Into the Wild

Last week, I went on a wild edibles walk at Blue Heron Organic Farm with local foraging expert Russ Cohen. 

I’ve been trying to go on one of his walks for years.  I’m one of those people who, if left to my own devices in the wild, would surely die of starvation within one week.  I assume that every berry is poisonous, every mushroom will make me vomit, and every three-leafed plant is poison ivy.  DON’T TOUCH ANYTHING in the woods.  You might die. 

It’s nice to know that, armed with a little bit of knowledge, you might not die.  For example, did you know that Queen Anne’s lace, before it flowers, has a wild carrot at its root?  That just about blew my mind.  A carrot! 

Of course, without the telltale flower, there’s about a zero percent chance of me ever identifying that plant.  I can’t even identify well-known cultivated plants that have their fruits in plain view, as evidenced by the fact that I had to practically beg the Farmer to put up signs near the PYO vegetables.  Otherwise, in my quest for peas, I might find myself wandering around in a haze amongst the Swiss chard with the bobolinks mocking me. 

Other edible things we (meaning Cohen and the other smart people on the walk) found were wild mustard, blueberries, huckleberries, Concord grapevines, wild husk tomatoes, lamb’s quarters, purslane, wood sorrel, autumn olive, sumac (the non-poisonous variety), an American chestnut tree, and wintergreen.  Wow!  I don’t know why the people at Blue Heron Farm bother to plant anything at all.

Everyone seemed most intrigued, however, by the mushrooms. 

Cohen had to field a lot of questions related to the degrees of toxicity of the mushrooms we encountered.  For example, after coming across the poisonous amanita, also known as the Death Cap, and discussing its toxic properties at length, Cohen was faced with queries like these:

Q: When you say deadly, what exactly do you mean?

A: Deadly.

Q: Like how deadly?  On a scale of 1 to 10.

A: 100% deadly.

Q: So, like, a 10?

A: You will die.

Q: On the spot, or later on in the day?

A: I think you’re missing the big picture.

Despite potential death lurking around every corner, and the mosquitoes chewing up my ankles, it was great fun.  It’ll be a while before I’m ready to fly on my own.  In the meantime, Cohen’s book is shaping up to be an interesting read.  For more information on his local foraging walks, go here.

Comments

[Diana Burrell]

I keep meaning to go on one of Russ's walks and rats, it looks like I missed out this year. Did you find ALL those mushrooms at the farm? Are those apricot-colored 'shrooms chanterelles? They're lovely!

[Sally]

I love tea made from the flower head of the Staghorn Sumac when it ripens. And did you know all parts of the daylily (NOT the hybridized ones - the orange ones that grow wild in the ditch) are edible and delicious. Also, make SURE you have picked Queen Ann's Lace and not the similar-appearing (and poisonous)hemlock. QAL usually has a small, purple flower in the middle.

My point is: Don't go out and start shoving wild-growing green stuff in your mouth without some sort of book and/or person guiding you. At the worst, it could kill you. Or make you deathly ill. But at it's best, there's some mighty tasty stuff growing out there. Enjoy!

[Mary]

I heard about foraging from watching Law and Order and it sounds really interesting. Sadly, although I took a woody plants class in college (who knew the Biology I picked for an elective was a ridiculously hard graduate school course?) I am completely unable to identify most plants in the wild. I can recognize Staghorn Sumac (it has furry branches), poison ivy (it has suction cup looking things on the stems and tendrils), and raspberry branches (they're red with a white film on them and they kind of loop up and down off the ground).

Perhaps I should read My Side of the Mountain again....

[melissa]

How fascinating. I'd be interested to know more. I see mushrooms growing wild in my area all the time and I'd love to know which ones are edible.

[Ann]

Well, I can see how it be good to know if death is instantaneous or later in the day. I mean, if I were plotting murder or something. I'd stay away from the ones who were after that level of detail.

[DocChuck]

I believe that my own personal theory that lambs quarters contribute to male pattern baldness has been confirmed!

[Ian MacLellan]

I was on that plant walk too! I was the group of three sort of similar-scruffy looking boys. It was a very nice walk and I'm very happy we didn't get rained on. My mother reads your blog and this is my first visit. here is my post on it: http://maclellanimages.com/blog1/2008/07/31/july-31-edible-plants-walk/

[Trev]

Glad to see you made it out. I had so much fun last year!!

http://www.thesaltedcod.blogspot.com/2007/08/forage.html

[Heather]

Heh, Queen Anne's lace also looks like sumac ( the poisonous kind).

[Tammy]

Heather: Yeah, I think I'd better stick to my CSA if I know what's good for me. And I do!

Trev: Me, too. I was so mad I missed it last year.

Ian: "My mother reads your blog"-- now that's something I don't hear everyday (Hi Mom!). Nice photos! And I managed not to be in any of them. Hahaaaa. I'm wily.

DocChuck: That's where you're wrong. I have male pattern baldness and I've never eaten lamb's quarters in my life. Or have I?

Ann: So, um, does that mean you don't want to get together ever?

Melissa: Me, too. I think the key is to master 1 or 2 types that don't have any deadly look-alikes. Then, once you get that false sense of security, you can move on to the really confusing ones.

Mary: I'm curious about what happened in that Law and Order episode!

Sally: As a matter of fact, Russ mentioned the sumac tea. Don't worry, I have absolutely no faith in my judgment when it comes to plants, so I won't take any chances.

Diana: Yes, those were chanterelles. He showed that table full of mushrooms at the beginning of the walk, so I'm not sure if he brought them or found them at the farm. On our walk, I think the only edible mushroom we found was a Chicken of the Woods.

[Ann]

Well, now that I know who was asking the questions... :-)

[Japanese knotweed]

Wow those mushrooms look amazing, but definetly highly toxic with those beautiful colours!

Which one is the poisonous amanita? which colour in that photo I mean?

Thanks for the interesting post