Hello Aronia: one of the highest antioxidant fruits on the planet!

I've been foraging in the freezer, delighting in the harvest of warmer seasons. One gem that sparkles loudly is black chokeberry, aka, Aronia. After a fun, sweaty roller skating session (like last night), I crave it, blending it into an agua fresca, that I like to call Aronia Elixir.

Aronia Elixir: Tap This Superfruit In The Kitchen < Click here to view this video

Scientifically called Aronia melanocarpa, this fruit contains some of the highest antioxidants on the planet. Hosting a rich soup of polyphenols, anthocyanins, plus vitamin C and more, Aronia can boost our cardiovascular and immune health, while reducing inflammation and pain.

Flavor note: Aronias are sour, slightly sweet, astringent, mildly bitter.

Color note: the intense pigment of the fruit will color everything that it touches; and tells of its high antioxidant content.

Plant Aronia! If you don’t have any growing in your neighborhood, perhaps you’d like to plant some! It is very easy to grow. Then the whole neighborhood can benefit from this nutrient dense fruit.
For more about Aronia bushes in the garden < click here to the view this video 

Greetings WILD LETTUCE! Glad to see you reappear in early spring! = Happy salad bowl!

This Native American, hardy annual, scientifically named Lactuca canadensis, is sprouting wide basal rosettes, with tender leaves that make excellent salad.

I also refer to it as: “Native ancient WILD SALAD known as food for the nerves”.
Learn to identify, harvest & eat it with our free video lesson over on our Youtube channel: Wild Lettuce Video < click here to view.

TO HELP with ID, harvest and use, here is our Wild Lettuce illustrated page from Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi (me), illustrated by Wendy Hollender. More about our book on our site: www.foragingandfeasting.com The two photos are from the free wild lettuce video lesson.

Qualities:
Hearty lettuce flavor w/ slight bitterness. Eat raw or cooked. This is the tastiest of the wild lettuces, with just a hint of bitterness.

Like its cousin escarole, it can be added to soups and sautés; cooked with olive oil and garlic; simmered in broth; or tossed into fish stew, among other options.

Therapeutics:
This species of wild lettuce (Lactuca canadensis) is a mild relaxant, nerve tonic (nervine) that feeds / restores and calms the nervous system.

Offers mild pain support. Not a strong sedative like other species of wild lettuce. Note this plant can be eaten without causing drowsiness or addiction. It has nothing to do with opium.

Tasty wild lettuce (Lactuca canadensis) in mid spring! Eat it raw or cooked.

Hello Horseradish: Make Your Own Fiery Decongesting Relish

Hello horseradish: fiery, stimulating decongesting friend! Make your own potent fresh horseradish relish; it is super easy with our new free video lesson.


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WITH MUCH LOVE!

Wild Bergamot-Monarda fistulosa.jpg
Egyptian Onion-Allium x proliferum.jpg
Lemon Balm-Melissa officinalis.jpg

Thankfully, there are so many herbs to help us stay well and to support us when we are sick. An abundance of herbs comes to mind that supports our immune systems: all the “spaghetti sauce herbs”—oregano, thyme, marjoram, and basil, and their wild native American cousin: wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa); the alliums: field garlic (Allium vineale), garlic, onion, Egyptian onion, chive, leeks, etc. And then there is lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), a nice, tasty, relaxing, anti-viral herb. Elder, echinacea, boneset, yarrow, spilanthes, and elecampane are quite helpful, supporting us as move through illnesses. Keep in mind that by supporting the liver, kidneys, lymph, and digestion, we support our health. So bring on the liver supportive herbs: hello dandelion and burdock! Nettle, who so deeply nourishes, also supports these central systems. Grateful to all of this herbal support!

PS: To promote health, a nutrient rich, blood sugar stable diet is key, along with plenty of rest, and a good dose of outdoor activity, especially in nature. Then there is gratitude, the practice of being grateful. So many more thoughts come to mind but for now this will do.

What are you doing to support your health? Do tell!

Please note: this sharing is not intended to be used as medical advice.

Botanical illustrations from our book Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi, illustrated by Wendy Hollender ~ Click link in our profile for more about our book or here: http://bit.ly/1Auh44Q

Burdock-Arctium minus 1.jpg

 

BLACKBERRY BONANZA Fruit Catsup Master Recipe; makes about 2½ pints (40 oz)

BLACKBERRY BONANZA What a peak crazy moment in the blackberry patch.  The tall stout canes bite back, pull hair, scratch skin, and prick fingers. Blackberry battle wounds; all worth it. The following catsup master recipe is an excerpt from our book Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi and illustrated by Wendy Hollender Book Link: http://bit.ly/1Auh44Q

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OH MY — THE WILD SALAD IS POPPING!

OH MY — THE WILD SALAD IS POPPING!

So many tender, flavorful, edible feral friends emerging into the spring sunlight right now. Taking a quick inventory: chickweed (both Stellaria pubera, and S. media), wild lettuce (Lactuca canadensis), purple dead nettle….

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HAPPY SPRING, HELLO CHICKWEED! (posted on 3/20/2019)

HAPPY SPRING, HELLO CHICKWEED!

Today brings the vernal equinox (for us in the northern hemisphere) where daylight starts to outshine the dark night. Pulsing green into the landscape, our wild edible friends start poking out of winter hibernation, and guess who’s there waiting for us: CHICKWEED!

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Elderberry Syrup: An Immune Booster

Elderberry Syrup Master Recipe Makes about 20 oz

Flavorful and sweet, elderberry syrup can be added to smoothies, herbal teas, mixed drinks, and fermented sodas, or diluted into hot water or cold sparkling water. For a visually appealing and tasty treat, drizzle this dark magenta syrup onto yogurt, ice cream, custard or cheesecake. It also tastes great spread on pancakes and waffles, or used as cookie fillings. 

Elderberry syrup can also be taken straight by the tablespoonful for nutritional and therapeutic support. Elderberries are rich in iron and bioflavonoids, and are an immune system tonic. They are helpful in preventing infections such as colds and flus; however, if already infected, they help us move through the illness.

To help with proper identification and harvest, please see our illustration below.

Elderberry identification page from our Foraging &amp; Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi; illustrated by Wendy Hollender. Book link: http://bit.ly/1Auh44Q

Elderberry identification page from our Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi; illustrated by Wendy Hollender. Book link: http://bit.ly/1Auh44Q

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups fully ripe elderberries, stems removed (weighs about 23 oz). When fresh elderberries are not available, I use frozen ones.

  • 1½ cups maple syrup or honey (I prefer maple syrup as I usually don’t cook honey.)

Optional ingredients:

  • Add one or a combination of the following freshly ground, dried spices: 1 teaspoon aniseed, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, or 1/8 teaspoon cardamom

  • 1 lime, zest and juice

Elderberries and maple syrup simmering on the stove.

Elderberries and maple syrup simmering on the stove.

  1. Mix elderberry, sweetener and optional ingredients in a nonreactive 2–3 quart pot, cover, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  2. Remove lid from pot and gently simmer mixture for 5 more minutes.

  3. Remove from heat and purée mixture with a hand-held immersion blender or food processor.

  4. If you would like the syrup to be smooth and seed-free (which I recommended), strain it through a fine-mesh sieve.

  5. Use right away. Or, to store, pour hot syrup into very clean glass jars, cap with tight fitting lids, label, leave out at room temperature to cool, then store in the refrigerator where they should keep for at least three months. For longer storage, freeze the syrup or seal in a hot-water bath.

Elderberry syrup in jars.

Elderberry syrup in jars.

Recipe excerpt from our Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by (me) Dina Falconi; illustrated by Wendy Hollender. Book link: http://bit.ly/1Auh44Q