Wild Salad: Eating Basswood

[SD51555]

Here's your cabin fever treatment for today:

I've brought up this idea before, but I don't know that I posted the video. This guy has a decent youtube channel for those nights when you're starving for content. I tried eating basswood leaves last spring, and I was amazed at how good and earthy they tasted. You could tell they were packed with nutrients over your typical empty iceberg lettuce.

It's a narrow window, but when you're out shroomin in the spring, this is a great consolation prize if you're not finding mushrooms. Once you eat a basswood leaf, you'll quickly understand why the deer love to munch new buds and sprouts.

If you love it, cut it down.

 

[dipper]

Ha that's crazy. Pretty much all my basswood is hinged so it would be easy pickings.

 

[Native Hunter]

Interesting.... Many of the weeds we fight (and some we plant) in food plots were brought to this country by people using them for food and medicinal purposes. That includes chicory. I always munch some of those leaves down when I walk through the plots.

 

[tooln]

Chicory taste a lot better than clover. I sample some very time through the plot.

 

[Native Hunter]

Yep, chicory is very mild. I've though before that it might be interesting to have a thread on uncommon wild foods, but sure as the world someone would probably get poisoned. Even peanuts can kill people who are allergic to them. One of my hobbies for many years has been studying how our forefathers survived off the land. When the big one hits I wont' starve to death, but I may very well die from being so soft from modern living.:D

 

[West Branch]

Very cool. There is a spot on the edge of the yard at our cabin that has wild mint and wild chives. If you hit both of them in a row with the lawn mower the smell is over powering! Could be good in a basswood salad.

 

[SD51555]

You're both right. One of the coolest experiences of the last few years I've had is getting back into wild foraging. My brother and I recently got back into mushroom hunting. Neither of us had done it in probably 20 years. Along with that, we also discovered leeks or wild onions. It's a heck of an activity during the right periods of the year. The neat thing is how easy it can be once you develop that eye for it. Best of all, it all tastes like food is supposed to taste. Mushrooms with flavor, onions with punch, greens that taste like they have some vitamins and minerals in them.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

You're both right. One of the coolest experiences of the last few years I've had is getting back into wild foraging. My brother and I recently got back into mushroom hunting. Neither of us had done it in probably 20 years. Along with that, we also discovered leeks or wild onions. It's a heck of an activity during the right periods of the year. The neat thing is how easy it can be once you develop that eye for it. Best of all, it all tastes like food is supposed to taste. Mushrooms with flavor, onions with punch, greens that taste like they have some vitamins and minerals in them.

my property is covered in ramps (wild leeks) come spring and early summer.. I always dig some up to use for cooking...they do have a very strong flavor....a dab will do ya.