Nothing makes the heart sing quite like eating a delicious meal prepared from wild foods. The unique flavors and incredible nutrition of these plants combined with a handful of chefs and an armful of eager amateur chefs made the Forage and Feast at Ceara Foley’s house this past Sunday a gastronomical delight.
Though the skies looked ominous, the rains held off for a leisurely plant walk and harvest around a medicinal plants garden and the woods on the the property. At least 27 plants were covered and many harvested during the walk, including Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), wineberry (Rubus phoenicalasius), Quickweed (Galinsoga sp.), Violet (Viola spp.), and Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota).
After the plant walk, meal preparation progressed quickly. A hummus with Queen Anne’s Lace foliage in the place of Parsley was prepared. A salad with wood sorrel (Oxalis spp.), smartweed (Polygonum sp.), Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) petals, Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) flowers, pistachios and sunflower seeds was made. A pesto with pumpkin seeds, Violets, Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) and Quickweed was blended and added to wheat and brown rice pasta. Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), Bee Balm (Monarda didyma), Apple Mint (Mentha sp.) Ale Hoof (Glechoma hederacea) and Winberry (Rubus phoenicalasius) leaf tea was steeped while the meal was made. And the pièce de résistance was a wineberry apple crumble with oats for a base.
The meal was a testament to the delicious possibilities available when cultivated foods are mixed with foraged foods. While the store-bought foods provided most of the calories of the meal, the foraged foods added flavor and a nutritious kick. Considering most of the world’s foods come from only a handful of species, it is good to add some variety to the menu.
Foraging is a great way to actively engage with the basic act of eating at a whole new (or, rather, ancient) level. Foraging engages all of the senses, allows us time to slow down, and can add color, flavor, and nourishment to daily life. All of us who participated in the creation of this meal expanded our awareness of the abundance all around. Next time our meal is missing a certain je ne sais quoi, we have a basis for finding a bit of the quoi.
-By Hayden Stebbins