Herbs for the CSA

Through the porch screen, a balmy autumn breeze drifts in to the Berry’s dinning-room; a large group of people causally sits around the long table, drinking herbal tea and discussing their adventures hunting for Manzanita Berries. It is the second workshop in a series of three for this fall’s Wild Food and Medicinal CSA , and the tables are covered in goodies: crimson Hawthorne Berries, a large Evening Primrose plant, crowned with yellow flowers and ending with a long, parsnip-like taproot; Oregon Grape Root with shiny, barbed leaves; and large baskets full of Blue Oak Acorns.

Participant Sampling Primrose Root

In the background, children of the workshop participants play quietly as Rachel Berry discusses the medicinal properties of Hawthorn berries. The bowl of blood-red fruits are passed around the table, and many “Mmmm” over the sweet yet sour taste. Stories about and recipes for Hawthorn jam are traded; one woman relates how her friend utilized Hawthorn to successfully lower his blood pressure in just one week. Truly, it feels less like a formal class than a gathering of wise women and men coming together to share knowledge, medicine, and insight.

Amethyst Holding Evening Primrose

Next, a basket of primrose leaves and roots are passed around; many enjoy the spicy, radish-like taste, while others politely pass. But the true work happens when the Oregon Grape Root comes out and knives and cutting boards are distributed: it’s time to make a tincture. The roots are difficult to cut, and as members mince their medicine, looks of intense concentration of their faces, Matthew Berry notes that “They’re really getting a workout here.” After much travail, the chopped roots are placed into small bottles and covered with vodka to create a tincture.

Lastly, roasted acorns are circulated, and Matthew pontificates on how acorns are properly processed (video will be posted soon!).

Matt Discusses Acorns

One of the things participants seemed to enjoy most during the workshop w as Rachel and Matthew Berry’s willingness to field lots of questions, taking the time to fully satisfy everyone’s curiosity. Meanwhile, I asked my own questions to the workshop participants. I had the chance to speak to Arianna, who is a shareholder with her mother. She related, “I like learning about all the different edible plants. It’s really great to be able to identify medicinal plants while I’m hiking, and it’s nice to not have to bring snacks on a walk: after all, there’s a ton to eat right in the woods.”

Two other shareholders, Deena and Robby, spoke to me while they were processing their acorns. Deena confided that she “really likes being in the CSA; it’s our first time joining this fall. It’s really fulfilling to be able to eat wild foods, and to have more confidence to eat foods I didn’t know about before.” Robby added that the couple have their own vegetable CSA, and since they are new to the community, they enjoy being able to network with like-minded folks during the workshops. He also mentioned that “I used to grow Native plants for a junior college in Santa Cruz, and I developed a strong connection to native plants. I have the highest regard for people who know how to live off the land.”

Chopping Oregon Grape Root For Tincture

At the end of the evening, members left with their arms full of delectable wild foods and smiles on their faces. As folks were filing out, I spoke to was Melisa; this is also her first time joining the Wild Foods CSA, and she “loves it. It’s amazing to learn about what is edible in our own back yards, and how delicious it can be. Now, when I go on hikes, I connect to the plants I see instead of just walking past them.” I think that’s the true magic of the CSA sessions: people come away with a new sense of wonder and curiosity about the plant communities around them, and are able to connect with the natural world in a new way. The Berry’s approach is dynamic, yet casual and comfortable, and by the end of each workshop, participants become empowered to take their food and their medicine into their own hands.

Hawthorne Berries and Oregon Grape Root

Want to join the next CSA? Subscribe to this blog by entering your email on the upper right sidebar to keep up to date on the latest workshop and class information, or email maberry50@yahoo.com.

Article and photos by Rachel R.C., a local Nevada City resident, artist, writer, and native plant enthusiast. You can check out her blog at http://lettersandfeathers.wordpress.com.

Harvesting Lotus Seeds

It’s a warm day, the jewel tones of autumn are off-set by a clear blue sky; the air is rich and wet, the scent of decomposing leaves have overtones of honey and cinnamon. Matthew Berry, Adam Kistner and I are on our way to Bullards Bar, just north of the North San Juan Ridge, to see what may be out in abundance ready to gather.

Tan Oak Acorns

We have high hopes. As we drive up the 49 North, Matt recalls last year’s harvest, when acorns from the Tan Oaks were plentiful, rolling down into small ravines and littering the areas under the trees. The acorns from the Tan Oaks are especially exciting, because they tend to have a higher oil content than other acorns: they contain as much as 30% oil. I muse that for the Native Americans, oak trees must have been what coconut palms were to peoples living in more tropical climates.

Finally, we arrive in the forest. We spread out, dodging under low branches, walking on a blanket of leaves still wet with yesterday’s storm. The ground is colored with pale tan and taupe, russet and ochre; I feel as though I’m walking on a living mosaic. However, there is only a spattering of acorns on the dappled ground, and most of what we find have tiny, black holes in them made by weevils. “It’s just the first drop,” Matt muses with some disappointment, and we figure the harvest is delayed due to the late winter we had this year.

We venture further into the forest, hoping to find some mushrooms; Matt recalls that last year, this part of the forest was a veritable supermarket for chanterelles and porcini, and we hunt among the moist leaves that cloak the forest floor for such treasures.

No such luck.

Amanita Mushroom

We find some old, inedible Turkey Tails, a motley Amanita or two, and finally, something that is probably a bloated Puff Ball. We’ll have to be patient and wait for a more bountiful, future harvest in this area.

The next stop on our journey is Ananda Village, where Matt’s friends give us a tour of their extensive orchard and garden, and where we will scope out a pond that is overrun with lotus for possible harvesting opportunities. Matt hopes to collect lotus seeds, and possibly even some lotus roots for the Wild Foods CSA that he runs with his wife Rachel. As we drive up the hill to the village, we enjoy a wide vista of the Sierra Buttes, and a view of the sky, mostly clear except for thin, wing-like wisps of clouds.

Ironically, Matthew’s friends have a small, but hearty patch of Butter Bolete mushrooms growing right by the front gate, and the Black Oaks in their yard seem to have dropped a few more acorns than the Tan Oaks at our last destination. Life is full of small ironies.

Butter Bolete Mushroom

We make our way to the pond that needs some thinning, and indeed, I’m amazed at the thick mat of lotus that has taken over most of the water’s surface. We pick some seed heads with makeshift sticks and stalks, but the seed pods we recover have abortive seeds—when we pop the seed husks open, there is no nut inside. Valiantly, Matt wades into the freezing water and claims a few more seed heads, but alas, the seeds contained therein are also abortive.

Shivering, we resolve to come back to the pond another time when we have a boat for more extensive exploration; we hope that, at the very least, we will be able to harvest some roots for the Wild Foods CSA. After all, it’s the start of a new CSA season: there are twelve shares and twenty people who come together for three distributions over six weeks to learn about and enjoy wild foods. Last session, shareholders enjoyed a collection of Sierra berries, Yampah tubers and seed (or wild caraway) and made elderberry syrup for the cold season. Unfortunately, CSA members will have to wait a little while longer for edible mushrooms and Tan Oak acorns: but the anticipation will make these wild foods all the more delicious when the elusive harvest finally comes in.

Lotus

Article and photos by Rachel R.C., a local Nevada City resident, artist, writer, and native plant enthusiast.  Check out her blog here.

First I diced and sauteed the mushrooms in butter, added some garlic, and filled the house with the delicious smell of cooked wild mushrooms.  I added some greens, a bit of fresh mint, and some chopped walnut to the mix.  Yum!!

Wild grape leaves (Vitis californica) have a nice roundish shape – they aren’t as lobed as their domesticated cousins – making them a nice choice for dolmas.  To prepare the leaves  for rolling, I tossed them in a boiling salt brine (1 part salt to 4 parts water) for just a few seconds until they turned olive color, and then quickly placed them in a cold water bath.  I placed the leaf shiny side down, and placed a spoonful of the mushroom blend mixed with rice on top.  I carefully rolled them up (stem to tip), and tucked in the sides.

At this point I realized (as a novice dolma maker) that the dolmas should be prepared with raw rice, and then placed in the oven with water until the rice is cooked.  Oops… I used cooked rice when rolling them up.  But hey, the dolmas are still quite delicious! They are a little more fragile than typical dolmas, but the flavor of the buttery mushrooms shine through and complement the sourness of the leaves nicely.  We’ll be serving them up tomorrow at our 5th CSA distribution of the season, and supplying our group with wild grape leaves to try it on their own. (Maybe they’ll add the dried morels they received a few weeks ago!)

Another thing I’d like to try with the grape leaves: combine the salty sour of the prepared leaves with fresh goat chevre! ‘Tis the season for fresh goat milk, now that most of this year’s kids have been born, and what a lovely thing it would be to make a fresh chevre with creamy fresh goat milk and wrap it up in a wild grape dolma!

If you have access to wild grape leaves, you can also just cook them as a mild tasting green and add them to your favorite dishes.  The leaves are best eaten when young (before the vine flowers), and likely contain high levels of Vitamin A.  (One cup of domesticated grape leaves have about 80% of the recommended daily intake, according to the USDA Nutrient Database).  Enjoy this plentiful spring green!

-Rachel

All parts of the dandelion are edible – the roots, leaves, and flowers – and they all carry some of of the plant’s medicinal properties.  Dandelion comes to us in the spring, just when many of us need it! It is a mild laxative, diuretic, and helps improve function of the liver.  It is known as blood-cleanser, and helps remove accumulated toxins in the body.  Its an excellent choice for many of those who wish to improve skin conditions (its important to consider what you put in your body as well as what you put on your skin!).

As many of us strive to eat well and eat locally, dandelion is a truly a gift! Its probably already in your backyard, and as long as you don’t spray it (or it does not grow near a roadway), its ready for the picking! Dandelion leaves are high in Vitamin A and C, potassium and calcium.

Inspired by Susan Weed, I picked some fresh flowers yesterday with my daughter for Dandelion Fritters.  We delighted in removing the yellow petals from the stem and piling them up in a fluffy beautiful bowl of spring cheer.  We folded them into the batter, and cooked them up into warm and delicious fritters.  I spread a little violet -infused honey on top…. yum!!

The leaves can be folded into stir fries, eggs or smoothies (and are best picked before they flower), and the roots can be put into soups or dried and made into tea.  Here’s the recipe for fritters:

Dandelion Flower Fritters, from Susan Weed
Serves 2 people
1 cup whole wheat flour or other grain
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1 egg
.5 cup milk, milk alternative, or water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup yellow parts of dandelion flower (remove all green)

Mix dry ingredients.  Beat egg, add liquid and oil.  Stir into dry mix.  Stir in yellow florets and cook like pancakes.  Server very hot with jam, syrup, or butter.

-Rachel

Beyond the Miner’s lettuce, there was gobs of chickweed (Stellaria media) in his garden.  Chickweed is one of my favorite spring greens, rich in minerals (including calcium), carotenes (antioxidants), and vitamin C.  It is nutritive, cooling, and emollient, which gives it versatility as a health-promoting edible and also a topical herb for hot and inflammatory conditions (arthritis, diaper rash, wounds, burns).  There’s lots more to chickweed – see if you can find this one is your garden and do some research of your own to get to know this helpful plant!

You have to work pretty fast with chickweed – this plant wilts quickly after picking.   I made a nice batch of chickweed infused olive oil (for use in medicinal salves and also in the kitchen), and still had quite a bit left, so I made a very large batch of a nutritive and tasty chickweed pesto (which I can freeze if we don’t polish it off this week!).  I just substituted chickweed for basil, and used sunflower seeds, garlic, olive oil and a little parmesan cheese.  You can also fold it raw into salads, smoothies, and sandwiches.

More treats in Bishop’s “weedy” garden: milk thistle leaves and horehound.  Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is often thought of for its seeds, which provide an excellent source of support for the liver and is often used to treat liver damage due to disease or exposure to some kinds of toxins.  The beautiful leaves are edible and delicious, if you can negotiate around the sharp and spiky edges.  Bishop’s technique included folding the leaf in half (along the rib) and taking bites from middle.  The taste is surprisingly mild and refreshing!

The horehound (Marrubium vulgare), on the other hand, will make you pucker! Whew, its a strong bitter plant, which I assume is why it makes it a treatment for intestinal parasites.  It is also a commonly used herbal remedy for colds an especially sore throats.  So what do you do with a large abundance of horehound? I thought it would be fun to dry the leaves, ground them up, and make them into cough drops with our CSA this spring.  I collected two very full brown grocery bags of the fresh plant, and I’m curious to see how much powder will come of it (maybe 2 ounces in volume?). I always look forward to the opportunity to make powder from plants I collect myself, because it gives me a renewed appreciation of powdered herbs I buy at the store and how much time, effort, and plant material is needed to create just a few ounces!

For dinner that night, we happily grazed on “weeds” and discovered that the big leaves of miner’s lettuce make great wraps! Check out Amara munching on her green taco…

The hand press definitely requires some finesse! But once Stephen and Matt got it going, a scrumptious roasted nut smell filled the air and a beautiful golden oil became dripping out.  The first batch was made with Canyon Oak acorn (moderate in tannins).  I tasted a few drops and it was like golden nutty melted butter! It was hard to taste it without making a some noise about how yummy it was.

As I type, Steven and Matt are continuing to press acorn oil using a few different acorn varieties, Tan Oak and Black Oak.  They comment on each flavor as if they were in Napa tasting wine.  They also chat about the nature of the world, and every now and then interject with a “now we got it!” or “here we go!” or “that is SWEET” when the oil comes dripping out in a nice flow.  They talk about the ease in which we go to the store and buy a large container of cooking oil, and what would happen if for some reason that supply was no longer available to us so abundantly.

I must admit, it sure is handy going to the store (or someplace like Chaffin Farms) to buy a large bottle of oil to use generously for every meal.  Matt and Steven have been working at this oil pressing for several hours today and we have about 4 ounces of oil to show for it.  Sure, some of this time was experimentation with trial and error, but you get my point about the time involved to press this precious oil by hand!

But I must say…. taking an afternoon to explore the treasures of our local food shed and build community around processing food is like nothing you can buy at the store.   And the deep appreciation we have for every drop of that precious oil is nothing we could have experienced had we purchased it from someone else.  And this is amazing acorn oil! It is made from the essence of our bioregion, rich in nutrients and indigenous to this land.

We have much more experimentation to do to on the processing of acorn oil, but we are excited to have begun the process!

Watch the video below to see more.

-Rachel

Amara quickly spotted the miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) and started chomping away at these sweet succulent, greens.  Miner’s lettuce is one of the most popular foraged foods around here – its yummy, abundant, and its structure makes it pretty darn easy to identify (it kind of looks like a green “gold pan” with a white flower in the middle where a chunk of gold might be).  Miner’s lettuce is tasty, has a pleasant consistency, and is a good source of Vitamin C to boot.

Near miner’s lettuce you will often find chickweed – another early spring sweet and succulent treat.   We found some delicious tendrils of chickweed (Stellaria media) in the patch and filled our mouths and our baskets.   Chickweed is cooling, rich in calcium and vitamin C, and is a great topical treatment for diaper rash and other hot skin irritations.

We moved out of the cool shade and found a nice spot in the warm early spring sun, carefully avoiding the spikes of a prolific young thistle.   The small young leaves tasted kind of green but also had a hint of sweetness. Inspired by Linda Runyon and her tales of thistle-eating,   I took some home to see if those spikes would perhaps soften in a ghee saute.

Amara, like most all 3-year olds, loves to cook and thus took charge of sauteing the greens when we got home.  She made it clear that she was not going to eat the spiky leaves, just cook them.  But of course, you can’t resist trying what you cook yourself, so she ventured her hand into the thistle greens and took a bite….

As you see, she was not impressed.  I ate a few myself.  The young spikes on the leaves softened a little bit, but I made sure to REALLY chew thoroughly before swallowing, because the spikes were still, well, not the kind of texture you want to send down your throat.   The taste was similar to a collard.  Next time, I’ll wait until the leaves are bigger and then cut off the spikes before cooking!

As far as the chickweed and miner’s lettuce, they were prepared as a fresh salad and were quite delicious!

-Rachel