Snagged these out walking the dog this morning. Does anyone else like to cook up a pot of cress in the spring, or other stuff you can gather before the garden kicks in?

Honestly, don't even know what that is...

Only thing I gather from the woods would be Morels, if I happen across a patch.

your dog probly pissed all over them...enjoy!

I find the attitude people have about something you can pick yourself amazing. This stuff grows wild in an out-of-the-way place and no, my dog doesn't piss there.

I'm sure you know exactly where your vegetables from the grocery store have been, what diseases the Mexicans who picked them had, and the $10/hr. guy who stocked them had, and the people who coughed on them had.

Deerwhacker, it's field cress, related to watercress but grows on dry land. Mustard family, loaded with nutrients.

Way cool. We get ramps, watercress, some fungus types and one of my favorites, fiddlehead ferns. Other stuff you can find easily and use are wild grapes--and their leaves-- for stuffed grape leaves with rice and lamb, wild mint and many others. I love that stuff, and wish I knew more. Thanks for the reminder to look into some books and maybe a day course type deal.

Slow down your whine,all in fun.

I pick and eat asparagus off of the canal bank here.

Berries are unfortunately about it for me when it comes to gathering wild foods. Wish I knew more.

I'll have to look into some field guides!

SP- how do you prepare them? I love mustard greens.

I do the morel thing, I'd like to get into finding ramps which is essentially a little wild onion with a garlic flavor. Supposedly theyre all over the place in these parts.

Just noticed a tree blooming on the hillside east of the house we just bought in the fall. Mom was over and picked some blooms. Wasn't sure what it was. Reading the state conservation magazine a few hours later is an article about serviceberry trees. Exact match. Never even heard of them. Have wild raspberries leafing out now too.

Never did the greens, mainly because I don't know what to look for. Grandpa always talked about poke.

Well, first I rinse the dog piss off 'em, then cover with water, throw in some salt pork, and cook until they're tender. I like a little vinegar on 'em, or a little cayenne.

Well ain't that somethin.' Euell Gibbons and Rodney Dangerfield, all rolled into one.

We have a woods full of ramps behind the house. Several types of raspberries in the summer and the occasional morel or puffball have been known to cross my plate. We also have wild apples and pears if you can beat the critters to them. I've also had wild cattail roots which to me are kinda like tofu. Not much taste but filling and (I think) nutritious.

looks great ,we still have a foot or more of snow on the ground,
remember picking wild leeks a a youngster,it was in the craziest place,don't know how my folks knew they were there.

I have a bunch of that stuff in my field. I shoot the rabbits that eat it and then eat the rabbits.

I'm guessing if I was from Colorado I'd be eating the green stuff and taking pictures of the rabbits...

Isn't that special. If I was from TN I'd probably eat rabbit too.

No need to with a freezer full of elk and antelope though.

Bad day?

Heck my grand parents used to stop on the side of the highway and pick wild dandelion greens and cicoria

Asparagus is my rite of spring. I'd eat Smokepoles cress without a worry though.

Also burdocks to make cardooni

Either A) his sense of humor is in the freezer too or B) he picked some other green to smoke. It is Colorado after all, home of the brave, pot heads and gun control..

SP, envious of your knowledge. If I knew what to look for, I'd pick it, cook it, and eat it. Of course, you could always invite me over!

Good day. Just got done putting away the rifles. A .260 and a 6.5-05, both shooting like champs. Got a good 3-mile walk in this morning, and got some stuff done around the house.

And to top it off I got to trade insults with Rodney Dangerfield and Rodney Junior. What's not to like.

lol. Well done.

Forget what they're called but these AZ beauties were delicious.

Thanks for the reminder. I'll have to go out in the field and look for the first of the mustard greens, and check the lawn for dandylions. A pot of greens sounds nice. I've all ready had my first pick of asparagus and some chives from the garden. Something wild is in order though.

Wish we had some ramps (leeks in NW PA) around, those are tasty this time of year.

Enjoy those goodies folks or you'll have to wait until next spring.

Geno

What Spring?
Still snowing right now.

You would be eating alone then. There is much better stuff here.

The only " spring rite" I remember was cleaning the entire inside of the house floor to sealing with Lysol. Soon after the "inside" of each resident was cleaned with a dose of castor oil.

You guys have been hammered. Usually around this time of year we get one last snowstorm but today it'll be 75, tomorrow a little warmer.

Asparagus will be next around here. Wish I knew more about mushrooms, there are all kinds in the mtns.

Being able to reconize free, organic vegetables is a good skill to have. Like Madmooner I wish I knew more.