Wild Edibles

I happened upon a local blog about eating wild edibles, a.k.a weeds, and I have become hooked! It is really fun to forage for free food! Today's bounty: chickweed, garlic mustard, plantain, dandelion leaves.  I am excited to make garlic mustard "horseradish", chickweed and garlic mustard pesto, garlic mustard pancakes, and plantain oil.

I also found but didn't harvest yet: violets, Japanese Knotwood, purslane, onion grass, burdock, lambs quarters, wild grape leaves, burberry bush, and a mulberry tree.  All of these are either in my backyard, the adjoining woods, or within a half mile walk of my house.  The mulberry tree came up last year next to our house.  A bird probably dropped some ripe fruit at some point.  It will have to be moved to the backyard.

You are probably wondering if I have lost my mind.  That's debatable LOL...but seriously, you should check out this blog:

http:\\www.foodunderfoot.com

I bought a book on amazon.com last year for mushroom foraging, but I haven't tried it yet.  It's called "Mushrooming Without Fear".  It has really nice color pics, which I think is essential.  Let me know if you try any great recipes on wild edibles that you'd like to share.

Chickens Have Arrived!

I have made the leap to chicken owner at last!  I got an assortment of breeds that are cold hardy and good egg layers.  I have one Australorp, one Silver Laced Wyandotte, one Golden Laced Wyandotte, one Buckeye, one Chantecler, and two Easter Eggers.  Probably half of them will be hens.  Roos are going to take a ride back to the farm!




The Silver Laced Wyandotte learned how to roost on top of the waterer...that's not all she learned how to do up there LOL!  I have to clean the waterer out several times a day. Before I leave for work, when I get home, and before I go to bed.