In the Spring, when trees are putting out their new growth, it's the perfect time to harvest Douglas-fir tips for brewing tea and beer. If you have never tried them, imagine that good smell trees have, and that's about what they taste like. They are not only delicious, but good for you, and fortifying with a nice, local source of vitamin-C. You can store them either dried or frozen for use ...
Wildcrafting
Dandelion Fritters
When the dandelions start popping up in our yard in the spring, it's time to make a batch of dandelion fritters. I first got this delicious idea from the Doula who helped with my twins' birth, and it became a favorite seasonal tradition in our house. I don't usually make a lot of fried food, but this treat is well worth it. You simply go out in the yard and pop the ...
Indian Plum: The Herald of Spring
Indian Plum (Oemleria cerasiformis) is in bloom, and the distinct clusters of white blossoms showing up in the forests around us are a sure sign Spring is on the way. It is also commonly referred to as Oso Berry because Oso means "bear" in Spanish, and this is a food eaten by our furry neighbors in the woods. This shrub is a member of the cherry and plum family, and produces ...
Bewitched by Witch Hazel
One of the things I have always appreciated about living West of the Cascades is the abundance of year-round color. Through the depths of winter, things stay nice and green around here. Even still, I wasn't expecting to see any flaming reds or yellows in February until these bright flowers caught my eye and I realized we have a pair of Witch Hazels in our yard. Having always wanted to grow ...
Decking Out the Halls
On these cold, short winter days, I have been keeping busy around the homestead getting it spruced up for the holidays (pun intended) with greenery brought in from the outdoors. Wreaths, swags, garlands and trees are an age old tradition that I thoroughly enjoy participating in every year. Evergreen trees and boughs have a long, rich history in decking the halls, and standing as symbols of life ...
Hedgehogs, and Cauliflowers and Matsutakes, Oh My!
This fall has been a mushroom hunter's dream so far, and I realized this morning that I have managed to find every single favorite and long sought-after mushroom (aside from Morels) over the last couple months. Every time I go out in the woods mushroom hunting, I hope that there will be a big, beautiful Cauliflower mushroom with my name on it, a bright yellow patch of Chicken of the Woods ...
Wild Mushroom Gravy
It is panning out to be such a good mushroom year, that we are faced with the good problem of having more chanterelles than we know what to do with. We are eating them in everything possible, making large batches of things to freeze, like Cream of Chanterelle Soup, trading for important things like wild salmon fillets, and I have been enjoying playing mushroom fairy and leaving paper bags of ...
Finding Fungus Among Us on the Homestead
At our place, we grow mushrooms the size of a man's head! Here's to the happy discovery of chanterelles on our very own propery. Big ones! ...
Cream of Chanterelle Soup
It has turned out to be a most abundant mushroom season so far, and we have been faced with the very good problem of asking ourselves daily, "What to do with all these Chanterelles?" Last week we received some culinary inspiration from a friend who was making large batches of cream of mushroom soup to freeze for her recipes throughout the year. Since we can't get enough of cream of Chanterelle ...
Pressing Matters
Fall just wouldn't be complete without a cider pressing, so I managed to finagle it in to the hustle and bustle of life last Friday evening by renting a press from our local homebrew supply shop with some friends. Everyone jumped in and enjoyed turns at different stations. My friend's daughter enjoyed getting in the thick of things and getting sticky with us, taking a break ever so ...