In 2010 I want to try and get a little closer to the food that we eat. We're moving into our new house and will be able to have a much larger vegetable garden, but beyond that, I want to explore more of what the Northwest has to offer at a fundamental state.
Foraging is a difficult (and sometimes dangerous) art that takes enthusiasts years to perfect. The most common foods sought by foragers are mushrooms and truffles, delicious finds that can often go for a pretty penny, but the Northwest is home to many wild edibles (flowers, nettle, berries, etc.) and damn it, I want to try and find some. Let's just hope I don't mistake a Satan's Bolete for a Queen Bolete...
Prime time for foraging is obviously spring - fall, so we probably won't seriously get into this adventure until well into next year. We did however stumble across a couple nice finds in Bellingham over Thanksgiving weekend:
Candy Caps at the Christmas tree farm.
One of the many marvels of mushrooms is that they have so many distinctive fragrances, and the candy cap has one of the sweeter ones: that of maple syrup. Dried Candy Caps are often powdered to flavor desserts, or soaked, chopped and cooked to flavor cookies. They make a delicious counterpoint to savory dishes, especially those using smoked meats.
Chanterelles
Huckleberry Pie made from Huckleberries foraged on Mt. Baker
(This is from September)
