My pursuit of mycology has enriched my vocabulary once again.
Hypomyces is defined as a genus of parasitic fungi known as Ascomycetes, because of the way that they reproduce.
The result can be a powdery residue, a crust, or even wart-like growths.
Gary Lincoff even has photos of a parasitized fungal parasite. So the mushroom is attacked by a fungus, which is then attacked by another fungus.
I noticed the immature milkweed pods as I harvested the eggplants and peppers for my ratatouille.
When cooked, the inner white core of the milkweed pod (I discard the green outer pod) is a convincing substitute for melted cheese. Just add them to your favorite recipe for ratatouille - or any Italian dish. (more…)
Every cultivated and wild plant is growing and maturing. The first ripe tomatoes, a few tiny green peppers and an abundance of turnips, cabbage and potatoes. I wonder how many people have eaten a freshly-dug potato?
Weeding is never-ending. The meaning of “thinning” depends upon the master gardener you ask. I love having lots of fresh carrots for snacking. Bindweed is pretty, but makes weeding a slow task and unlike chickweed, I doubt it’s edible.
I’m just beginning to establish a sustainable relationship with my food. My respect for Barbara Kingsolver deepens with every weed I pull. I haven’t begun to work with animals, as she has done. This year I buy free-range eggs from a fellow gardener.
My shift at the garden begins at 5:30 AM. I love being outdoors at first light. I work more efficiently before the summer sun beats down on my back and neck. I am deeply grateful to have such an intimate connection with my food. I cannot help thinking about the people who harvest the food we buy and the brutal conditions under which they must work. If the hand that picks the crop is under duress, maybe that contributes to my sense that the “fresh” food at the store often has no flavor. (more…)
When I took my winter skills class, I discovered that one of my water bottles froze during my 3-day survival trek.
In our results-driven culture, it’s easy to forget that the value of a lesson can be revealed days, months or years later. But the memory of how long it took for that ice to melt, even in a heated room, taught me a useful lesson.
Now I hike with a frozen water bottle.
I add water to a clean bottle until it’s 2/3 full. I set the bottle in my freezer until just before I begin my hike; I top off the bottle with cold water, wrap it in a plastic bag, and put it in my day pack.
I can hike all day and into the evening, enjoying a refreshing sip of cold water, even on the hottest afternoon of the year.
Six weeks ago, the small beet greens and tiny beets were delicious raw. A month ago, the greens and beets were delightful boiled, roasted or sautéed. Before I get sick of beets, I’ll cook and freeze the greens and the roots being harvested in abundance this season.
We’ve lived with the luxury of eating food out of season for so long, it’s easy to forget that our grandparents ate vegetables, fruit and grains only when they were ready to harvest, no sooner and no later. Everything seems to ripen at the same time, so by saving a portion of any abundant yield, they had food to sustain them through the winter. (more…)
This member of the Russula family is considered more desirable than morels, according to one of my fellow COMA members.
Both the cap and the gills yield a milky liquid when scratched or bruised.
I like them best sauteed in butter. I also added the tiniest mushrooms to my garden vegetable soup.
Of course, any trip into the woods yields more than mushrooms. These butterflies added a bit more beauty to an incredible hike.
Awareness, movement, marks in the earth - all require different skills than research on the Internet.
I started out thinking I could create a balanced life in both domains. I realize now why I cannot. It has to do with how I move, what parts of my body move and how my brain processes the incoming information. (more…)