Since this project began we have been amassing an ever growing library of useful and inspiring books to educate myself on everything from the health benefits to nettles to the art of fly fishing. Here is our ever-growing list of essential (and perhaps some non-essential) books for growing your outdoor cooking and adventuring library.
Rachel Zoller of the Yellow Elanor website and video series. Photo by Trevor Hiscocks
Show Notes
In this episode we chat with Rachel Zoller (you might know her as @yellowelanor on Instagram). We love chatting with Rachel because she brings her self-taught knowledge and enthusiasm to foraging and combines it with her ability to teach and explain in such an approachable way. While we aren’t currently able to forage in Washington State (recorded in April 2020 during coronavirus quarantine) we came away encouraged to use this time to educate ourselves so that when restrictions ease, we’ll be all the more ready to get out and find some fungi.
Links:
YellowElanor.com Rachel’s website is a wealth of knowledge for those with a hunger for learning about mushrooms
Yellow Elanor YouTube Channel Walk along with Rachel through the woods as she forages for mushrooms. They are also a sister & brother team making outdoor videos!
Author Euell Gibbons (Books: Stalking the Wild Asparagus, Stalking the Blue-Eyed Scallop, Stalking the Healthful Herbs, etc.)
1968 New Yorker article on Euell Theophilus Gibbons
Chocolate Cream Pie recipe by King Arthur Flour
Chocolate Pie Crust recipe by King Arthur Flour
This is a wonderful time of year to be outside, enjoying the spring warmth, watching the earth wake up from winter and collecting a bounty of wild foods. The only problem is that we are extremely limited with how and where we can gather and collect while we are in the midst of a pandemic.
The good news is that many delicious edibles can be found right in your backyard. Many of the “weeds” we loathe are not only edible but incredibly delicious and nutritious.
This is a perfect time to get familiar with a few wild edibles and enjoying adding some “weeds” to your diet.
We’ve put together a growing list of online resources that we have found helpful when expanding our knowledge of the wild foods that surround us.
Our friend and foraging expert, Hank Shaw, recently published a post highlighting the bounty of edible greens found right outside his house. The extensive post covers dandelions, miners lettuce, nettles and more. Spend some time digging into Hank’s blog as it is a bountiful resource of wild food recipes and information.
Here are a few other of Hank’s posts that will keep you busy foraging in your neighborhood.
Also, be sure to catch our podcast episode with Hank.
Langdon Cook is another great example of a gifted writer and teacher. His blog is a wealth of recipes to turn your wild foods into a memorable meal. This recipe for stinging nettle soup is a classic.
Here are a few others I’m eager to try:
Halibut with Nettle Sauce, Peas and Miner’s Lettuce
I also really love this interview Langdon did with Becky Lerner, author of Dandelion Hunter.
Here are a few more great resources for backyard foraging we’ve been learning from:
7 Edible Weeds in Your Backyard
All About Japanese Knotweed then try this sour cocktail
Wild Greens Salad from Forager Chef
Unless you’re real lucky edible wild mushrooms probably don’t grow in your backyard, but this is a great time to learn all about mushrooms. Yellow Elanor is one of our favorite resources on mushroom knowledge. She is a knowledgeable and enthusiastic teacher. If you, like us, are now thrown into the world of homeschooling, grab the kids and watch some videos.
And just for fun check out this New Yorker article on Euell Gibbons from 1968
Hank Shaw has done pretty much everything. He’s worked in restaurants, fished commercially, been a political journalist, written books and more. His website HuntGatherCook.com is a treasure trove of recipes, essays and how-to’s on anything related to wild foods. He’s fun to talk to and knowledgeable about pretty much everything. We think you’ll enjoy listening to our conversation with him. And even though we’re currently limited on our outdoor pursuits (recorded in April 2020 during the Covid-19 quarantine) we can dream of the time when we can get back outdoors and harvest some wild foods together.
Links:
huntgathercook.com - Hunter, angler, gardener, cook is Hank’s website with tons of recipes and articles and more. Some of Hank’s posts mentioned in the podcast:
Author Euell Gibbons (Books: Stalking the Wild Asparagus, Stalking the Blue-Eyed Scallop, Stalking the Healthful Herbs, etc.)
Book: Gathering the Desert by Gary Paul Nabhan
Book: Let’s Stay In by Ashley Rodriguez
Video: Sourdough with Babish
An Air Fryer might change your life
Book: The Overstory by Richard Powers
Book: The City we Became by N.K. Jemisin
In this podcast we welcome our guest Langdon Cook, author, forager, fisherman and all around great guy. We should say this first and foremost NEVER eat anything in the wild unless you are 100% certain of what you are eating.
Links:
Langdon’s website: great information of pacific northwest foraging and wild food recipes.
Kitchen Unnecessary post about nettle identification and processing
Recipes:
Books:
Upcoming episode with Daniel Winkler - International wild food legend, and the VP of the Puget Sound Mycological Society, Daniel Winkler talking about all things mushrooms.
Upcoming episode with Alana of Truffle Dog Co. - We talk about foraging for black truffles in Washington (and Oregon) and discuss some of the different varieties and their varying flavors.
