Table of Contents
Preface: What Is This Book About? vi
Introduction: My Personal Quest for Local Flavors 1
Why Foraging? 2
Winter: The Forest Time
Tasting the Forest 9
Making Wild Cheeses 24
Preserving-A Forager's Perspective 34
Discovering Acorns, a Delicious Native Staple 50
Making Primitive Wild Beers 58
Cooking with Dirt, Sticks, Bark, Leaves, Sap, and Stones 83
SPRING: The Greens Time
Emerging Buds and Greens 103
Cooking with Unripe Ingredients 123
Preserving by Dehydration 134
Making Cold Infusions 146
Preserving Herbs through Freezing 151
Creating Wild Spice Blends 157
Wild Mustards 178
Appreciating Sweet White Clover 183
Summer: The Berries and Fruits Time
Concocting Summer Drinks 189
Making "Wild" Sodas 212
Elevating Vinegar 237
Going Native 257
Collecting and Cooking with Cattails 270
Moving to the Mountains 279
Creating Wild Hot Sauces 291
Making Jams and Syrups with Wild Ingredients 303
Fall: The Seeds Time
Appreciating Olives 307
Foraging Wild Seeds 320
Transforming Ingredients 346
Exploring the World of Edible Insects 356
Wild Tapas 370
Feasting: A Friends-and-Family Affair 382
Appendix 398
Acknowledgments 399
Disclaimer and Notes 401
Resources 403
Index 405