h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The last two in this album are Ribwort plantain. I ate a few buds today..later in the summer they will be everywhere. I had some for lunch.

Very delicious mushroomy taste and crunch.

http://bit.ly/JWF29U

of course, foraging has been the norm around here forever. I live in a very foraging fortunate urban area, with the huge river park system a two minute walk away. Native nuts and berries are plentiful, but it's always a race with the squirrels and the few in-tune humans when the season comes. I also have this very interesting guide book: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Edible-Garden-Weeds-of-Canada-Adam-F-Szczawinski-Nancy-J-Turner/9780889027527-item.html?ikwid=edible+garden+weeds+of+canada&ikwsec=Home Nancy Turner has also done books on wild Nuts and Fruit and on Mushrooms and poisonous plants of Canada as well as work on the traditional foods of what is now British Columbia.

Sadly, most people today think food is what you find in a shop wrapped in plastic, or shipped miles by truck to the Farmer's Market, labelled "Local" and "Organic" and overpriced accordingly. (this is a bit of a bugbear of mine: there are producers here whose lettuce or peppers, etc. are available every day at the big supermarkets for one price and then they can be found on Saturday at the Farmer's Market selling *the same stuff* for twice or three times the price.)

Yes it's a complex subject.

And for every person that over indulges collecting there are now plenty like me who have become aware of environmental issues and plant up their gardens with stuff you can find in the wild. Much of it is labelled weeds and is plentiful in any case like dandelions and brambles...and is dug up by the authorities.

And parks are increasingly letting areas grow freer.

I try to get more stuff from local shops now. It's brought up from Kent where despite development a fair amount of produce is still grown...I haven't visited the farmer's market they have in Peckham on sunday mornings..far too trendy as is a visit to Glastonbury

I go with my roots more.

The Turkish Cypriot shop gets some stuff from the Med though where they came from..it's hard not to indulge a bit in that..

If I lived in Canada I'd certainly try to learn about that tradition. In Australia, 'bush tucker' as they call it is popular..and Aboriginals can make a bit of money taking tourists out and showing them their traditional foraging plants and invertebrates.

Such practices can put you in touch with Nature.it comes from the heart..but you can use your brain to understand your own journey, whatever it maybe. It's unknown and is to do with things we hardly know we still know.

When I was at a high school the other evening I noticed a series of posters for a campaign I'd been aware of before encouraging First Nations youth to try to eat traditional foods - wild game and wild plants - as much as possible, in an effort to avoid type 2 Diabetes, which is rampant in their communities.

I remember seeing Julia Child replying to a question about her use of lots of butter (I paraphrase): "Look at your ancestors. If they ate bacon and eggs and loads of butter and lived to be ninety then you're probably okay to do it too. If they ate rice and vegetables and fish then maybe that's what you should stick to."

Why wouldn't we be adapted to the diet of our ancestors?

Yes we are. And you can't underestimate the effect on your feelings either. Stuff straight from the orchard or garden or the wild has that extra something.

And I am also growing some normal stuff in my garden this year. Onions for the first time. Apparently the taste is amazing..but I'm a bit worried because the seedlings are still very tiny..but the nettles are going great guns. I think I'll try some as tea as well.

Now no more alcohol I'm getting back into all sorts of other drinks..ordinary tea..Assam is my favourite..and full of anti oxidants.

But I'll never get fanatical and puritan about food and drink I know that.

But god those ribwort plantain buds were good. But only the young ones..the more developed ones have a slightly bitter taste.

I offered a plant to mother. She looked a bit horrified and said they spread everywhere. She's a fanatical gardener..but terribly British about it...

We grow French Sorrel here every year and use it along with a bit of plantain or whatever is around and a tiny touch of tansy to make what we call "green pancakes". I got the recipe out of a collection of Medieval recipes. It's basically blanched and chopped greens mixed with egg, milk and breadcrumbs and fried in butter.

Did a fair amount of pottering in the garden this morning between showers, (rain's back with a vengeance now)..wild hop plant is getting going up the fence. Last year I had loads of hops.

anhaga I know you have hops as well to flavour your beer. I found this recipe I going to try this year.

Hopped-Up Bruschetta
3-4 servings

If you have trouble finding fresh hops, basil flowers make a worthy substitute. Once the basil plant has gone to flower, its pungency increases and its herbaceousness becomes slightly bitter and hoplike.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 small garlic clove
Kosher salt
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 small onion, sliced
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 fresh hop flowers (not pellets) or basil flowers, torn
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
6-8 pieces toasted country bread

PREPARATION
Mince and mash the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt. Combine garlic paste with 1/2 tsp. salt, the tomato, onion, oil, hop flowers, and pepper. Top the toasts with the tomato mixture and serve.

http://www.thekitchn.com/not-just-for-beer-cooking-with-153509

I'll have to try that (in a few months)