If he can forage, so can you! Photo by Mark Cataldo on Unsplash
Here’s a guest post for your post-Thanksgiving meal reading pleasure, from Jenny Irwell.
There’s been something of a renaissance in recent years of people reconnecting with food. Whether it’s the popularity of the Food Network and celebrification of chefs, or a backlash against our consumer culture, more and more people are embracing the farm to table way of eating and cooking. And just in time too; the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report basically says humanity needs to get serious about changing the way we use our natural resources if we want to stick around for awhile.
Learning how to make traditional recipes and understanding the food ways of ancient cultures are a great way to build your knowledge of how we fed ourselves before the age of canned goods and instant this and that. And with the arrival of hunting season here in upstate New York, one might consider getting to know how to eat not just farm to table but… forest to fork? Living off the land is hopefully something we won’t all have to do in this lifetime, but it’s certainly a skill worth brushing up on for anyone who appreciates good food and its origins.
Be Prepared with Safety Gear
Unless you’re intentionally trying to camouflage yourself from potential prey, a walk in the woods during hunting season is a smart time to wear safety orange. A good, orange knit hat can keep you warm while also making you visible to other hunters. And a bright bandana is also a good idea for any four-legged friends you may bring along. If you’re planning to adventure into rugged terrain in any time of year, take a tip from climbers and pack a few essentials that can help you prevent disaster. Lastly, bring water and always let someone know you are about to go wandering in the woods.
Know Your Foraging Foliage
There are abundant wild edibles in any forest. Even urban landscapes offer edible weeds like lambsquarters and purslane, both of which taste like spinach and are loaded with nutrients. Springtime offers lots of tasty, edible shoots like ramps and Japanese knotweed, while the late summer and fall are a good time to gather wild raspberries, blackberries or lesser-known (but antioxidant-packed) service berries. A good guidebook with visual aids is a must for the novice forager, and going out with an experienced guide on your first foraging expeditions is even better.
Get in the Game
If you’ve never hunted wild game before but want to learn, odds are you have a relative or a neighbor who hunts and would be happy to show you the ropes. Or if you simply need to get comfortable first with eating game meats like venison or pheasants, many local farmers markets will have vendors who offer these wild proteins when in season.
Hunting and gathering is such an elemental part of humanity’s existence, and yet something so many of us are completely disconnected from. You may not be ready to live on cattail pancakes and squirrels any time soon, but learning more about what foods we can forage and hunt — and how to do it safely — is a surefire way to gain appreciation for the daily delicacies we already enjoy in our kitchens.
