Day Lily Fritters

As a kid I can remember driving up and down the road looking for wild asparagus. They were a tough find, and never really that good. What I didn't realize, at least not completely, was the orange flowers on the side of the road were a much easier, much tastier find. We used to call them Tiger Lilies, but in truth they're Day Lilies, and it would seem that most of the plant is edible.
I haven't experimented with the rest of the plant, but I have dabbled with the flowers. Most recently, I cut the newly opened flowers from the plants in my back yard. It's easier to cut the flowers in half, dip them in egg and toss them on the frying pan. With a little salt and pepper they are absolutely delicious. You can also toss the whole flower on the frying pan, and dump some egg right on top once they cook down a bit and have a tasty omelet. It's also said in different places that the dried flowers can be used to thicken soups. We'll see how that experiment works out...

Dock Coffee Part 3

FAIL!!! Unfortunately, this experiment was a big old fail. The initial taste of the drink was bitter, somewhat akin to coffee. Not exact, but for me, close enough. The problem was the aftertaste. I'm not sure how to explain it, other than slightly woody.  I guess, more than slightly. It was more-or-less unbearable, to the point I dumped it out.

I've not completely given up though... I think my problem was two fold. Firstly, I think the season was wrong. Perhaps if I had held my patience and harvested the roots near winter time they might have had a better flavor. I'm also wondering what might happen if I peeled the roots before drying them. The aftertaste had that woody, bark flavor and I'm wondering if it didn't come from that. Just have to wait until it gets a bit cooler and we'll do it all over again.

Dock Coffee Part 2

After three or four days of drying in the closet, the dock roots were dry, and it was time for roasting. According to Thayer, although he's just assuming, you proceed making the dock coffee much in the same way you would dandelion and chicory. He recommends roasting the roots anywhere from 15-60 minutes at 325 Fahrenheit. I gave my roots a fairly decent bake at 45 minutes. They're a nice brown color and are pretty bitter, but not unpalatable when I chew on them. I'm getting a grain grinder tomorrow so I can grind up the roots and cook them for my first cup of dock coffee... You can see in the picture below they are a nice medium brown color, a little lighter than the outside of the roots.

Dock Coffee Part 1

Getting into this foraging thing, I went to the library and picked up Samuel Thayer's Nature's Garden and have been doing a bit of reading - and of course, getting excited and jumping the gun. One of the more easily identified and readily available plants right now - at least for me - is a plant called Dock. Apparently it has many uses. It seems like I've missed the season for the edible greens and it's too early for the seeds - not to mention the seeds don't sound like they're all that worth it to me. Another one of the parts of Dock that can be used are the roots. Thayer claims they're too bitter to eat and use as a vegetable. I gnawed on one and that was enough for me - at least for now. The roots weren't quite as bitter as a big 'ole dandelion leaf, but still a little more bitter than I'd like. All the same, the roots can be dried, roasted, ground and used as a coffee substitute.

Being impatient with the seasons and wanting to try everything, I decided to give the Dock Coffee a whirl. The late-spring early summer isn't the best for the roots as the energy in the plant is going towards the flowers and seeds, but I couldn't help myself.

I dug up a bigger plant and cut the roots from the plant. I rinsed the outside of the roots and then split the roots in halves or quarters lengthwise, depending on how thick the root was. After leaving them on the deck in the sun for the rest of the day, I strung them on a string with a needle and thread and hung it in the closet to dry. Now we wait a few days while the roots dry so we can begin the roasting process.

Chicken Milkweed Casserole

I used all my milkweed up making Battered Milkweed the other day, so I went out the field yesterday and picked a whole lot more. In the past I've been using the young tender tips, but this time I decided to see what would happen if I used some of the bigger older leaves. To my surprise they worked out great.  So far, this is my favorite. I used a few pieces of homemade crusty wheat bread that made a nice spongy bread pudding feel to it. It's not bad with mustard on the side.

1.5 cups boiled milkweed - chopped
1 medium yellow onion
2 garlic cloves
1.5 tablespoons mustard
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon dill weed
2 eggs
1.5 cups milk
4 slices of thick home made bread
1 medium chicken breast
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Saute the onions and garlic. Remove and allow to cool. In separate bowl mix onion, eggs, 1 cup of milk, mustard, coriander, and dill weed. Slice chicken breast into thin strips and boil about five minutes.  Remove chicken and allow to cool. Cut into bite size pieces. Mix chicken, milkweed, and onion and garlic mixture into egg mixture. Grease a nine inch casserole dish and crumble a piece of bread into the bottom. Dump half the mixture over the bread chunks. Chunk remaining bread slices and cover with remaining mixture. Allow mixture to settle and pour remaining half cup of milk over casserole dish. Cook for 40 minutes, cover with cheese, sprinkle on bread crumbs and broil until cheese is brown and crispy.

Pork Stuffed Wine Caps

For a while now I've been eyeballing some of the local wood chip piles for some Stropharia rugosoannulata. I think I've seen some old dried and dead ones from last year growing, but haven't seen any fresh ones. Today I managed to find some good ones. A few were older and no good, but I was able to find four sizable buttons. Not much, but enough to do something, and I figured I'd come up with and try a recipe when I only had four to destroy. Don't listen to what you read on the internet regarding Wine Caps not getting along with onion and garlic. Maybe with just onion and garlic they don't work, but these came out really good.


Wine Caps
1/4 cup red onion - minced
2 ozs pork finely chopped
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 scallion green - minced
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon mace
2 tablespoons sour cream
Dried bread crumbs


Remove stipes from caps and mince. Saute chopped stipes with onion and garlic. Add pork and scallion greens. When pork is cooked add seasonings and cook until glazed. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add sour cream and mix thoroughly. Pack caps with mixture and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Preheat oven to 375 and cook uncovered for 35-40 minutes.

Battered Milkweed with Spicy Raspberry Lime Sauce

Milkweed isn't just for butterflies, it's for people, too. Growing up, my grandmother told me about milkweed shoots, but I never went after it. I always assumed they were bitter - as that is what most of the literature says. Lately, I learned they weren't bitter. Some of the older leaves need a good boil, but the more tender shoots and young leaves can do with a good blanch and they're set to go. Battered up and tossed on the skillet and they're good to go. Don't forget the dipping sauce, it's really what draws it together.

  
Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 garlic cloves - minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons raspberry jelly
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon chili flakes
juice of 1/2 lime

Mix all ingredients together and let sit.

Batter
3/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons curry
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 cup seltzer

Mix dry ingredients together, add seltzer slowly until a batter is formed. Make sure not to get it too wet or it won't stick to the milkweed. Boil water and blanch milkweed. Drain and rinse under cold water. Remove water - either towel dry, or use a salad spinner. Dip dried milkweed in batter and drop onto hot buttered frying pan.