemble spaghetti, it isn’t even about a plant that I like. I have a deep aversion to this plant and since I have been forced to spend SOOOOO much time with it… I decided to blog about it.

It is called Japanese Dodder Vine (Cuscuta spp) a particularly striking member of the Convolvulaceae family. It’s common names are: the vampire plant, lovevine, strangleweed, hellbind, goldthread, witches shoelaces and devil’s guts.

For those living locally I have spotted it on Big Hill road along the New River, on top of Junaluska mountain, under the power line along 194 near the DOT, between the golf course and the Methodist church on Deerfield road in Boone AND in my backyard. How it got to my back yard is a mystery but one thing I’ve learned upon dealing with it for the past 3 Summers, it is here to stay.

Here is the story…

June, 2008 my father had an accident where his spine was broken and as he languished in the hospital for 3 months I spent as much time with him as possible. Being Summer, my garden was left to fend for itself. One particular 3 week stretch I returned home from being with my Dad to an unforgettable sight. Orange spaghetti was matted in glistening globs all over my back yard plants. A usual amazon of lively poke weed, yellowdock, goldenrod, evening primrose, ironweed, joe pye weed, lambs quarter, jewelweed, burdock, amaranth…. the plants were mere black skeletons. I starred horrified. I had never seen anything like it. It didn’t take long searching the web to ascertain that the culprit was a noxious parasitical vine called, Japanese Dodder Vine. The more I learned about it the more indignant I felt and the more determined I became to rid my land of this orange scourge.

But it has never gone away. It comes back every year. It is a daily duty to search for it’s stranglehold and eradicate it. The seeds lay dormant in the soil for up to SIXTY YEARS. And since it had flowered and seeded while I was away caring for my father it will be a constant battle to fight for as long as I live here.

“If you are a horror movie producer looking for inspiration, this could be your plant! It has it all: long orange tentacles to grasp and entangle its victims, suckers to drain their life juices, and a devastating lifestyle to match that of any hostile alien symbiont.” (quote from The Garden Geeks)

Farmers have placed the dodder – aka “Strangleweed,” “Devil Guts,” and “Witches Shoelaces” – on a ten most-wanted list of weeds. Swarthmore College biology professor Colin Purrington says the vine starts out as just a tiny tendril with no roots or leaves. It then has about a week to find a host plant it can wrap itself around. “It’s probably one of the creepiest plants I know,” says Purrington. “It’s a horrible existence for the host plant. If plants could scream, they’d have the loudest screams when they had Dodder attached.”

Even though I absolutely hate this parasitical colorful plant, it has taught me a few Spiritual lessons as I have been up close and personal with it for many many dedicated hours. It seems to me that the Dodder Vine and Sin are a suitable analogy, paralleling each other in tactics and it’s destructive effects.

I have used the time seemingly wasted ripping up host plants to the Dodder vine in praying for my sons that they would live untangled lives free from sin and it’s destruction.

What the Bible says about sin, it’s agenda, it’s mannerisms and it’s effects

Genesis 4:7 “Sin is crouching at the door, and it’s desire is for you, but you must master it.”

Hebrews 3:13 “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is called “Today”, so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

Psalms 38:3 “There is no health in my bones because of my sin.”

Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death”

Hebrews 12:1 “Let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us…”

Hebrews 12:15 “See to it that no root of bitterness spring up causing trouble, and by it many be defiled.”

John 8:34 “Jesus said, “Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin”

1 Timothy 5:22 “Keep yourselves free from sin”

2 Corinthians 2:11 “That no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.”

John 10:10 says “The thief comes ONLY to steal, kill and destroy. I (Jesus) came that you might have life and have it to the full”.

It all reminds me of the story of Pinocchio. The wooden puppet who had become a ‘real’ boy. He had left the safety of his father, Gepetto’s, clock shoppe to venture with the wrong crowd to ‘Pleasure Island’. They were all having a swell time till Pinocchio realized that all his newfound friends were sprouting donkey ears and tails and turning into asses. Sin will make an ass out of us! Yet if sin were not alluring none of us would allow it to fasten it’s grip on us. Unlike Pinocchio’s escape, unhappy plants that fall under the Dodder’s spell do not fare so well. In fact, once the vine coils around the healthy stems the vampire-like Dodder then sinks its fangs into its victim and starts drinking. If left alone the host plants will be sucked of all their life and color leaving a mass of black death.

Lessons I have learned from the Dodder vine and it’s analogy to sin:

1. Like Dodder, sin is often colorful, eye catching and alluring… yet as you will see with the eye catching and morbidly fascinating Dodder vine…. all that glitters is not gold! Sin does not bring life, it sucks life. Dodder is bright orange, it has no chlorophyll of it’s own. Because of this problem, Dodder vines must function as parasites to obtain nourishment from other plants.

2. Sin often appears deceptively harmless. The Dodder vine starts out as just a tiny tendril with no roots or leaves. Once the seed has germinated it has only a few days to find a host plant it can wrap itself around. If it does not it will die. An established vine has many long fragile and willowy orange tentacles which appear totally harmless as they tickle would be hosts. “I will not hurt you” it seems to say. Look how friendly I am… These flexible soft tendrils can go in many directions at once sniffing a suitable victim.

3. Yet when sin gets a stranglehold it brings death. Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death”. Once the orange tendrils find a willing host it coils around with a vice grip and does not stop till it has encircled the host always counterclockwise in it’s hungry navigation, sometimes doubling back over it’s original tracks and always reaching out to other plants in it’s pursuit of MORE. Inserting specialized roots called haustoria (like vampire fangs) that actually penetrate and invade the tissues of the host plant, water, minerals, and carbohydrates are obtained directly from the host. The root portion of the Dodder dies and the plant separates from the soil, now being entirely dependent on the host plant to sustain it and support it’s voracious habit of spreading up to 6 inches a day in all directions.

4. If sin is not dealt with decisively it brings forth a multiplicity of more devastation and long term consequences. The mother plant has the potential of producing 16,000 seeds per season. NEVER let Dodder vine become established. If left unchallenged the orange spaghetti monsters pile on top of each other in a dense mat where they flower, seed and blow their poisonous wares in all directions while turning all the host vegetation below black and lifeless. Seeds spread in a circumference of 10 feet. The seeds can remain viable and dormant in soil for up to 60 years. Not only is the Dodder vine parasitic but it is known to spread various plant diseases.

5. It takes daily due diligence to uproot any known sin to keep it from infecting further and spreading it’s effects to others. Likewise, I have to be on Dodder Vine patrol almost daily to keep it under control. Last week I had let 8 days or so go by without investigating and when I finally did it had spread it’s orange nastiness to the size of a mini van. The best bet is to hand pull the dodder and its infested host, roots and all. It is especially important that you destroy the dodder vine before it sets seeds. If you find it on plants around your home it would be prudent to destroy it immediately. It is a weed in no danger of extinction that has the potential to be a gardener’s nightmare.

6. Be thorough in your treatment of sin and in eradicating Dodder. Even a tiny piece of Dodder left will continue to wreak havoc. Fragments carried by wind, water, people, or birds also start new tangles. After dying back in winter, it grows back strongly in spring. To kill the parasite, the host plant usually has to be ripped up by the roots and killed. All fragments of vine and host plant must be buried in landfill (not composted). I put the whole mess in large plastic bags and take them to the landfill. Burning is not effective and leaving them on a leaf pile will only spread it’s effusiveness to more areas of your land.

7. Replace sinful habits with life giving habits. ‘Empty place is still a place’, the old saying goes. There are some plants that actually are immune or resistant to Dodder vine infestation, such as: cereals, corn, soybeans, velvetbeans or cowpeas. Planting these in an infested and eradicated area may assist in control. Replace sin with life giving and healthy choices!

Surprising Usages

I found it surprising as I did my research that Dodder has several medicinal gifts. I collected a bucketful of Dodder in full flower and am brewing a tincture to see how it works medicinally. I used gloves to collect from the most abundant patch and was VERY careful to keep the bucket covered so as not to inadvertently spread the seeds. It is just an experiment for me and I’ll let you know what I learn in the process.

“Various dodder species have been used to treat a great variety of different ailments. Some are thought to take on and enhance the medicinal properties of the plants they parasitize. The dodder that grows on thyme (Cuscuta epithymum) has been a favorite in European folk medicine.” Well maybe BUT why not just use THYME?

One of my favorite herbalist of all time Jim Macdonald told me this. “In Chinese medicine Dodder seed is a valued medicinal in Chinese medicine – said to help sperm production and motility. Michael Moore wrote about the use of dodder (the herb) for lymphatic inflammation and congestion, and swollen spleen. I imagine it might have a similar effect on swollen lymph glands.”

Hmmm. Infertility is a huge issue in our society, thanks to vaccines, fluoridated water and now in many foods, genetically modified foods (lots of culprits) so I did raise my eyebrow with the thought that Dodder may boost sperm production and motility.

So there may just be a silver lining to this orange cloud.

Another possible analogy to the Dodder vine and it’s cunning might be our parasitic government (without any redemptive qualities)

….just sayin…]]>
If you want to see the many photos you'll have to go to my website, here is the link: http://wildblessings.com/2011/08/19/witc...rey-plant/
Holly

Witches Shoelaces, Devils Guts…. A Scarey Plant

The below monologue is not about an edible plant, though it does resemble spaghetti, it isn’t even about a plant that I like. I have a deep aversion to this plant and since I have been forced to spend SOOOOO much time with it… I decided to blog about it.

It is called Japanese Dodder Vine (Cuscuta spp) a particularly striking member of the Convolvulaceae family. It’s common names are: the vampire plant, lovevine, strangleweed, hellbind, goldthread, witches shoelaces and devil’s guts.

For those living locally I have spotted it on Big Hill road along the New River, on top of Junaluska mountain, under the power line along 194 near the DOT, between the golf course and the Methodist church on Deerfield road in Boone AND in my backyard. How it got to my back yard is a mystery but one thing I’ve learned upon dealing with it for the past 3 Summers, it is here to stay.

Here is the story…

June, 2008 my father had an accident where his spine was broken and as he languished in the hospital for 3 months I spent as much time with him as possible. Being Summer, my garden was left to fend for itself. One particular 3 week stretch I returned home from being with my Dad to an unforgettable sight. Orange spaghetti was matted in glistening globs all over my back yard plants. A usual amazon of lively poke weed, yellowdock, goldenrod, evening primrose, ironweed, joe pye weed, lambs quarter, jewelweed, burdock, amaranth…. the plants were mere black skeletons. I starred horrified. I had never seen anything like it. It didn’t take long searching the web to ascertain that the culprit was a noxious parasitical vine called, Japanese Dodder Vine. The more I learned about it the more indignant I felt and the more determined I became to rid my land of this orange scourge.

But it has never gone away. It comes back every year. It is a daily duty to search for it’s stranglehold and eradicate it. The seeds lay dormant in the soil for up to SIXTY YEARS. And since it had flowered and seeded while I was away caring for my father it will be a constant battle to fight for as long as I live here.

“If you are a horror movie producer looking for inspiration, this could be your plant! It has it all: long orange tentacles to grasp and entangle its victims, suckers to drain their life juices, and a devastating lifestyle to match that of any hostile alien symbiont.” (quote from The Garden Geeks)

Farmers have placed the dodder – aka “Strangleweed,” “Devil Guts,” and “Witches Shoelaces” – on a ten most-wanted list of weeds. Swarthmore College biology professor Colin Purrington says the vine starts out as just a tiny tendril with no roots or leaves. It then has about a week to find a host plant it can wrap itself around. “It’s probably one of the creepiest plants I know,” says Purrington. “It’s a horrible existence for the host plant. If plants could scream, they’d have the loudest screams when they had Dodder attached.”

Even though I absolutely hate this parasitical colorful plant, it has taught me a few Spiritual lessons as I have been up close and personal with it for many many dedicated hours. It seems to me that the Dodder Vine and Sin are a suitable analogy, paralleling each other in tactics and it’s destructive effects.

I have used the time seemingly wasted ripping up host plants to the Dodder vine in praying for my sons that they would live untangled lives free from sin and it’s destruction.

What the Bible says about sin, it’s agenda, it’s mannerisms and it’s effects

Genesis 4:7 “Sin is crouching at the door, and it’s desire is for you, but you must master it.”

Hebrews 3:13 “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is called “Today”, so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

Psalms 38:3 “There is no health in my bones because of my sin.”

Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death”

Hebrews 12:1 “Let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us…”

Hebrews 12:15 “See to it that no root of bitterness spring up causing trouble, and by it many be defiled.”

John 8:34 “Jesus said, “Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin”

1 Timothy 5:22 “Keep yourselves free from sin”

2 Corinthians 2:11 “That no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.”

John 10:10 says “The thief comes ONLY to steal, kill and destroy. I (Jesus) came that you might have life and have it to the full”.

It all reminds me of the story of Pinocchio. The wooden puppet who had become a ‘real’ boy. He had left the safety of his father, Gepetto’s, clock shoppe to venture with the wrong crowd to ‘Pleasure Island’. They were all having a swell time till Pinocchio realized that all his newfound friends were sprouting donkey ears and tails and turning into asses. Sin will make an ass out of us! Yet if sin were not alluring none of us would allow it to fasten it’s grip on us. Unlike Pinocchio’s escape, unhappy plants that fall under the Dodder’s spell do not fare so well. In fact, once the vine coils around the healthy stems the vampire-like Dodder then sinks its fangs into its victim and starts drinking. If left alone the host plants will be sucked of all their life and color leaving a mass of black death.

Lessons I have learned from the Dodder vine and it’s analogy to sin:

1. Like Dodder, sin is often colorful, eye catching and alluring… yet as you will see with the eye catching and morbidly fascinating Dodder vine…. all that glitters is not gold! Sin does not bring life, it sucks life. Dodder is bright orange, it has no chlorophyll of it’s own. Because of this problem, Dodder vines must function as parasites to obtain nourishment from other plants.

2. Sin often appears deceptively harmless. The Dodder vine starts out as just a tiny tendril with no roots or leaves. Once the seed has germinated it has only a few days to find a host plant it can wrap itself around. If it does not it will die. An established vine has many long fragile and willowy orange tentacles which appear totally harmless as they tickle would be hosts. “I will not hurt you” it seems to say. Look how friendly I am… These flexible soft tendrils can go in many directions at once sniffing a suitable victim.

3. Yet when sin gets a stranglehold it brings death. Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death”. Once the orange tendrils find a willing host it coils around with a vice grip and does not stop till it has encircled the host always counterclockwise in it’s hungry navigation, sometimes doubling back over it’s original tracks and always reaching out to other plants in it’s pursuit of MORE. Inserting specialized roots called haustoria (like vampire fangs) that actually penetrate and invade the tissues of the host plant, water, minerals, and carbohydrates are obtained directly from the host. The root portion of the Dodder dies and the plant separates from the soil, now being entirely dependent on the host plant to sustain it and support it’s voracious habit of spreading up to 6 inches a day in all directions.

4. If sin is not dealt with decisively it brings forth a multiplicity of more devastation and long term consequences. The mother plant has the potential of producing 16,000 seeds per season. NEVER let Dodder vine become established. If left unchallenged the orange spaghetti monsters pile on top of each other in a dense mat where they flower, seed and blow their poisonous wares in all directions while turning all the host vegetation below black and lifeless. Seeds spread in a circumference of 10 feet. The seeds can remain viable and dormant in soil for up to 60 years. Not only is the Dodder vine parasitic but it is known to spread various plant diseases.

5. It takes daily due diligence to uproot any known sin to keep it from infecting further and spreading it’s effects to others. Likewise, I have to be on Dodder Vine patrol almost daily to keep it under control. Last week I had let 8 days or so go by without investigating and when I finally did it had spread it’s orange nastiness to the size of a mini van. The best bet is to hand pull the dodder and its infested host, roots and all. It is especially important that you destroy the dodder vine before it sets seeds. If you find it on plants around your home it would be prudent to destroy it immediately. It is a weed in no danger of extinction that has the potential to be a gardener’s nightmare.

6. Be thorough in your treatment of sin and in eradicating Dodder. Even a tiny piece of Dodder left will continue to wreak havoc. Fragments carried by wind, water, people, or birds also start new tangles. After dying back in winter, it grows back strongly in spring. To kill the parasite, the host plant usually has to be ripped up by the roots and killed. All fragments of vine and host plant must be buried in landfill (not composted). I put the whole mess in large plastic bags and take them to the landfill. Burning is not effective and leaving them on a leaf pile will only spread it’s effusiveness to more areas of your land.

7. Replace sinful habits with life giving habits. ‘Empty place is still a place’, the old saying goes. There are some plants that actually are immune or resistant to Dodder vine infestation, such as: cereals, corn, soybeans, velvetbeans or cowpeas. Planting these in an infested and eradicated area may assist in control. Replace sin with life giving and healthy choices!

Surprising Usages

I found it surprising as I did my research that Dodder has several medicinal gifts. I collected a bucketful of Dodder in full flower and am brewing a tincture to see how it works medicinally. I used gloves to collect from the most abundant patch and was VERY careful to keep the bucket covered so as not to inadvertently spread the seeds. It is just an experiment for me and I’ll let you know what I learn in the process.

“Various dodder species have been used to treat a great variety of different ailments. Some are thought to take on and enhance the medicinal properties of the plants they parasitize. The dodder that grows on thyme (Cuscuta epithymum) has been a favorite in European folk medicine.” Well maybe BUT why not just use THYME?

One of my favorite herbalist of all time Jim Macdonald told me this. “In Chinese medicine Dodder seed is a valued medicinal in Chinese medicine – said to help sperm production and motility. Michael Moore wrote about the use of dodder (the herb) for lymphatic inflammation and congestion, and swollen spleen. I imagine it might have a similar effect on swollen lymph glands.”

Hmmm. Infertility is a huge issue in our society, thanks to vaccines, fluoridated water and now in many foods, genetically modified foods (lots of culprits) so I did raise my eyebrow with the thought that Dodder may boost sperm production and motility.

So there may just be a silver lining to this orange cloud.

Another possible analogy to the Dodder vine and it’s cunning might be our parasitic government (without any redemptive qualities)

….just sayin…]]> <![CDATA[Italian Wild Food Feast Menu]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=275 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:19:18 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=275 I just sent out an eVite for my upcoming Italian wild food dinner. Thought you'd like to see what is on the menu. Wish you could all attend! Especially LINDA!!!!!!!!!
Holly

Dear Friends,

You are invited to another wild time at the Drakes. With an abundant heirloom tomato crop and zucchini in vogue I decided to feature Italian cuisine with wild foods.

The wild gifts are abundant as well, with Summer's wave bringing berries and seeds to the table along with the many canned, dried or frozen weeds harvested earlier in the season at the peak of their energy. Here is the menu:

Italian Wild Food Feast

Grapes

Wild Blackberry, Elderberry or Bee Balm Tea & Sumac Lemonade

Pickled Cattail Shoots w/ Brie & Yellow Dock Seed Crackers

Bruschetta Rounds w/ Wild Pesto

Wild Greens Salad, Edible Flowers


Cattail ‘Corn on the Cob’ w/ Garlic sauce

Dandelion Italiano


Caponate w/ Sorrel, Purslane & Elderberry Capers

Italian Milkweed Pods Casserole

Milkweed Shoot & Sassafras Spaghetti Sauce w/
Deer Meat Meatballs or
Mushroom Veggie Balls

Fresh Peach Cobbler w/ Wild Blackberries
Hemp Vanilla Icecream

Hot Peppermint Tea or Dandelion Root Coffee


Join me to learn about the art of shopping in the wild. We'll forage, cook, eat and then watch Linda Runyon's awesome DVD as she explains more about thriving off of the land.

A plant ID quiz will finish the evening. Wild Blackberry jam goes to the winner!

Cost is $40. RSVP soon as there is only enough space for 12 cooks. Please be on time.

Looking forward to this!

Wild blessings abound
Holly Drake

Proverbs 22:3 "The wise man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them, the fool goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."

PS Follow me on Twitter to see what I am foraging for. Right now is the time to harvest those gorgeous crimson Sumac spires of berries. Get them on a dry day and do it now before bugs take up residence.

PSS Freshly made Elderberry Syrup is available for sale. Stock up for flu season or just enjoy on your pancakes.

PPSS Don't worry I will NOT be serving orange spaghetti as part of our menu. You can read about this fascinating INEDIBLE plant at my website:
http://wildblessings.com/2011/08/19/witc...rey-plant/]]> I just sent out an eVite for my upcoming Italian wild food dinner. Thought you'd like to see what is on the menu. Wish you could all attend! Especially LINDA!!!!!!!!!
Holly

Dear Friends,

You are invited to another wild time at the Drakes. With an abundant heirloom tomato crop and zucchini in vogue I decided to feature Italian cuisine with wild foods.

The wild gifts are abundant as well, with Summer's wave bringing berries and seeds to the table along with the many canned, dried or frozen weeds harvested earlier in the season at the peak of their energy. Here is the menu:

Italian Wild Food Feast

Grapes

Wild Blackberry, Elderberry or Bee Balm Tea & Sumac Lemonade

Pickled Cattail Shoots w/ Brie & Yellow Dock Seed Crackers

Bruschetta Rounds w/ Wild Pesto

Wild Greens Salad, Edible Flowers


Cattail ‘Corn on the Cob’ w/ Garlic sauce

Dandelion Italiano


Caponate w/ Sorrel, Purslane & Elderberry Capers

Italian Milkweed Pods Casserole

Milkweed Shoot & Sassafras Spaghetti Sauce w/
Deer Meat Meatballs or
Mushroom Veggie Balls

Fresh Peach Cobbler w/ Wild Blackberries
Hemp Vanilla Icecream

Hot Peppermint Tea or Dandelion Root Coffee


Join me to learn about the art of shopping in the wild. We'll forage, cook, eat and then watch Linda Runyon's awesome DVD as she explains more about thriving off of the land.

A plant ID quiz will finish the evening. Wild Blackberry jam goes to the winner!

Cost is $40. RSVP soon as there is only enough space for 12 cooks. Please be on time.

Looking forward to this!

Wild blessings abound
Holly Drake

Proverbs 22:3 "The wise man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them, the fool goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."

PS Follow me on Twitter to see what I am foraging for. Right now is the time to harvest those gorgeous crimson Sumac spires of berries. Get them on a dry day and do it now before bugs take up residence.

PSS Freshly made Elderberry Syrup is available for sale. Stock up for flu season or just enjoy on your pancakes.

PPSS Don't worry I will NOT be serving orange spaghetti as part of our menu. You can read about this fascinating INEDIBLE plant at my website:
http://wildblessings.com/2011/08/19/witc...rey-plant/]]> <![CDATA[Lamb's quarters]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=265 Sat, 13 Aug 2011 04:46:01 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=265 <![CDATA[Which edible plants grow well in window sill pots? ]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=263 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 07:47:23 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=263 <![CDATA[Is this Amaranth?]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=261 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:34:12 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=261
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.jpg  7-29-11 028.JPG (Size: 157.24 KB / Downloads: 106) ]]> <![CDATA[Score! Green Cattail Heads! So yummy!]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=258 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 19:22:38 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=258
The Cattail swamp was perhaps a harsh way to introduce a newbie to the ways of the wild for it was raining hard. And once we were lost in the middle of the vastness of the cattail swamp Savannah was promptly stung by a bee. Twice. I decided to be heartless and forage on for we had a mission to collect enough green cobs to serve for each camper at the wild foods workshop and culminating feast I am teaching on Tuesday at a camp in Tennessee.

It was a slow beginning. Many Cattails in the inbetween stage between young tasty cucumbery shoots and the corn on the cob green female heads. And many in the 'hot dog on a stick' phase.. Linda Runyon claims that it takes 10 ripe brown cobs to make a loaf of bread. I haven't tried that yet but I will. For today the green cobs were my focus and there just were not that many of them to be found. Poor Savannah bravely trudged after me in her leather boots (they were nice when we started), her throbbing thigh and drenched body carefully trying to keep the muck from sucking her boots off her feet.

It's really hard to explain what it's like in the thick of a Cattail maze. There are really millions of these stately plants, some looming well over our heads, the stream fingers it's way into the swamps core making firm footing challenging. Several times, while focusing on my objective of gathering the green cobs, my foot slipped into a hole. Mud and water would slosh over the top of my rubber boots filling them. Once we were thoroughly drenched it really became more fun as we didn't care about staying dry or clean! Still only 4 or 5 green cobs ripe enough to gather for dinner. We trudged on. Doubling back a different route towards the main stream we had better luck. Staying close but going our separate ways we filled up our buckets with choice green cobs and a few brown ones. We collected the golden pollen from the male cob above the green female part as well. Linda says that this golden pollen is highly nutritive and has recipes for it in her fabulous book, The Essential Wild Food's Survival Guide.

On the way home, Savannah read Linda's poignant story of Life in a Cattail Pond in every season. A must read for every Cattail lover.

Across the road we stopped at the Llama farm to gather Peppermint which grows there in abundant profusion and some Milkweed flower buds.

Back home we took hot showers, Savannah put a Plantain poultice on her bee stings and I taught her how to prepare each wild gift for storage till they are eaten. We ate the Milkweed buds cooked in raw milk with organic butter, sea salt and melted cheddar cheese. Delicious!

Later that evening Titus returned from a run with a copperhead snake. It's head between Titus' fingers keeping it's mouth shut it's body coiled around his hand and arm. He excitedly showed me it's beautiful markings and it's white 'cotton mouth'. We pried it's mouth open to reveal it's fangs and poison glands. Titus keeps surprising me with his savvy for the things of the wild. Common sense I guess for a born and raised mountain man!

A wildly fun day. I think that Savannah has been bit with the wild bug. I hope she joins me for further forays into nature's stores.

Of by the way, I love Cattail green cobs. Just boil them for 10 minutes and then slather with butter, S & P. Tastes like artichoke hearts. Incredible!

If you want to see pictures of the above foraging adventure here is the link
http://wildblessings.com/2011/07/17/scor...reen-cobs/]]>
The Cattail swamp was perhaps a harsh way to introduce a newbie to the ways of the wild for it was raining hard. And once we were lost in the middle of the vastness of the cattail swamp Savannah was promptly stung by a bee. Twice. I decided to be heartless and forage on for we had a mission to collect enough green cobs to serve for each camper at the wild foods workshop and culminating feast I am teaching on Tuesday at a camp in Tennessee.

It was a slow beginning. Many Cattails in the inbetween stage between young tasty cucumbery shoots and the corn on the cob green female heads. And many in the 'hot dog on a stick' phase.. Linda Runyon claims that it takes 10 ripe brown cobs to make a loaf of bread. I haven't tried that yet but I will. For today the green cobs were my focus and there just were not that many of them to be found. Poor Savannah bravely trudged after me in her leather boots (they were nice when we started), her throbbing thigh and drenched body carefully trying to keep the muck from sucking her boots off her feet.

It's really hard to explain what it's like in the thick of a Cattail maze. There are really millions of these stately plants, some looming well over our heads, the stream fingers it's way into the swamps core making firm footing challenging. Several times, while focusing on my objective of gathering the green cobs, my foot slipped into a hole. Mud and water would slosh over the top of my rubber boots filling them. Once we were thoroughly drenched it really became more fun as we didn't care about staying dry or clean! Still only 4 or 5 green cobs ripe enough to gather for dinner. We trudged on. Doubling back a different route towards the main stream we had better luck. Staying close but going our separate ways we filled up our buckets with choice green cobs and a few brown ones. We collected the golden pollen from the male cob above the green female part as well. Linda says that this golden pollen is highly nutritive and has recipes for it in her fabulous book, The Essential Wild Food's Survival Guide.

On the way home, Savannah read Linda's poignant story of Life in a Cattail Pond in every season. A must read for every Cattail lover.

Across the road we stopped at the Llama farm to gather Peppermint which grows there in abundant profusion and some Milkweed flower buds.

Back home we took hot showers, Savannah put a Plantain poultice on her bee stings and I taught her how to prepare each wild gift for storage till they are eaten. We ate the Milkweed buds cooked in raw milk with organic butter, sea salt and melted cheddar cheese. Delicious!

Later that evening Titus returned from a run with a copperhead snake. It's head between Titus' fingers keeping it's mouth shut it's body coiled around his hand and arm. He excitedly showed me it's beautiful markings and it's white 'cotton mouth'. We pried it's mouth open to reveal it's fangs and poison glands. Titus keeps surprising me with his savvy for the things of the wild. Common sense I guess for a born and raised mountain man!

A wildly fun day. I think that Savannah has been bit with the wild bug. I hope she joins me for further forays into nature's stores.

Of by the way, I love Cattail green cobs. Just boil them for 10 minutes and then slather with butter, S & P. Tastes like artichoke hearts. Incredible!

If you want to see pictures of the above foraging adventure here is the link
http://wildblessings.com/2011/07/17/scor...reen-cobs/]]> <![CDATA[Shopping for free]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=256 Sat, 16 Jul 2011 19:37:32 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=256 My Foragers Heart (wild meditations)

Psalms 145:5 “Of the glorious splendor of Your majesty and of Your wondrous works I will meditate.”

I sit here surrounded by the glorious splendor of His majesty. Sounds of morning life stirring, birds flitting about chirping their unique songs. Staring across the valley to the hills beyond the panorama is one of peaceful beauty. A stand of flowering Bull Thistles lines the barbed wire fence waving gently with the breeze. Goldfinch dart about sporting their striking plumage. Clouds sit rather heavy on the ridge line keeping the air delightfully cool. The Bee Balm I picked at the stream assaults my senses with it’s pungent perfume tempting me to make a fresh pot of Bee Balm tea once I’m home. The most remarkable thing I saw was a large bird gathering size at it flew towards me from my left. It was a Blue Heron!!!! and it flew right past me only 30 feet away. I watched till it floated out of sight. Amazing! They are not common in these mountains.

Your works are wonderful Lord. In wisdom You have made them all. Thank YOU for Your gracious hand and heart. Teach me more about You.

My Foragers Basket

Today I went to Peaceful Acres with the collies to see what the Milkweed patch was up to and give them a run around the pasture’s perimeter. It is a beautiful thing to watch collies run in green fields. They worked out their pent up energy running beside the golf cart. Half of the field has been mowed and the other half the various grasses are chest high, so beautiful and full of free food! As we crossed the stream the Bee Balm was in shocking perfusion so we paused there to be refreshed in the cold mountain stream and to gather the brilliant red blossoms. At the Milkweed patch there were fewer flower buds (the broccoli stage) available but several of the flowers were morphing into tiny seed pods. A growth phase I have been anticipating as this is the “potato stage” and quite delicious. Mullein stalks towered above me at various outposts, so tall that I had to bend them gently to harvest their yellow flowers. Catnip is everywhere adding a rather skunkish smell to the overpowering sweetness of the Milkweed. Self Heal blankets large patches of the earth…

Each plant that I harvested this morning: Clover, Milkweed, Mullein flowers, Bee Balm, Catnip, Thistle, Plantain, Dandelion, Self Heal, all have multiple gifts to experience. Some I intend to dry for teas or for winter food, some I will infuse in oil for healing slaves, vinegars, extracts, or simply to be gratefully eaten fresh for dinner.

Putting up my ‘Groceries’

One of the key aspects to successful foraging is to put up the plants as soon as possible. I make it a habit to ‘garble’ my catch immediately. Garbling means debugging, removing dead leaves, sorting by plant and washing (if its dirty roots, otherwise I rarely wash my wild plants since I get them from such clean environments).

Making Wild preparations is the next step. All of the Bee Balm is drying in small bundles from nails hanging in my hallway. The Rose Petals were added to a honey and brandy mixture that I’ve been brewing for a few weeks, the Self Heal (Prunella vulgaris) is chopped fine and put in olive oil, Red Clover is in a drying basket in single layers so they don’t get moldy but dry perfectly, the Milkweed I chopped up in my food processor to extract it’s constituents in Scotch Whiskey for medicine, the Mullein Flowers are steeping in olive oil for earache drops, the Blackberries were added to my quart of Blueberry and Blackberries steeping in brandy and the Milkweed flower buds were steamed and added to my eggrolls for dinner. The Cattails to the far right were from the other day at the Cattail ‘store’. I’ll be writing about that memorable shopping spree in my next blog. ;(

If I were to add up the financial savings of my shopping this morning it would be an interesting calculation. Just from today’s foraging basket I have:

Blackberry and blueberry brandy

Rose Hip and Rose Petal honeyed brandy

Mullein flower earache medicine

Milkweed medicine for wart treatment (4 ounces of Milkweed extract sells for $27!)

Self Heal for the base of lots of healing salves and lip balms

Daisys and Black Eyed Susans for floral arrangements

Milkweed for dinner &

countless cups of Bee Balm tea to bring the Summer’s goodness and vibrancy into a Winter tea….

So it was another lovely day shopping for free in God’s creation!

Wild blessings do abound and I feel blessed!

Holly

If you want to see pictures you can see them at my blog
http://wildblessings.com/2011/07/14/shopping-for-free/]]> My Foragers Heart (wild meditations)

Psalms 145:5 “Of the glorious splendor of Your majesty and of Your wondrous works I will meditate.”

I sit here surrounded by the glorious splendor of His majesty. Sounds of morning life stirring, birds flitting about chirping their unique songs. Staring across the valley to the hills beyond the panorama is one of peaceful beauty. A stand of flowering Bull Thistles lines the barbed wire fence waving gently with the breeze. Goldfinch dart about sporting their striking plumage. Clouds sit rather heavy on the ridge line keeping the air delightfully cool. The Bee Balm I picked at the stream assaults my senses with it’s pungent perfume tempting me to make a fresh pot of Bee Balm tea once I’m home. The most remarkable thing I saw was a large bird gathering size at it flew towards me from my left. It was a Blue Heron!!!! and it flew right past me only 30 feet away. I watched till it floated out of sight. Amazing! They are not common in these mountains.

Your works are wonderful Lord. In wisdom You have made them all. Thank YOU for Your gracious hand and heart. Teach me more about You.

My Foragers Basket

Today I went to Peaceful Acres with the collies to see what the Milkweed patch was up to and give them a run around the pasture’s perimeter. It is a beautiful thing to watch collies run in green fields. They worked out their pent up energy running beside the golf cart. Half of the field has been mowed and the other half the various grasses are chest high, so beautiful and full of free food! As we crossed the stream the Bee Balm was in shocking perfusion so we paused there to be refreshed in the cold mountain stream and to gather the brilliant red blossoms. At the Milkweed patch there were fewer flower buds (the broccoli stage) available but several of the flowers were morphing into tiny seed pods. A growth phase I have been anticipating as this is the “potato stage” and quite delicious. Mullein stalks towered above me at various outposts, so tall that I had to bend them gently to harvest their yellow flowers. Catnip is everywhere adding a rather skunkish smell to the overpowering sweetness of the Milkweed. Self Heal blankets large patches of the earth…

Each plant that I harvested this morning: Clover, Milkweed, Mullein flowers, Bee Balm, Catnip, Thistle, Plantain, Dandelion, Self Heal, all have multiple gifts to experience. Some I intend to dry for teas or for winter food, some I will infuse in oil for healing slaves, vinegars, extracts, or simply to be gratefully eaten fresh for dinner.

Putting up my ‘Groceries’

One of the key aspects to successful foraging is to put up the plants as soon as possible. I make it a habit to ‘garble’ my catch immediately. Garbling means debugging, removing dead leaves, sorting by plant and washing (if its dirty roots, otherwise I rarely wash my wild plants since I get them from such clean environments).

Making Wild preparations is the next step. All of the Bee Balm is drying in small bundles from nails hanging in my hallway. The Rose Petals were added to a honey and brandy mixture that I’ve been brewing for a few weeks, the Self Heal (Prunella vulgaris) is chopped fine and put in olive oil, Red Clover is in a drying basket in single layers so they don’t get moldy but dry perfectly, the Milkweed I chopped up in my food processor to extract it’s constituents in Scotch Whiskey for medicine, the Mullein Flowers are steeping in olive oil for earache drops, the Blackberries were added to my quart of Blueberry and Blackberries steeping in brandy and the Milkweed flower buds were steamed and added to my eggrolls for dinner. The Cattails to the far right were from the other day at the Cattail ‘store’. I’ll be writing about that memorable shopping spree in my next blog. ;(

If I were to add up the financial savings of my shopping this morning it would be an interesting calculation. Just from today’s foraging basket I have:

Blackberry and blueberry brandy

Rose Hip and Rose Petal honeyed brandy

Mullein flower earache medicine

Milkweed medicine for wart treatment (4 ounces of Milkweed extract sells for $27!)

Self Heal for the base of lots of healing salves and lip balms

Daisys and Black Eyed Susans for floral arrangements

Milkweed for dinner &

countless cups of Bee Balm tea to bring the Summer’s goodness and vibrancy into a Winter tea….

So it was another lovely day shopping for free in God’s creation!

Wild blessings do abound and I feel blessed!

Holly

If you want to see pictures you can see them at my blog
http://wildblessings.com/2011/07/14/shopping-for-free/]]> <![CDATA[Obeying the Blackberries]]> http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=255 Sat, 16 Jul 2011 19:34:42 +0000 http://ofthefield.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=255
The cooler temps are a welcome change from the heat we’ve experienced recently. About a 1/2 mile out near the deer hole the heavy mist turned to a steady rain. Once my good running shoes, my hair and my clothes were thoroughly soaked I saw no reason to not just get wetter.

The collies never mind a little rain, their thick coats keep them miserable in the Summer heat, so they pranced ahead leading the way happy to be cool.

Skipper found an amazing white mushroom. Two actually.

Mushrooms are a future learning frontier for me. My grandfather had a fetish for them, and was regularly making spore prints with some prized discovery but never did he eat them or make medicine with them, he would just identify them. Which to my young mind was a tad boring.

But I digress…

Not far from the fairy mushrooms was a 1/2 of a deer rack. Wondering what the story is there. I’ll add it to my growing collection of unusual nature finds (snake skins, skulls, jaw bones, bird feathers…)

The Blackberries are truly taking over my mountain and I am thrilled. I use them for medicine, tea, jams, jellies, pies, smoothies and vinegars. This year I plan to soak them in brandy for a Fall mead. I’ve been watching their progress from young green leaves, white five petaled flowers, red unripe berries and now the deep purple berries are finally here to provide a daily destination for my foraging adventures.

This process will continue for weeks of happy Blackberry picking. Blueberries and Raspberries also vie for my attention.

As I type this, my wet clothes clinging to my skin and ignoring the boxes… the Blackberries are soaking in brandy….Self Heal is drying a bit before adding it to the olive oil to infuse for a great wound salve…

So blessed!

“Come and SEE the works of God.” Psalms 66:5

BTW the newly emptied closest will house herbal supplies. So I am motivated!

If you want to see the pics you can see them at my blog.
http://wildblessings.com/2011/07/15/obey...ckberries/]]>
The cooler temps are a welcome change from the heat we’ve experienced recently. About a 1/2 mile out near the deer hole the heavy mist turned to a steady rain. Once my good running shoes, my hair and my clothes were thoroughly soaked I saw no reason to not just get wetter.

The collies never mind a little rain, their thick coats keep them miserable in the Summer heat, so they pranced ahead leading the way happy to be cool.

Skipper found an amazing white mushroom. Two actually.

Mushrooms are a future learning frontier for me. My grandfather had a fetish for them, and was regularly making spore prints with some prized discovery but never did he eat them or make medicine with them, he would just identify them. Which to my young mind was a tad boring.

But I digress…

Not far from the fairy mushrooms was a 1/2 of a deer rack. Wondering what the story is there. I’ll add it to my growing collection of unusual nature finds (snake skins, skulls, jaw bones, bird feathers…)

The Blackberries are truly taking over my mountain and I am thrilled. I use them for medicine, tea, jams, jellies, pies, smoothies and vinegars. This year I plan to soak them in brandy for a Fall mead. I’ve been watching their progress from young green leaves, white five petaled flowers, red unripe berries and now the deep purple berries are finally here to provide a daily destination for my foraging adventures.

This process will continue for weeks of happy Blackberry picking. Blueberries and Raspberries also vie for my attention.

As I type this, my wet clothes clinging to my skin and ignoring the boxes… the Blackberries are soaking in brandy….Self Heal is drying a bit before adding it to the olive oil to infuse for a great wound salve…

So blessed!

“Come and SEE the works of God.” Psalms 66:5

BTW the newly emptied closest will house herbal supplies. So I am motivated!

If you want to see the pics you can see them at my blog.
http://wildblessings.com/2011/07/15/obey...ckberries/]]>