Two weeks of casual foraging...

It has been about two weeks since I created this blog and I would say that we have gone foraging with serious intention only two or three times- but there has been lots of meandering, fun, sweet  and laid back walks with the kids that have led to picking a thing or two. Already, we are having such a wonderful time!

Since starting this we have found (and most we have eaten or found use for in some fashion- a few of these are not in season to be eaten or used yet) all of these things...

. Wild lettuces
. Dandelion
. Burdock
. Bamboo
. Clovers (red and white)
. Bullbrier
. Wild Violets
. Honeysuckle
. Wild raspberries
. Wild grapes
. Wild blackberries
. Sassafrass
. Stinging Nettle
. Broad Plantain Leaves
. Dollar Weed
. Green Amaranthe
. Varieties of Thistle
. Wild Ginger (2 types)
. Cat tails
. Cat nip
. Purslane

I mean, WOW! I knew we had collected and identified quite a bit of yummy stuff, but now looking back over the list I am feeling so very blessed. :) In this update, I'm just going to talk about the main things we have been eating as of late- and the things that we have collected in the last couple days. I took photos of all of our specimen, but unfortunately my camera is not playing along! Forgive me, this entry will be without photos of our own. :( But- huzzah for google images!

The first awesome plant I want to rave about is the...

1. Dandelion!

This "weed", as I have discovered, is not only a delicious addition to a salad (when young) or a super tasty cooked leafy green, but it is also INCREDIBLY healthy. The common dandelion is full of calcium, has more vitamin A than a carrot, is loaded with vitamin C and it also helps to maintain balanced blood sugar by encouraging proper insulin production in the body. It is an excellent addition to weight loss programs and general good health! Every bit of this plant is designed for your betterment- pretty awesome, huh?

2. Dock

Dock grows all over this neighborhood. It yields large, long leaves with a strong stem/ center vein. Our variety is actually a little thinner and longer than this- and cooked it rivals mustard greens! It is SO delicious! Most of the medicinal properties are in the root, which has a gentle laxative effect. The whole plant is a good source of iron and the leaves can also be applied to the skin to draw out splinters and to soothe stings and insect bites. If you do ever decide to cook this up and give it a try, I recommend cutting the main stem out- it is pretty bitter, even when the leaves are fairly young.

3. Bamboo (shoots)

Bamboo is pretty much everywhere you look down this way, especially in our neighborhood. If you can find some young shoots, such as these pictured, they make for some tasty eats! They are full of zinc, B6, potassium, copper and Maganese as well as being fibrous and a containing protein.

4. Bullbrier

Apparently, virtually all of this plant is edible- and it grows everywhere, all year round. We have only chopped a small bit of tuber and blended to make a tea- which was quite yummy. Native Americans took the roots of this plant, boiled them and pounded them down to release and utilize the high levels of starch. The stalk of the vine can be cooked like asparagus and the leaves and tendrils can be eaten raw. Haven't done this yet!

5. Sassafras

We actually collected the root from a tree we found last year and after letting it dry, we decided to make some tea! Let me tell you, if you like root beer, jump on this. This tree is pretty rampant around these parts, and I KNOW it is all over Virginia... I don't know too much about the nutritional value, but I have read that there have been some liver disease issues associated with excessive amounts of sassfras tea. Enjoy responsibly! ;)

Well, that is all for right now- but I will certainly be back to update more later. Happy foraging!