Spring has sprung! I will miss the dry cold air for a while, but with Spring brings one of the things that I hadn't listed in things I like (because they are numerous); Foraging.
It's sad how in todays day and age, the stigma is that most of our food comes from the grocery store, a restaraunt, or an "expertly curated box that you don't even need to measure anything!"
It's even more sad that local natural and wild ingredients are sold in stores at rediculous premiums. I've seen Dandelion greens sold for way more than I would think as fair.
Today I realized that my backyard has a copious amount of the internet's favorite wild edible:
Ramps!
Also known as Bear Garlic, Wild Leek, Allium tricoccum.
I now feel a bit bad as I've landscaped the area a bit, I've damaged many of them, fortunately, there are many more, and some are even growing through the compacted section of my tractor trail!
Now I'm looking for some recepies to make use of them, as well as the other edibles in my yard.
I had mentioned dandelion, I have plenty. While I think a lush green yard is pretty, I prefer to be able to somewhat coesist with nature. Let the bugs eat (but not me). It appears that my dandelion seed spreading has worked well this year. I've recently acquired a recepie that my late grandmother used to make, I intend to add it to my recepie page. Coming soon(tm).
I'm also quite sure (it's very likely) that I have some broadleaf plantain, or plantago major. I really just need to properly identify it, but it's gotta be out there.
Of course, it goes without saying, I do wash all of the edibles I intend to consume. There are a few dandelions that my dogs like to casually aim for when they're marking. I don't spray my property, but you never know what's been where.
At some point I hope to get more into mushroom foraging. Not for psychedelics, I'm not really into that, but I've heard great things about normal wild edible mushrooms. I'm quite sure I identified some oyster mushrooms last Fall, but I wasn't taking any chances with it then.