WriterByNature.com

May 13, 2008 2:52 pm

Sedges have edges
Rushes are round
Grasses are hollow right up from the ground.

There are exceptions to this basic rule. But poetry is a valuable learning tool in nature study.

I am blessed with an amazing range of nature educators. Some are dedicated to teaching. Others do not even know they are teachers, but their impact rivals that of Barry Keegan.

I taught 12-year-old Caleb how to harvest wild garlic. He responded with that well-known poem by an unknown poet, before bounding off to share his new discovery with his parents.

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May 8, 2008 8:38 am

I’m not sure why the tree ear (Auricularia auricula) is considered edible and the black jelly roll (Exidia glandulosa) pictured below, is typically not.

But if COMA mentors Dianna Smith or Gary Lincoff say a mushroom is edible. I trust them.

I had to study this photo and compare it with the tree ear photos online to see the difference.

I added these to a home-made vegetable soup. The texture was fine and the flavor barely detectable.

From my point of view, there is a big difference between a mushroom that is boring, but edible and a mushroom that is toxic.

I finally found a tree ear to photograph:

I’m not sure I’d want to sit down to a plate full of Exidia glandulosa or Auricularia auricula, for that matter. But these jelly fungi are a pleasing addition to a slow-cooked soup.

April 23, 2008 7:08 am

When I tasted Joe Brandt’s Japanese knotweed salad, I couldn’t wait to try it for myself. Joe is that rare combination of skill and artistry in the field and in the kitchen. Try this first, then read on to see what I did for a variation on this salad.

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February 14, 2008 6:36 am

This is an adaptation of a recipe I found in a cook booklet, Old Pioneer Recipes, published by Bear Wallow Books. I am deeply grateful to this writer and historian.

The original recipe called for two squirrels, onion, butter, flour and Tabasco sauce. My recipe includes more vegetables and three sources of wild meat.

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January 25, 2008 6:04 am

This happens to be Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis); Black Birch (Betula lenta) tastes sweeter.

In winter, when the sap is not flowing, you can scrape the cambium (the layer between the inner bark and the wood) and steep it or brew it for a delicious beverage. The following recipe is for a winter harvest, when the sap is not flowing and the tree is dormant.

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January 14, 2008 7:18 am

I’ve experimented with acorns on and off for years. But it was Rose Barlow of Prodigal Gardens who enlightened me on how to create a ground meat effect using acorns.

I used frozen acorns in my recipe. Next season I will put Rose’s acorn roasting technique to the test. (more…)

November 27, 2007 6:11 am

It took me several hours to crack one cup’s worth of black walnuts. If you crack your own walnuts, be sure to hand pick through the nut meat at least twice. I rely on my fingertips rather than my eyes to ensure no microscopic nut shells find their way into my food.

The rest of the recipe is pretty straightforward. Now I know why black walnuts are so expensive. They are labor intensive.

I must be getting better at using key words. This recipe is taken from a source entitled As Easy As Pie, by Susan G. Purdy. (more…)

November 5, 2007 9:02 pm

The Calvatia gigantea I found last August was a very large puffball. But the ones I found yesterday deserve the name “giant puffball.”

I probably should have stuck with what I knew and made giant puffball pizza, but I just had to experiment. (more…)

October 4, 2007 6:24 am

Despite wearing two gloves on each hand, I managed to puncture both layers with the wire cleaning brush. What I learned is that I need to replace my wire brush more frequently. Meanwhile, I have brown hands for the next couple of weeks.

To date, I have harvested over 500 black walnuts. I can clean 25 walnuts an hour.

I’ve been stomping hulls of walnuts while singing Peppermint Twist or Twist and Shout. I try to mash the nuts on the road where I find them.

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September 19, 2007 1:27 am

This recipe is one of my favorites.

Follow my acorn preparation instructions, then add venison. Venison is farmed in many places, so even if you don’t hunt, this is a treat. (more…)