Category Archives: Foraging

Foraging Wild Asparagus

Posted on June 7, 2012 by AnnieRie

All my past posts about my asparagus growing under my crepe myrtle sparked interest in how to find asparagus, and what it looks like when it goes to seed.

This is a really good example. Caught Tuesday night while I was volunteering at the transit of Venus. This is cultivated asparagus. The wild asparagus in my yard came with the crepe myrtle. Now that you know what it looks like, you can look around your area and see if you find some. This is a climate they like and plants will produce for 20-30 years.

Ours has been producing for the eight years we have lived here. I harvested what seems to be the last three spears yesterday. Nothing else coming up. A total of 36 spears from the one plant this year. They are fun to watch as they push through the deep layer of mulch. Particularly when they come up white.

The size differences are interesting to observe, as well. The thin ones stay thin, and don’t fatten. The thicker spears push through at the same size as they grow. The thin ones just get taller, not thicker. Took me a while at first to realize that leaving them in the ground won’t change their diameter much. Just pick them and enjoy. The thinnest ones don’t even need cooking, they are so tender.

My final three spears will probably find their way into something like my steamed spring veggies with butter and mint, that I made the other day.

Check around your area now that asparagus would be visible like the pic above, and maybe you can find a source of foraged deliciousness. Or, with patience, put in your own asparagus beds. Either way, spring flavor unique and fleeting.

hocofood@@@

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Kofta

Posted on June 5, 2012 by AnnieRie

Something I have wanted to make, and never got around to it. My New Year’s resolutions included cooking different ethnic foods.

Kofta Kebabs

Made with Kite Hill Farms lamb bought at the market in Catonsville. More spices than you can shake a stick at. Worth it to grind them yourself. I did have cumin seed, coriander seed, allspice, cinnamon and peppercorns to grind and mixed that with the cayenne, ginger and sea salt to make the spice mix that went into these kebabs.

The recipe is from Sara Moulton.

I made three large kebabs and used metal skewers instead of soaking bamboo. We ate outside last night as the weather was lovely. I opened an old bottle of Virginia wine from King Family Vineyards. A Meritage blend of 75% merlot and 25% franc, a soft wine that went well with the lamb. Besides, it was ten years old and definitely ready to drink. I just checked on my wine cellar spreadsheet and see we have one left. Need to make a note to drink it soon.

I served the kofta with tzatziki, not home made, since I don’t have ripe cucumbers yet. Costco does make a nice tzatziki, and we use it all the time with spicy foods, or put it on potatoes. I made steamed English peas, asparagus (foraged), mini bok choy and snow peas. Served with butter and mint. Parboiled, then grilled new potatoes. Most of these are CSA or farmer’s market veggies, and the asparagus is almost the last of my wild ones. I have four spears still growing out there, ready almost but not quite. Haul this year seems to be a total of 36 spears of wild asparagus.

Dinner was relaxed, the breezes mild and the sun stayed out. A perfect evening enjoying the weather.

hocofood@@@

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You Like Tomayto, I Like Tomahto

Posted on May 25, 2012 by AnnieRie

No matter how you pronounce it, tomatoes are my summer candy. So, I was excited yesterday morning to find this in my garden.

These are yellow plum tomatoes. I noticed the blossoms last week. Now, I have teeny tiny tomatoes there, and I have blossoms on the Sweet Olive plants, which are a determinate grape cherry tomato. They are an early bloomer and will be done before others produce.

The Wayfarer cucumbers are blossoming, and even have really tiny cukes starting to emerge. And yes, after I snapped the pics I went in and weeded out the emerging morning glories that inevitably come up from seeds left in the soil after last year. I use them as an attraction for pollinators at my perimeter, but they tend to take over unless you grab them out before the seed pods open in the fall.

The wild asparagus in my crepe myrtle is still producing. Besides the four spears in this pic, there are two more tiny ones coming out of the ground to the left of the plant. This year I have harvested 15 spears so far. These six would bring the total to 21, the most I have found in this location.

These two long thin spears will be sliced, blanched and find their way into some pasta with the garlic scape pesto tonight.

As for the lettuces and mixed greens, the rain rejuvenated them and there are all sorts of goodies hiding among the bolted plants. Time to harvest these and use as a garnish on a pizza.

I also think I need to do some serious mint pruning, and maybe make mint simple syrup for iced teas and summer drinks. This pot of mint is about six years old, coming back every spring.

Herbs and greens right now, with the promise of other goodies in the next few weeks. Gardening is one of those simple pleasures. What is your garden producing now?

hocofood@@@

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Foraging, Cultivating, Harvesting and Shopping

Posted on May 9, 2012 by AnnieRie

Busy series of days. Don’t forget the Howard County Farmer’s Markets are open this week. Wednesday through Sunday.

I don’t know which one(s) I will get to visit, as I have to see what is in the CSA Box tomorrow. We got our tentative list. Twelve items!! At least, unless there is a typo and we aren’t getting scallions twice. We have gotten duplicates in the past, when items are plentiful from multiple sources. Since there are more than sixty farms in our CSA coop, we get similar items from individual sources.

As for the foraging, slowly I am finding single spears of asparagus out under the crepe myrtle. I now have four. By the weekend, two more and then maybe asparagus risotto will find its way on the menu.

The pole beans are in. The cukes go in later today, as they were all getting really leggy hanging around inside with the tomato plants. The tomatoes I will plant Saturday or Sunday. We may get one or two cool evenings and I want them to wait a few more days.

As for harvesting, the lettuces and greens are still going nuts. Dinner tonight will include arugula and microgreens from the boxes I have outside in a bunny resistant arrangement.

Arugula – spicy, peppery and so good in salads.

Greens by the back door, protected from strong sun will go all summer this way.

As for the markets, pick up some herbs and put in a pot or two. Great to snip fresh herbs on your grilled dinners.

Going full bore, and so good to use. Notice the cover in the background protecting the basil overnight. It is doing well, even though planted a little early. Sage, rosemary, lavender, tarragon, marjoram, thyme and mint. Really easy to grow.

hocofood@@@

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They’re Baackk!!

Posted on May 2, 2012 by AnnieRie

The wild asparagus returns! After being MIA for two weeks, I noticed their presence today.

There are three spears at the moment. Two white ones and a larger green one. Maybe a few more will pop out before the weekend.

Plus, the mint is going nuts again, just in time for the Kentucky Derby. Sounds like a mint julep party Saturday night on the patio.

Anyone can grow mint. It is essentially a weed. Get a pot and put some in. The Howard County Farmer’s Markets open next week and there will be vendors selling plants. Mint is extremely easy to grow. I put it in iced tea, use it in salads and over veggies, like zucchini, and my personal favorite, watermelon, feta and mint salad. I leave the pots out all winter and every spring the mint comes back. DO NOT put in in the ground or it will spread like mad and take over your other plants.

As for the tomato plants, they are hanging out waiting until this weekend to be planted. I think we might be lucky and get them in the ground before Mother’s Day. So is the basil.

I did plant lavender, tarragon and marjoram today, along with some plugs of cutting flowers. The herb garden is filling in nicely. The ability to cut fresh herbs for dinner is so convenient, and they just add something special to meals. I also toss a few leaves on the grill while grilling to fill the air with the scent of herbs.

As for the non edibles out there, the rhododendron are blooming finally.

I am thrilled this year. Dozens of blooms instead of just a few. This is one of my two bushes. The other is behind the tree. For me, having flowers in bloom all spring and summer is a lovely backdrop while dining on the patio. Beats that view of the parking lot at most restaurants. 😉

The tangelo azalea finally bloomed.

This is the first of a number of blooms on this plant. It is my favorite azalea in the yard. And, it is fragile so I baby it every winter.

The markets open next week. There will be plant and flower vendors at every market. If you don’t want herbs, at least get a basket of loveliness to put outside of your home. The bees will thank you for it. Like our carpenter bees who are living under our deck. Pollinators help your garden. We can’t lose them from our environment.

hocofood@@@

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MD beef with MD wine

Posted on April 21, 2012 by AnnieRie

The grilling Saturday night special.

New York strip steaks from TLV Tree Farm. CSA peppers and onions. Wild asparagus from my yard. Pancetta bought at Roots. All getting happy on the grill at 500 degrees.

We got lucky and ate before it rained. This is a MD based dinner. Most of the food is from the Free State. A few exceptions, like the cheese from VA in the salad, and the blackberries from Costco. The blackberry vinaigrette is from Catoctin Mountain Orchards in Thurmont.

The wine: Slate, from Black Ankle Vineyards just across the county line above Mt. Airy.

The syrah adds an interesting note to what was otherwise mostly Bordeaux vinifera. Really nice, young, big wine from an up and coming Md winery.

The steaks were perfect. The peppers a good match. A low carb (relatively) meal with tons of flavor, locally sourced.

The asparagus from the yard. Awesome! I wrote about it here. And, no, it is no longer white once I exposed it to the sun. Still, a great dinner. Mostly local. Lots of it from less than 25 miles from the house.

hocofood@@@

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White Asparagus Anyone? Right Out of Your Yard?

Posted on April 17, 2012 by AnnieRie

White Asparagus. What comes up deep under the mulch if you don’t move it out of the way.

Wild asparagus grows many places in this area. The best way to find out is to look for the plants that aren’t harvested and that become small trees. This is how we found ours.

At the base of one of the crepe myrtles there are thin wispy fronds that have fallen over. They are what sprouts from the crown if you don’t harvest the plant. You can find them if you really look carefully. We found ours while mulching one year. It seems this plant was some sort of volunteer that comingles with the base of the crepe myrtle.

Today I went out looking and first saw this.

If you look very closely, you can find one spear in the upper left, and one in the lower right. We had lots of mulch built up around the crepe myrtle this spring so the rest of the spears were fully covered. Careful moving of the mulch revealed the rest.

Then I started uncovering the white ones.

White because of lack of exposure to sunlight. I also found this one hidden on the other side of the bush.

Now there are five spears coming up in total. Hopefully in two or three days, I will have enough to cut and make pancetta wrapped grilled asparagus. Foraged food. Right out of the backyard.

Do a little looking around in parks and on roadways in the area. See if you can find a source of asparagus. Don’t tell anyone you found it. Just harvest and enjoy.

hocofood@@@

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Foraging Wild Asparagus, and Other Spring Pics

Posted on April 8, 2012 by AnnieRie

The first wild asparagus poked above the mulch yesterday.

There are a few volunteer plants under the crepe myrtle. Every spring we get just enough asparagus to make a frittata. Found food is a good thing. It will be a while for the rest of our fruit and berries to produce, but finding what is hidden on the property has been interesting. This past fall we found a couple of hickory nuts in the yard, probably brought in by the squirrels, but haven’t located that tree yet.

We have black raspberries, mulberries and one peach tree. Wild strawberries. Parsley, mint and of course, enough dandelions to gather greens for dinner. Thankfully, no one out here sprays.

As for what else I found yesterday, the azaleas are coming out left and right.


The mock orange is about to go into its flowering stage with the highest buds opening.

My neighbor’s crab apples are in full bloom along the driveway.

The later varieties of tulips are hanging in there, despite the frost.

Nothing says spring like flowers and Easter. Happy Easter to all who celebrate. I am off to make herb roasted onions for my brother.

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The Official First Day of Spring

Posted on March 20, 2012 by AnnieRie

So, today officially spring begins even though it has been evident for days that the calendar and the flowers, trees and shrubs have already synched up.

The tulips in our yard are up. In Columbia, where I went today for a doctor’s appointment, they are already way ahead of us in terms of the color all around. We are a few degrees cooler and a few hundred feet higher in elevation than Columbia.

To me, my favorite thing to celebrate spring is fennel salad. Light and tart, full of the delicacy of the baby fennel, the tartness of juice oranges, and bite of red onion, I love making this every spring.

It will be dressed with the best olive oil I have, and sprinkled with sea salt and white pepper.

My other favorite thing to cook in spring is asparagus. We have wild asparagus growing out under our crepe myrtles. I keep going out there to look for it, but it usually doesn’t show up until mid April. Just checking to see if the warm weather has hastened the sprouting of them, but no luck yet. Asparagus frittata, yum!

As for my trip to Roots the other day, I had to indulge in Hummingbird Farms tomatoes, from their hydroponic plantings. I know I really should eat tomatoes in season to get the best tasting tomatoes, but these beauties just called to me from the case.

I think they will be sliced open and served with Cherry Glen Gold goat cheese. Drizzled with St. Helena Olive Oil’s lemon infused oil, and some herbs de Provence. Truly a spring time pleasure.

Add to all that, my husband insisted on picking this up at MOM’s yesterday.

Their web site says it is mild. They lied.

I think it needs something to mix it with, and serve it with grilled lamb kebabs maybe. I know, maybe I need to use this Treuth skirt steak.

All this great weather inspires me to get out and grill.

hocofood@@@

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