Wild green,s and shroom,s

[MrGreenJeans]

Howdy ya,ll. How many enjoy wild green,s. We have been eating cress and two leaf is up. I like two leaf best just after it flower,s. Yep the first dark morel,s are up. I like it in old kentuck. ;D

[rivahmom]

Yum, I love wild cress. I never liked mushrooms too much but I want to learn more about them after we get settled into our new home.

[harvester]

i havent had wild cress since i was a kid and i still remember it, its good stuff. we went to a freinds house that had a gold mine built out the back of it right into a mountain, totally cool! and they fed us frogs legs and wild cress for dinner. best meal i can ever remember having as a kid!
where i live now there is no hope of finding it. and ive never lived anywhere that it grew. :(

[PaulNKS]

I love Morels and usually have a lot of them here.

[danville]

Ramps are up here. Had them three times so far and hope to enjoy them thru May. That will be just in time for poke. I love the asparagus like flavor. Also can't wait for water cress. By then we should be feasting on morels then we will be into chanterelles, black trumpets, sulfur shelfs, oysters and angel wings. Ummm, I love the taste of spring!

[woodzman]

Wow, you've almost got me drooling on the keyboard. Why don't we get together for dinner, I'll bring the fiddle heads and fresh brook trout. ;D

Bob.

[PaulNKS]

I don't like trout... how about catfish? LOL I'll bring it.

[woodzman]

I'm in, I like catfish too.

Bob.

[crafty2002]

I have never had any wild veggies that I know of but I have no idea what all we ate as kids. I do remember daddy catching an oppossum one time and taking it to the house but that's all I rememeber about that.

As for the trout, I ate it once when I was in the boy scouts and it was great but I have never liked it since.
All the boys were catching them and the men were cooking them over a fire. They would split them down the belly and gut them, then pack butter inside and some kind of seasoning the scout master had made up in a quart jar with holes in the top, Then he took some wire and wraped them 3 or 4 times and made hooks of the ends of the wire and hang them, belly up, over the fire.
I had fish three times in my life that stand out in my memory. The trout is one of them. It's hard to say they were the absolute best but they were right up there at the top.
The other two was once, I caught a shark of shore in my uncle and aunts boat and dhe cooked it on a grill right there on the back of the boat.
Then there was a black lady that lived across the street from me and her son worked for me, and one day coming home we stopped at the store for a few things and they had a sail on cat fish and I forget his name but he said something about them but he had to use his paycheck to catch up on the rent so I just went ahead and bought a couple packs and gave them to her. Them and a things of oysters too.
Lord have mercy he brought me a plate over there, with cole slaw, french fries and hush puppies to boot, and now thinking back, that would get the blue ribbon. I ate so much I was like a lead anchor trying to work the next morning.

[Kelleysvt]

Almost time for dandelion greens here in sunny VT

[woodzman]

It won't be long here either. I noticed some leeks poking up through the leaves the other day too.

Bob

[MrGreenJeans]

Howdy, Found 11 nice shroom,s yesterday. Most cress has started ta seed out now. Tangelgut,s still here and polk is on it,s way. I know leek,s are around here just never had the chance to dig them. Sun a shining time to go hit an old orchard homeplace for shroom,s.

[woodzman]

It's still early here MrGreenJeans, but I did dig a few leeks and picked some cowslips Saturday. We've probably got another three weeks or so before the morels are up in this part of the country, but I've been thinking about 'em for a month.

Bob.

[MrGreenJeans]

The weather here last couple day,s. Rain, drizzel, overcast, crappy to say the least. Been out everyday some looking anyway. *:) My neighbor and his two boy,s and i went out yesterday. Got skunked on the shoorm,s but those boy,s had a ball in the wood,s. That was worth the trip alone. ;D

[woodzman]

There's nothing like youthful enthusiasm is there? I met a young man through my girlfriends son, that likes to stop by now and then to talk hunting and fishing with me. I told him I was going out and dig the leeks I mentioned and asked him if he wanted to go along. Turns out he didn't know that there are things out in the woods that you can eat. He got all fired up digging the leeks and wanted to go find something else, so we picked some cowslips. There isn't much else up here yet, but the kid can hardly wait. It must be contagious, cause I can't either. ;D

Bob.

[PaulNKS]

Bob, that's great. You're obvious someone the kid respects as well or he wouldn't be so enthusiastic with you.

[MrGreenJeans]

Way ta go woodzman, *I use ta be one of those young folk. A friend i consider a second dad started me out on trapping, ginseng, fishing, hunting and wild eat,s. I need ta thank him for it. Even though he would just brush it off. I,am just past the half century mark, wish i knew half of what that fellar knew about the wood,s. I do and will pass as much info about the outdoor,s i can ta anyone that can use it. Kid,s are the key to it all. Granddaughter turn,s 4 in the morning. She,s already planting pea,s and onion,s. Has a 2 ft. pink hoe and uses it to. *:)

[woodzman]

I want to thank you both for opening my eyes. All I did was to throw a little wood on a spark that was already there, but thinking back, that's what my Grandfather and my Father did for me. That's not to say that I think more of my self for exposing somebody else to the same things, it just makes me appreciate what was done for me that much more. Thank you. Happy 4th to you're Granddaughter MrGreenJeans, I hope she has a great day.

* * * * * * * * * * * * Bob.

[bookwormom]

does anyone know if ramps will grow in Ky?
I seeded some in a location I thought might be suitable. I marked it so i would find it again, but the effects of the icestorm have left me clueless. and I am afraid last summers drought can't have been healthy for them either.
right now we are eating stinging nettles and dandelions. would love to look for morels, but if you saw how the icestorm transformed our woods, you would understand I can't crawl around that milewide tangle.
I love cress, but have not seen any here.

[bookwormom]

cowslips, correct me if I am wrong, but aren't they yellow flowers of the primrose variety? I only know it for medicinal use.
what you guys call leeks mut be something different than what I call leeks. I always grew them in the garden and they are ready by fall. Wild onions grow here en masse, MIL always put them in her meatloaf. and of course, when the cows ate them the milk was flavored so you did not want to put it in coffee. I guess it would have made good flavored cheese.

[woodzman]

Hey bookworm. Sorry to hear about that ice storm, they sure can do some damage, can't they? The leeks I was talking about are the wild variety. I just recently figured out that what we call leeks here, are called ramps in other parts. Thought the folks that mentioned ramps were talking about something different. I learn something new every day. ;D *The proper term for what I call cowslips are marsh marigolds. That's what I grew up hearing them called, so I guess it just stuck. They grow in moist to wet places. The stems come up out of the ground in a bunch, with a single leaf at the top of each. The flowers are bright yellow like you said. I've been told that they can cause stomach problems if eaten raw, so I've never tried them that way. I'm not the best at explaining things, but I hope that helped. Save me a piece of that meatloaf, sounds good.

* * * * * * * * * * Bob.

[MrGreenJeans]

Howdy y,all had morel,s and poke patty,s for supper yesterday. ;D Lord that was good. No left over,s back to the wood,s the white and yellow ones are in full run here now.

[woodzman]

Drool. :P

[bookwormom]

uh, I am so disgusted. guess what they are doing on the hillside facing us. Logging. I thought they were finished last fall, but they started back up and a worse mess you never saw. If a mushroom did grow it is dead and gone. I could just cry. I have some poke coming up but it is new to me and I do not know what to do with it. treat it like asperagus?
woodzman, I know marsh marygolds, I think they are not cowslips . have to look it up. marshmarygolds are Caltha palustris, of the Ranuncula family, they are not used for anything food or medicinwise as far as I know.
but they are very pretty.
cowslip is of the primula family, either veris or elatior. the elatior smells really nice and mother dried it for tea in a mixture. you can also make a syrup.

just checked it and yes, cowslip is a primula

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primula_veris

Not meaning to be a know it all, I just have this thing about plants. My husband got used to having to stop the car and back up because I have to look at something growing on the bank .



where do you live, I did not know those plants grew wild in this country. I wonder if I could propagate them here.

[MrGreenJeans]

Poke patty,s my way anyway. Wallyworld bag purdy stuffed. I only use the first inch of the shoot,s or can be bitter and young leaf,s. Just enough water to cover a slap o salt. Med ta high boil for 8 ta 10 min. Drain well. I mix cornmeal, flour, a little salt, pepper, egg,s depend on size of batch. Think of making a patty that will hold in a frying pan of bacon grease. O yea i chop up the drained poke before mixing up. Fry golden brown on each side. You can add any spice ya like. Garlic,s mine. After a large batch cool,s i put some in the freezer. Just my made up use of it. Last time i took 15 with me 4 wheeling i got 2.

[woodzman]

Forum will resize your picture to 360 pixels (5 inches) wide. Please limit file size to 30K to speed loading of pages. Delete all text and spaces between tags before inserting picture URL. http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee112/SmithIII_album/P1000623-1.jpg

Here's a pic of what I'm talking about bookwormom. I looked them up in one of my books (Edible Wild Plants)
and they call them cowslips, marsh marigolds. That's what I grew up hearing them called, so that's what I've called them all along. I'm not trying to argue, I'm just confused. Any light you can shed on this would be appreciated.

Bob.

[woodzman]

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee112/SmithIII_album/P1000623-1.jpg

Let's try it again.

[bookwormom]

yes,Marsh Marigold, Caltha Palustris. Guess what, I just found a site that calls it cowslip

http://www.wiseacre-gardens.com/plants/wildflower/marshmarigold.html

however, I found several sites that apply that name to primula veris *

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primula_veris#Folklore.2C_herbalism.2C_and_cultura l_references

please check both sites and see for yourself. *My money is on the primula being the true cowslip. I *know that misnomers sneak in, because here where I live they call the fruit of Passiflora *Apricot, and in southern Indiana, where I once lived, they called Bell Peppers Mango.
*I have heard of cowslip wine. And some people say leeks and some say ramps, but the official name is something like allium ursi if I am not mistaken. As long as we got the right plant.

[tomato204]

Bookwormom~ There is one good thing about the logging situation, especially if you're a wildcrafter. The next year after the tops are cut you can have a bigger crop of mushrooms. The extra sunlight that hits the forest floor might sprout out some seeds that have been there for many years, too. And trees DO grow back, but I know what you mean about the ugly side of it.

[AlchemyAcres]

Wild Leeks (Ramps) are at their peak around here.
Hawthorne buds will soon be ready! MMMMmmmmmmmmm!


~Martin ;D

[MrGreenJeans]

Can,t find any dang ramp,s round here, i,ve looked. Gona look today after a turkey hunt while shrooming. Maybe i,ll get lucky.

[woodzman]

Thanks for clearing that up for me bookwormom, mystery solved. I guess what confused me was the fact that two different authorities were calling the same plant by different names. It doesn't take much to confuse me at times. ;D Tomato204 made a good point about the mushrooms too, there may be a bright side to the mess. Thanks again.

Bob.

[woodzman]

Wild Leeks (Ramps) are at their peak around here.
Hawthorne buds will soon be ready! MMMMmmmmmmmmm!


~Martin *;D

Martin, I've eaten fresh Hawthorn fruits and Mom used to make Hawthorn jelly, but I've never heard of eating the buds. How do you prepare them?

Bob.

[AlchemyAcres]

Martin, I've eaten fresh Hawthorn fruits and Mom used to make Hawthorn jelly, but I've never heard of eating the buds. How do you prepare them?

Bob.



Raw right off the tree or in tossed salad and the like.
They have an excellent nutty flavor.


~Martin

[woodzman]

I didn't know that, thank you. I may just go take a little walk this afternoon. ;)

Bob.

[bookwormom]

here we go again. I am very familiar with hawthorn, dried blossoms for tea, made tincture out of the berries for a relative with hearth problems as it really strengthens the heart muscle. At home it grew in profusion along hedgerows, but lately has problems as it is susceptible to fire blight. It has not occured to me to eat any part of hawthorn. the blossoms make your hands a little sticky and smell a little bad. not much, but not pleasant, maybe they taste better than they smell. and the berries taste like, well, not much at all. In my estimation it would take some effort to make either palatable. But always curious, I sure would like to know which plant exactly it is. Here in Ky some neighbors told me, yeah we have hawthorn here, but it was not what I know as hawthorn.
Could you furnish a picture, link or the Latin name of the plant in question? I sure would appreciate it.

[bookwormom]

oh my gosh,I just did a search and there are some 93 different hawthorns.
the one I am familiar is Crataegus ocyacantha and I feel certain it is not the one you are eating. so now I am really really curious.

[CarolAnn]

bookwormom - wild leeks are a spring thing - by summer the wide, flat leaves have disappeared. These aren't anywhere the size of tame garden leeks (more the size of a fat pencil) - but the taste is similar, like a garlicky spring onion! Wild onions have round, tubular leaves and a bulb the size of a pea, but leeks leaves are flat, about an inch wide and 6 - 8" tall and no real bulb to speak of. You can't mistake them if you pick a leaf and crush it and sniff! ;D

[woodzman]

I don't know about Martin, but the hawthorns I'm familiar with are the downy hawthorn (crataegus mollis), the fleshy hawthorn (crataegus succulenta) and the cockspur hawthorn (crataegus crus-galli). I looked the latin names up on line, hope it helps. In my experience, the fruits can be tasty, or have next to no taste at all. I've noticed a big difference in taste, from two trees of the same kind growing next to each other, but I don't know why. Maybe somebody smarter than I am can explain it.

Bob.

[bookwormom]

I am very familiar with ramps Carol, ( do not confuse them with lily of the valley leaves, as some folks have gotten themselves poisoned) . But names can be quite confusing.
thanks Woodzman, I know I do not have any hawthorn growing near me, but I just found out the author of the book on plants that grow in the Mammuth Cave area , Randy Seymour, lives pretty close to us. He ought to know if we have them in this area.
thanks again.

[DM]

My back woods is full of ramps... Of course, i grew up calling them "leeks"... Every spring i go back and dig a bunch of them to eat...

http://www.fototime.com/B5181D7C8C77EE4/orig.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/4B3A5E15A2D35E1/orig.jpg

Dang! I sure love a baked ham that's been stuffed with ramps!!

DM

[bookwormom]

interesting. so how do you all prepare wildleeks/ramps? never heard of them being dug. we just take the leaves. Our favorite is a pesto with pasta. there is also ramp soup and any number of dishes. shopped ina salad, you name it. My daughter used to take bunches of them to a restaurant and get free dinners.