jelly beans and false morels

On the way to feed the chickens this morning I saw a Chipping Sparrow's nest with little speckled blue eggs, no bigger than jelly beans.

I saw momma sparrow too, but only for a second.  I dare not linger too long, lest her eggs get too cool.

I saw that the Pineapple Weed is starting to grow.  Soon the wee ones and I will be picking.  I'd like to dry much more this year for tea since last year's "lemonade" was so tasty.

I saw a couple of False Morels but never the tasty true morels here.  Though I've read it can be done if properly prepared, the false morel is not one I'll try to eat.  Rocket fuel, anyone?

I also saw a big Cecropia moth but he fluttered off before I could fetch my camera.

After a sleepless night, I'm fluttering a little today too.  Another cup of coffee and let the day begin.

Happy halfway day, all.

Pineapple Weed and Yellow Sorrel jelly

As a kid, we used to find these "sour clovers" growing in the outfield at the little school where we used to play ball.  When we needed a rest we'd flop in the grass and nibble on the tiny tart leaves, as kids do.  (I always seemed to have a piece of grass or something in my teeth, the little hayseed that I was)  It was this memory that prompted me this week to find out what that sour clover was.  A quick search online revealed that it was a Wood Sorrel and full of potential.  Not only is the little weed tart and tasty, but it's a plant of many uses as well.   The leaves are used in salads and soups, can be ground up for pesto,can produce a natural dye, and more.   The green seed pods are also edible and have a nice little crunch.  They're slightly less tart than the leaves but biting into them gives a quick taste of rhubarb for me.  It's an easy plant to identify which makes it a great plant for beginners to try.

Luck stepped in while I was gathering pineapple weed yesterday and there it was, a little forest of yellow wood sorrel right in my yard.  I nibbled a leaf and those days in the ball field came right back.  I picked a large bunch of it, scooped up my bowl of pineapple weed, and headed inside to see what I could make.  

I figured I'd start by making a strong tea with my finds so I put my pineapple weed and sorrel in separate glass bowls, poured boiling water over each, then covered them and let them steep for about an hour.  After they were cooled and strained, I was left with two yellowish infusions.  I mixed the two together with a little sugar and a couple of ice cubes for a cold drink and the result was a taste that was a dead ringer for apple juice.  Sweet, but not cloyingly so, and a little tart.  Delicious.

I processed the rest into jelly using 3 cups of the pineapple weed and 1/2 cup of the sorrel infusions, 4 cups of sugar, and a package of pectin.   I processed it according to basic jelly directions.  It was also quite delicious.  It had less of an apple flavor than I expected and tasted a lot like honey, even moreso than the dandelion jelly had.  It has a hint of tartness which makes it light and bright.  I can't wait to have it on an english muffin.

I'm curious what your reaction is to reading recipes like this; are you curious to try it, fearful, repulsed?  Our relationship to food is so interesting to me.  What wild plants have you tried?

p.s. We gather only wild plants that we can positively identify and only from areas that we trust to be free of pesticides, run-off, and other ickiness.   The occasional bug or clod of dirt is okay with us, but chemicals are not. blech. 

Wild Chamomile aka Pineapple Weed iced tea

You know this stuff, right?  Some people call it Pineapple Weed, which was new to me as I had always known it as Wild Chamomile (and, it isn't actually chamomile after all...)  I guess it makes sense though, the blossoms when crushed give off a lovely almost-pineapple-sorta-apple smell and up close their shape is vaguely pineapple-like. 

We find these little guys all over in our hard, sandy, gravelly Minnesota "soil" and right now they're popping up in droves.  They're the wild cousin of the well-known chamomiles that make our soothing teas and you know what?  Just as delicious.

I enlisted the help of my little helpers to gather some of the blossoms.  In their enthusiasm they came up with handfuls of plants, but that's okay.

The boys and I plucked the flower buds off and put them in a bowl.  Sitting there with them it struck me just how nice this moment was and I felt grateful.  We've had a hectic few weeks and this was a bit of much needed calm.

I noticed that A still had a lump of clay clenched in his hand that he had found by the pond.  Earlier he made a horse and then a turtle out of it but had yet to decide on his final design, which we'll dry in the sun and keep for a while.

Charlie and E were supervising, as she does, while chewing on chives. 

Eventually they all wandered off, stopping to grab a basil or cliantro leaf out of the herb garden as they went, leaving momma to finish the job.  The sun was out and a nice breeze was blowing and the repetition of popping the blossoms off into the bowl was sort of soothing.

I think I'd like to make a jelly out of it next or try dyeing wool with it, but today we opted for iced tea, sweetened with dandelion syrup to go with our lunch.

It was mildly herbal, with that subtle apple scent that chamomile has.  Quite a lovely treat and a good experience for the kidlets too.  The way I see it my helpers will have this down pat when my German chamomile blooms...

Here's to ya.  Cheers.

p.s. We gather only wild plants that we can positively identify and only from areas that we trust to be free of pesticides, run-off, and other ickiness.   The occasional bug or clod of dirt is okay with us, but chemicals are not. blech.