|
|
Rose Barlow of Prodigal Gardens, Director 673 S. Washington Ave Viroqua, WI 54665 608-637-3074 dandeliongold22@hotmail.com Jessie Conaway of Three Trees Herb Shop, Founder W5225 Quackenbush Road West Salem, WI 54669 608-786-4425 herbsareeverywhere@hotmail.com
Summer Abundance
June brings us into the fullness of the year as the summer solstice draws near and the light takes dominion over the darkness. I think of June as the �full sun� of the year�long days and short nights bring about rapid growth in the plant kingdom. Green dominates the landscape and all is a�buzz with life and life more abundantly.
We move into a new season of harvesting. The wild food menu is changing from the spring rush of supergreens to a lazier summer course. Some of the spring herbs like dandelion and chickweed will be with us throughout the year, but others get older, tougher and go to seed around this time. Summer greens like lambsquarter, purslane and wild amaranth replace the spring offerings.
In the early summer, my garden is beginning to yield up its first lettuce and peas, radishes and greens. I am already satiated with fresh foods from the land, so the urgency subsides. I tend to turn my harvesting expeditions more to medicinal herbs. Summer is a good time to make salves, tinctures, and vinegars, as well as drying and storing herbs for winter teas.
Summer is also berry season. I have all the berry patches in my neighborhood scoped out and make the rounds with the kids and the buckets at least every other day while they are in season. Berries are fun, versatile, nutritious, and wonderful in every way. Every family should have a favorite berry patch and make summer berry harvest a family tradition. Kids just instinctively know what to do with berries, right down to the littlest one. I�ve seen babies not yet able to walk prove quite adept at picking ripened berries. It�s a deeply instinctive act��.
Earth�s crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees, takes off his shoes, The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries. �Elizabeth Barrett Browning�
Coulee Region Herbal Institute Update
It�s been a fruitful season so far. In March, Jessie Conaway did a presentation on Celtic herblore at the home of one of her apprentices in north LaCrosse. We had about 8 people attending and a wonderful table of delicious, nutritious treats. Our April workshop was held at the Keewaydin Farm outside of Viola. I did a hands-on class featuring the culinary virtues of dandelions, from the field to the table. We harvested, prepped and sampled every part of the dandelion. David LaLuzerne of Herb-TV in Madison filmed the event for a future broadcast and treated us to a bottle of dandelion wine to cap off the afternoon. Our latest event was a kayaking adventure with Jessie in Perrot Park near Trempeleau Mountain. We have some summer herbwalks scheduled. Check out the calendar pages of this issue for regional events and classes by the CRHI and others.
I have been working mainly on locating herb-related classes and events in the Coulee Region and beyond as I�d like to continue to make herbal education the main focus of the Institute. As I search out calendar items for the e-mail list and newsletter, it becomes quite apparent that there isn�t a decent directory of herbalists and wild food educators for the region. I am compiling a list of resources that I hope to turn into a directory this winter. I am investigating putting up a website for CRHI that has an ongoing calendar and directory to help to better facilitate educational networking. Please feel free to send me calendar items, ideas, connections and anything else you think would benefit this effort.
Stalking the wild Cattails
June is the time to visit your local cattail patch. What a great excuse to get out to a beautiful place since cattails love to grow by ponds, lakes, marshes or other such places that are virtually teeming with life. My cattail expeditions are always blessed with cool wildlife encounters�.beavers�wild herons�redwing blackbirds�..snowy egrets��.
Almost everyone knows what cattails look like so finding them isn�t very hard. The only look-a-like they might be confused with by a novice is the poisonous wild iris, not too common in the Coulee Region, but good to get familiar with just in case.
Harvesting cattails can be done by canoe, kayak, boat, or from the shore in some places. I have cattail stands scoped out that I can harvest without getting my feet wet and others that involve getting the whole family together for a canoeing adventure.
Cattail season runs from mid-May through July, although it�s possible to glean something to eat from them year round. Cattails offer a four-course meal to a savvy forager as their shoots, flowerbuds, roots and pollen are all edible and each is quite unique in flavor, texture and uses. Cattail Shoots:
Cattail Shoots When the new leaves begin to grow in mid to late May it�s time to harvest the tender shoots. In early spring the cattail gardens are golden-brown from last year�s spent plants, but soon enough fresh green blades rise up out of the old, heralding a new season and cycle of growth. From the time this new growth appears until the blades are about 3 feet tall, they yield a fresh vegetable known among wild food enthusiasts as �Cossack�s Asparagus�, named after the Russians who eagerly sought out this wild treat.
The edible portion of the shoot is the tender, white inner core found at the base of each plant. It is harvested by grasping the inner leaves close to the base and gently but firmly pulling the plant out of its �socket�. If done properly it does not pull the root up but leaves the outer leaves intact. I have a sharp pocketknife ready and cut the shoot about 6-10 inches up, leaving behind the upper, darker green portion of the leaves. It takes roughly 30 cattails to yield about 2 cups of the chopped, prepped, ready to cook Cossack�s Asparagus, so plan accordingly.
Cattail shoots are edible both raw and cooked. They are a very interesting wild vegetable and it takes a bit of creativity to learn to use them and adapt them to different recipes. They taste a bit like cucumbers when raw; but being rather bland, they easily take on the flavors of condiments and sauces used in cooking. They remind me of bamboo shoots used in Asian cooking so would easily make a wild substitute for these if you make stir-frys and such.
Cattail shoots have a mucilaginous texture, reminiscent of okra, so they would also perform well in gumbos if you do any Cajun-style cooking. This slippery, gelatinous substance is used medicinally in much the same way Aloe Vera is used. It is rather handy for the insect bites you�ll probably get in the swamp, as well as the sunburn from your day out in the canoe.
In the kitchen, I store the 6-10 inch shoots in a plastic bag in the fridge until I�m ready to use them; they keep well for several days. To prep them for use I slice them into thin rounds, between � and � inch thick. You can slice them thicker to make them resemble storebought bamboo shoots. The shoots are layered like a leek and the tenderest portion is the white inner part. I peel the outer layer away and slice the inner part until it feels tougher, much like you do for asparagus, feeling with the knife for the woodier, fibrous texture to tell me when to stop slicing. (This will make more sense when you try it.) The tenderest portion may only be the lower 3 or 4 inches. Sometimes I peel another outer layer off farther up and get a few more slices.
Now your cattail shoots are ready to use. At this point it isn�t difficult to imagine ways to cook them. They are easily absorbed into stir-frys, fried rice or rice pilafs, soups and casseroles. Raw, they can be added to pasta salads, cucumber salads or cold grain or bean salads. If they are left long like celery sticks, they can be filled with a good cream cheese filling and served like some exotic hor�d�erves.
Cattail Flowerbuds The flowerbuds of the cattail are an entirely different food from the shoots. Somewhere around mid to late June the cattails send up a flowerstalk with a tight green head all wrapped up in a leafy sheath. Inside the sheaf there are two elongated heads. The bottom one is the female and will receive the pollen from the upper male one, later becoming the familiar brown cattail head and turning to fluff. (The bottom female head is edible but there�s so little on them it�s not really worth it).
The top flowerhead is the male and is the one that is sought after for food. These male heads are actually a tight cluster made up of hundreds of tiny flowerettes. When they are in the green stage they are technically unopened flowerbuds. When they are ready to actually bloom, the head will rise up out of its protective sheath so the flowers can disperse their pollen to the winds.
While they are still wrapped up in the sheath, I go after them with gusto! They are truly a gourmet item, delicious beyond your wildest expectation! Their flavor reminds me of fresh artichoke hearts that leave a delicate flowery essence as an aftertaste. The flowerbuds have a pretty short season so be ready for them! I try to check the cattail stands at least twice a week during June, especially if it�s a hot, humid year. Usually when the cattail leaves are about 4 feet tall it won�t be long before the flowerheads rise up. Summer solstice is the average time for a prime harvest, but a hot or cold year could vary the timing.
In order to gather any quantity of flowerbuds you will probably need a canoe. Otherwise you�ll end up knee and thigh deep in muck trying to fill your basket. You don�t have to worry about overharvesting the flowerheads as cattails spread through their root system. The wind-borne seeds mainly help to establish new colonies in other parts of the pond or lake.
If you harvest only the upper flowerhead it should just snap right off, but bring a pocketknife just in case. Be sure to harvest only the heads that are still wrapped up in their protective sheaf. It�s helpful to have some sort of a wire crook to help pull hard-to-reach flowerheads towards you so you don�t tip the canoe. I like to have my husband paddle the canoe while I collect so I can focus on the harvest.
In the kitchen, you have to peel the sheaths away, much like shucking corn. It takes 30 or 40 heads to make 4-6 servings as they are not very big. I simply boil them in water for 5-10 minutes, then coat them with garlic butter, and serve hot. They are eaten like little miniature corn-on-the-cobs. Sometimes if I have a lot of them, I scrape the green from the �cob� after boiling them to use in various dishes. Cattail Pollen: Cattail Pollen Cattail pollen takes some effort to collect in any quantity but it is well worth it both in nutritional value and flavor. It adds an indescribably delicious flavor to pancakes and muffins. I am sure there are lots of other ways to utilize it as well, but I have never collected enough at one time to play around with it in the kitchen as much as I�d like.
You will definitely need a canoe or small boat to harvest pollen, as well as an oarsman so that both hands are free. You can gather pollen at the same time you are gathering flowerheads as both will be available simultaneously. It�s a busy time in the cattail patch this time of year!
Look for cattail flowerheads that are fully unsheathed but not yet turned fuzzy. They will still be green, but getting puffed-up rather than tight and hard-looking. The pollen is designed to release at the slightest movement, such as wind or birds and animal activity, so just touching the head will bring a shower of brilliant yellow pollen. You need to work carefully because you will be competing with the breeze for this precious gold.
Most field guides teach you to collect the pollen by grabbing a ripened flowerhead and bending it over into a paper bag, shaking it roughly so that the pollen falls into the bag, and then moving on to the next flowerhead. This works fairly well, but in my experience I have not been able to bend them without breaking them. I have also learned that there is quite a bit of pollen still in the flowerheads that I miss this way.
My method of collecting pollen is to clip whole ripened flowerheads into a paper bag or bucket and bringing them home. I let them sit overnight and in the morning my pollen yield will have doubled. This is because clipping them causes them to bolt, or in other words, any unopened flowerbud in the head will hasten to complete its sole purpose in life of producing pollen and ensuring the survival of the species. You can actually see this demonstrated if you leave a ripened flowerhead laying on a plate overnight. In the morning it will be lying in a bed of pollen that was not there the night before.
I give each flowerhead a good shaking before discarding. Then I transfer the pollen to a sifter and bowl and sift out any fuzz, bugs, or other foreign objects. I now have a portion of florescent yellow powder, finer than the finest flour in texture.
If I cannot use it right away, I store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If I want to keep it any longer than that I put it in the freezer as it is quite perishable because of the moisture it contains and high protein content. If you don�t have a fridge or freezer, it is necessary to dry it thoroughly or even to bake it at a low temperature before storing it to prevent it from molding.
I estimate it takes about 20-25 pollinating flowerheads to yield 1 cup of pollen with this method, so plan accordingly.
To bake with cattail pollen, I mix it 1:1 with flour. You can use lesser amounts if you didn�t collect very much, but to really experience the unique and superb flavor it�s best to have a full measure. Even if you end up using your whole yield for one batch of pancakes, I guarantee you will never forget them!
Rose Barlow is an herbalist in the Viroqua area, specializing in using nutritive herbs and wild foods as preventive medicine. She maintains an educational website at www.prodigalgardens.info, is available for presentations, walks and workshops, and is currently acting as director of the Coulee Region Herbal Institute.
CRHI Quarterly Newsletter
Calling for submissions for our fall issue of the CRHI quarterly newsletter! The theme for the fall issue will be �Acorns�. Articles do not have to be theme-related to be considered for publication. Fall issue submissions are due by September 15. Some ideas for newsletter submissions are:
Book Reviews Articles--seasonal and otherwise Profiles of Local Herbalists (can be self-portraits) Community Calendar Events Recipes Anything else you think would interest herb enthusiasts!
Deadlines for quarterly submissions are: Spring��. March 15 Summer��June 15 Fall���...Sept 15 Winter��..Dec 15
Submissions can be e-mailed to Dandeliongold22@hotmail.com or mailed to CRHI c/o Prodigal Gardens, 673 S. Washington Ave, Viroqua WI 54665
Book Review
Opening Our Wild Hearts to The Healing Plants by Gail Faith Edwards Paperback - 256 pages
�Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Plants� is a book that not only offers information, but invites us to have a relationship with the natural world. It is one of the most delightful herbals that I have read! Gail Faith Edwards clearly has a strong relationship with the plants and offers her 20+ years of experience through this writing.
This book intertwines scientific facts with the folkloric traditions of herbal healing. The Wise Woman tradition shines through as she writes about the nutritional as well as healing qualities of over 100 plants. More than simply citing the qualities of the plants, she offers history, lore, recipes and suggested uses for each plant.
This herbal offers specific information about harvesting as well as what part of the plant to use and how to prepare it for specific purposes. While reading this book I often feel like I am in the garden with the author, harvesting right along side her.
This book contains what many herbals are missing: clear, useful information presented in an engaging manner. This book has information that will inspire novice as well as seasoned herbalists. While I can easily describe and share my enthusiasm for this herbal, only by reading it yourself will you find the connection that leaps out from every page. This is a book that I encourage my apprentices to purchase and I believe it should be included in every herbal library!!
Linda Conroy is a very busy herbalist from the Seattle area who has just relocated to Sheboygan, WI, with plans to eventually settle on her property in Coon Valley. She offers numerous classes, apprenticeships, a home study course and much, much more. Visit her website at www.moonwiseherbs.com
I thank you god for most this amazing day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, for a blue true dream of a sky, and everything which is natural which is infinite which is yes�. e. e. cummings
Herbal Conferences 2006
The summer line-up for herbal conferences is available for those who are able to travel and treat yourself to one of these wonderful herbal experiences. Alas! Not much being offered in the Midwest this year since Frontier discontinued their Herbfest! The CRHI e-mail list is available to use for ride-sharing opportunities. Send ride-sharing notices to dandeliongold22@hotmail.com
The Herb Society of America Educational Conference and Annual Meeting of Members www.herbsociety.org/confer.php
17th Green Nations Gathering September 22 - 24, 2006
Wild Foods Mountain Retreat July 30-August 5, 2006 Rural Retreat, Virginia wildfood.home.infionline.net/foragingweek.html
Sacred Teaching of Plants June 23-25, 2006 Sage Mountain, E. Barre, Vermont
2006 Breitenbush Herbal Conference Sept 14-17 Breitenbush Hotsprings, Oregon http://www.breitenbush.com/events/sept14-17.html
19th Annual Women�s Herbal Conference
Northwest Herbfest July 22 & 23 Wise Acres Farm, Pleasant Hill, Oregon www.herbaltransitions.com/Classes.html#nwherbfest2005
Southeast Woman�s Herbal conference September 22-24 Camp Pinnacle, Hendersonville, North Carolina www.redmoonherbs.com/womens_herbal_conference
The 16th Annual Northern California Women�s Herbal Symposium September 1-4 Black Oak Ranch, Laytonville, California
Paddlin� Plant Divas
Poise your paddles! Imagine�plant divas exploring mysterious floating bogs, stalking native wild Orchids, examining the exotic Pitcher Plants and endangered Sundew�toes gently sinking in Sphagnum Moss. Why do women decide to drop it all and �poise their paddles�? To clear the mind, face fears, to test slumbering body, sometimes seeking solace and connection with true spirit�
Some push hard, some are tentative, Some gentle, rhythmic, flowing, All become One with Water Element.
That was how it all began. Some summers ago, I began taking these lovely groups of women�all ages, shapes, sizes�on plant and paddlin� journeys. At first, I conceived of the idea of combining kayak instruction and plant ecology because I had been doing that sort of kayak-plant-tripping myself, imagining myself as the female ethnobotanist in search of wild plant discoveries. It became an obsession. I loved how it felt to load my kayak in the Toyota pick-up truck by myself, drive off to a nearby lake after a stressful day, launch my boat, and then journey to some yet unexplored body of water laced with plant beauties.
This recovery of �lost self� began late� when I was approaching 40 years of age. I held a long, strange intuition that I would become more physically active and confident as I neared that age. It proved to be accurate, as I started running, snowshoeing and kayaking.
I had paddled canoes before�but not with much confidence or success. Admittedly, all of those experiences were interesting�no river rebel white water shooting-the-rapids, or solo epic journey in the far Arctic Circle. Nothing exotic�but real life, ordinary woman experiences such as paddling with a cocky ex-husband on the Brule Bois River in northern Wisconsin. Poor communication and control issues bubbled to the surface and capsized the marital craft. (Later, divorced, I realize my boat and the river are metaphors for many relationships. And life is the river.) On that same infamous trip I am certain I conceived my daughter, Kiah, proving that�.
There were other paddling phases including a full decade as environmental activist coordinating a river cleanup project where I combed and scrounged the waterways and shorelines of the Chippewa River with numerous others to heal the ugly wounds of humans. During those times I would describe my boat-vessel as being akin to my little activist warrior pony, seiging, sometimes raging through the river finding toilets, waterheaters, a garbage dumpster, scrap metal, murky furniture, bikes�MANY BIKES�bottles, cans and human trash in general. Indeed, a noble and functional phase of my paddlin� but one that contributed to my desire to leave the city life. Thus, I did. I headed for the water. Take me to the river.
I was directed to a sacred spot near a terminal glacial moraine with an abundance and variety of plant communities, plus hundreds of lakes with four friendly rivers within a half-hour of �home�. How fortunate could I be? Was this fate, luck, or some large cosmic map I was navigating? During this next phase, my intention was to be calm, quiet, and out-of-doors more than I had been before, as I ran a busy natural medicine clinic and taught similar coursework. On a deep level I knew that I was to share this home and land with others who needed such respite. So, I moved my outdoor summer field study course to the northland and expanded the plant studies and kayak instruction to my alternative medicine students and others who seemed to be interested in becoming �plant~paddlin divas�. What I have witnessed here has been truly amazing!
Transformation has occurred in these women who experience the kayak journeys. Imagine the scenes� Before launching of shiny, colorful kayaks, the novices have looks of gleeful excitement on their faces, others have trepidation. Then I hear, �I am soooo afraid of the water.� �My sister flipped upside down and was stuck in a kayak under water and had to be rescued.� �What the hell is an Eskimo roll?� �How am I going to fit in that long, skinny thing?� �I�m afraid I will break my leg.� �I am so interested in kayaking, but I am afraid something will happen.� �But� I really think I need to try this!�
My policy has always been that one cannot learn in an environment of fear. So, I prepared a program where I would do whatever I could to calm fears and teach sensible paddling skills, all the while, learning life skills as we go along. The results have been amazing� Flash to a scene of these once novices�
Plant divas in kayaks crossing waters, delicately edging along lush wetland edges�free and celebrating their strength. Glistening blue water crystal beauties and rhythm of bare arms and paddles. That is what I see when I look ahead of me and behind me. Laughing, being challenged�not by one another or by me�but by themselves�and by the Water Element. One with the Water Element and the kayak.
Women tell me that when they are on the water, they experience a sensation where time feels as though it ceases. Time in the kayak feels like ultimate freedom�from all responsibilities and worries. Through the rhythm and cadence of paddling there is something strong and swift learned about the true center. I know that it is important �teaching�. It rivals teaching about the Immune System or the Reproductive System in my medicine classes. Looking back at all the true, brave women in boats glistening on waters, I believe kayaking is now one of the best medicines for some women. Perhaps it is the alternative to hormone replacement therapy! Redirecting the energy of those hot flashes into the power surges that they are!
The plants and women discover one another as they gently brush through the reeds and rushes along wet shorelines. The sky, water and moist earth are graced with great blue herons, green herons, geese, ducks, loons, frogs, turtles, and the beloved varieties of dragonflies. When we paddle on these trips we seek to identify plant communities still untouched by human development. We take photos, draw sketches, learn about their native medicinal properties, and commit to protect them. Slipping past great niches of pickerelweed, water lilies, and arrowhead, I notice the women are silent; they are taken in by the beauty of the wild.
On the floating bog, we have gently tread and squished our toes, taking a break from paddling to examine the pitcher plants, bog rosemary, bearberry and tiny wild orchids. We hold some of these sacred spaces as secrets. They are home to the shy bittern and the endangered sundew. Women hold these secrets in confidence well. They know how devastating human impact may be on delicate ecosystems. There exists a deep innate understanding of all of this. The wetlands are intricate and detailed like the story of a woman�s life. The river, just as her energy�sometimes gently flows�sometimes powerfully rages. The placid lakes stir the center of her soul. Women are part of the sensitive complex ecology and design of nature.
Gigi Stafne is a writer, ecologist and natural medicine instructor in Northern Wisconsin. She operates the Center for Healing Arts Herb and Eco School and co-owns MI-ZI-ZAK Kayaks. Contact: 715.967.2300, fireweed@citizens-tel.net or the web link http://www.wcm1.com/centerforhealingarts/
Forager�s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible wild Plants
by Sam Thayer
Illustrated/Full color/Index Published by Foragers harvest ISBN 0-9766266-0-8
Sam Thayer is a lifelong, fulltime forager from Northern Wisconsin. He is the steward of Foragers Harvest, which offers edible wild plant products, publications, education and consulting. He conducts weekend classes, shorter wild food presentations and edible plant inventories on private lands.
Sam is a trailblazer in the wild food world as he relentlessly seeks to dispel many of the myths, misconceptions and confusion that have plagued the wild food literature, especially concerning some of our lesser known edible plants. His meticulous research, botanical know-how and endless field experiments have all combined to produce his brand new, hot-off-the-press book, �Forager�s Harvest�. This book is a good synthesis and culmination of the best of the wild food literature as well as a launching point for the next level of foraging culture in modern times.
�Foragers Harvest� is unique in that it profiles lesser known native wild foods of the upper Midwest in great detail, with much of the knowledge coming from years of first hand experience with each plant. This book is not about dandelions, nettles, violets and other common weeds that are covered extensively elsewhere. Instead you will find detailed accounts of plants like carrion flower, hopniss, black locust, highbush cranberry, and many, many others. This is a great book for filling in the gaps for plants that are just plain hard to find good information about. The book also includes a concise but thorough introductory section with a great write-up on innovative harvesting, preparation and storage techniques so that wild foods can be integrated into the diet year round. It is laced with glossy color photographs taken with great care to detail specific identification features. It concludes with a bibliography, glossary and index that make the book useful for further research into these plants, although nothing can match the hands-on experience of going out and trying them for yourself after reading it!
Sam Thayer�s tireless and intensive work taps into a primeval instinct and way of life that has been severely threatened by the industrial age. His work will prove to be an invaluable resource recovering and reclaiming these precious wild food resources. Whether you are an armchair naturalist or primitive living fanatic or any level of interest in between, Foragers Harvest is sure to help you get to the next level in your discovery of the amazing gifts of the plant kingdom.
To obtain a copy for of this book, check out www.foragersharvest.com for details.
Review written by Rose Barlow, editor
Community Calendar Of Classes and Events SUMMER 2006
Coulee Region Herbal Institute: Summer 2006 Classes and Events Classes and events are typically held on the third Sunday of each month. Months where it is held on a different Sunday are marked with ***. Classes and events are free for members and cost 5$ for non-members. Some classes may request a nominal fee for cost of materials. Check details for location and contact number.
July 16 Root River Herb and Tree Walk w/ Jeroen Boon and Sarah Merrell Houston, Minnesota Spend an afternoon along the beautiful Root river identifying and discussing in-season medicinal herbs and edible wild plants. Jeroen has a wonderfully intuitive grasp of the nature and beauty of the plant kingdom and the healing gifts it brings to us, and will be guiding the walk. For directions contact Jeroen or Sarah at 317-0574 (cell phone)
September 17 Acorns:From Field to Flour with Rose Barlow Landmark Center Community Room, Viroqua Have you ever bit into a hot, buttery acorn muffin? Rose will walk you through the techniques of processing acorns including shelling, leaching, drying and grinding to yield the nutritionally dense and surprisingly delicious acorn flour. We�ll also be treated to freshly baked acorn muffins with wild berry jam. Call Rose at 637-3074 with any questions.
2nd Annual Midwest Wild Food Festival August 25-27 Beaver Creek Nature Preserve, Fall Creek,WI (near Eau Claire) The Midwest Wild Harvest Festival invites people of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels. Held at the beginning of the fall harvest season, the festival is a celebration of the Midwest�s bounty of wild food. The weekend combines recreation and education into an unforgettable experience. Participants will learn about wild edibles and their uses from knowledgeable instructors and speakers. There will be field trips, presentations, demonstrations, a cooking contest, a potluck banquet, games, a wild craft flea market, and lots of hands-on activities. You�ll have a chance to interact with other foraging enthusiasts from around the region and beyond. Last year�s Midwest Wild Harvest Festival was a great success, so don�t wait-space is limited. For an informational flier and registration contact Forager�s Harvest, W5066 Hwy 86, Ogema, WI 54469 Or e-mail arcadiansam@yahoo.com
�Paddlin' Plant Divas� Gigi Stafne Mizizak Kayaks New Auburn Friday, July 7 Noon to 4 p.m. Would you like to paddle along wetland shores of a pristine northern lake learning how to kayak while identifying native medicinal plants? This workshop includes introductory kayak
instruction, kayak & equipment rental, plus a one-of-a-kind guided trip that includes identification of medicinal & wetland plants. Learn in a relaxed environment. This is suitable for beginners and others�'lots of shoreline paddling�no white water paddlin' involved on this trip! Definitely a must for lovers of plants & paddlin'!
�Wild Medicine & Water Element� Friday, July 21 Noon to 5 p.m. What are the medicinal plants to utilize for injuries when you are out recreating in the wild? Join us for practical tips on plant allies in the wild, homeopathics for first aid and how to create your own Natural Medicine First Aid Kit. Learn which medicinals are best to have on hand for water sports. Top it off with time for kayaking and play in the water! http://www.mizizakkayaks.com/index.html
Pam Thompson, Giving Ground Wilderness Herbal Retreat Center Superior National Forest, Brimson, MN (60 miles north of Duluth) 1-888-276-1336 July 7-9, 2006: Beginning Herbology and Aromatherapy
Wildcrafting for Medicinal Herbs Northhouse Folk School, Grand Marais, MN Teresa Wolfe Teresa W. Wolfe is an eco-herbalist, naturalist, and scientist with an MS in food science and nutrition. She lives in Webster, Wisconsin. Check out her web site at www.welcomeharvest.com or call her at 715-259-3121.
Mushrooming with Mike McCall identifying. Students are encouraged to bring mushrooms from their local area for identification. Life On The Edge: Shoreline Ecology and Wildflowers http://www.northhousefolkschool.com/about/index.htm
Making Herbal Medicines-Summer Series: Harvesting, Tinctures, Ointments, Teas Kathleen Wildwood, Madison Register by Wed June 21 for discount
Our Green Allies: Herbs, Part 1 & 2 Marcee Murray King June 17 & July 15 Course fee 50$ + 10$ supply fee for each class An introduction to natural healing using herbs that are readily found around us, or are easy to procure, and how to use them at home. You will be introduced to pulse testing, which aids in the selection of herbs. Learn to make infusions, decoctions, tinctures, poultices, salves, etc. Handouts will be provided as well as a list of resources. Bring paper and pen for taking notes.
Our Green Allies: Flower Essences August 19 Course Fee 50$ + 10$ supply fee Flower essences provide a beautiful, subtle form of vibrational healing, gently altering core issues a person has. Originated by Dr. Bach, there are many, many essences available beyond the original 38 waiting for your discovery! This class will teach you techniques for making essences for yourself from flowers near your home, how to determine the use of different essences, and how to select essences using various methods: repetorizing, dowsing, kinesiology, and pulse testing. Handouts and a list of resources will be provided, and you will leave with one or two essences that you have made. Bring paper and pen for taking notes.
A Northern Herbal Adventure: Weekend Lecture SeriesMary Schmidt and Cynthia Thomas Spotted Eagle Lodge, Nashwauk, MN June 23-25 Organ Systems and the Herbs They Love August 25-27 A Women�s Weekend: Honoring the Phases of the Life Cycle October 6-8 Beyond Basics: Transforming Pathology Join Mary and Cynthia in these lively, information-packed weekends, to explore our sacred relationship to plants, and learn the practical basic use of holistic herbal medicine in daily life. Each weekend will include lectures, herb walks, and hands-on instruction. Information and Registration: Julie Barach (651) 645-5342 voicemail jb1915@earthlink.net
Women�s Herbal Intensive Linda Conroy, Moonwise Herbs, September 9-12, 2006, Rock Island, Wisconsin Join herbalist and wild crafter Linda Conroy for this amazing journey on a primitive island located off of the tip of Door County peninsula in Lake Michigan. Cars and even bikes are not allowed on the 912-acre island, making for an experience unlike any other Wisconsin state park. There are 10 miles of hiking trails, including a one-mile interpretative trail and 5,000 feet of beach. www.moonwiseherbs.com/rockisland.htm
Sunday Prairie Walks on LaCrosse River State Trail�s Rockland Prairie Local naturalist/columnist Bob Lee June 25, July 16, August 6, August 27, September 17, October 1 1:30 PM, Rockland, WI (between LaCrosse & Sparta) Meet at trail crossing on Commercial St. (Cty J) in Rockland. Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather. These are leisurely walks on level terrain. Wildcat Mountain State Park Work Unit 608-337-4775
Blueberry Moon-A Northwoods Gathering for Women and Children Black Lake Campground, east of Hayward WI July 27-30 Join us to feast on blueberries and harvest northwoods herbs. Herbal Medicine classes, harvesting and preparing, ceremony, activities for the kids. Call Jessie Conaway for more info @ 608-790-7425
* Cattail in the Kitchen *
You can talk about or read about the culinary virtues of cattails all day long, but until you actually go shopping in your nearest lake or marsh and make your first cattail pollen pancakes, you�ll never truly experience them. Here are a few recipes from the kitchen of Rose Barlow-Allsup that make good use of the pollen, flowerheads and shoots so you can sample every part.
*Cat-on-the-Cob with Garlic Butter*
30-40 cattail flowerheads, peeled Garlic butter: � cup unsalted butter � cup olive oil � teaspoon salt 12 garlic cloves, crushed 1 cup freshly chopped wild greens (or parsley or other fresh garden herbs)
Make garlic butter in a food processor by whipping the butter, oil, salt, fresh garlic and parsley together until smooth. Note: If using salted butter, eliminate the salt from the recipe. The olive oil makes the butter nice and creamy and spreadable, even after refrigerating. I like to make a batch of this to keep handy in the fridge. You can also make a larger batch ahead to freeze in small containers when the greens are in season.
1. Boil cattail flowerheads in water for 10 minutes 2. Make garlic butter in a food processor by whipping the butter, salt, fresh garlic and parsley together until smooth. 3. Drain the cattail flowerheads and slather them generously with the garlic butter. 4. Eat them just like miniature corn on the cobs.
*Cattail Pollen Biscuits*
You�ll never be the same after eating these golden, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits, worth every minute of your time and effort in harvesting the cattail pollen. My secret for making light biscuits is to make the dough in a food processor. 1 cup white flour (wheat flour just doesn�t make �em light enough!) 1 cup cattail pollen � cup butter 1 Tbsp honey or sugar 3 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt � cup milk
1. Preheat oven to 450 �. 2. Put flour, cattail pollen, salt and baking powder, and butter in a food processor and run on high until you have a course mixture. (If no food processor, cut with a fork or pastry cutter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.) 3. Add honey or sugar plus the milk and whiz just until the dough forms a lump. Do not overmix! 4. Shape into biscuits and bake on ungreased cookie sheet 10-12 minutes until golden brown. You can make drop biscuits by increasing the milk to 1 cup and dropping by large spoonfuls until a cookie sheet. Buttermilk biscuits: For the ultimate biscuit, substitute buttermilk for the milk, decrease baking powder to 2 tsp, and add � tsp baking soda. *Cattail Pollen Pancakes*
Cattail pollen pancakes are an experience you will never forget! They are absolutely delicious! 1 cup flour 1 cup cattail pollen 1 tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder 2 eggs � cup honey � cup oil 2 cups milk
1. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. 2. Add eggs, honey, oil and milk and mix thoroughly. 3. If the batter seems to thick to pour, add more milk until it has a good pancake batter consistency. 4. Cook on a hot griddle until golden brown.
*Cattail Casserole*
3 cups cattail flowerbuds, scraped off the �cobs� (about 40 flowerheads) 1 egg � tsp nutmeg � tsp salt � tsp black pepper � cup milk 1 cup soft breadcrumbs 1 cup grated cheese
1. Cook cattail flowerheads in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. 2. Scrape the flowerbuds off the cob to make 3 cups. 3. Beat egg together with spices, milk and breadcrumbs. 4. Combine cattail flowers with the egg mixture. 5. In a greased bread pan or small casserole dish, spread half of cattail mixture on the bottom. 6. Add half of the grated cheese, spread the rest of the cattail mixture over, and top with the rest of the grated cheese. 7. Bake at 350� until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
*Cattail-Wild Rice Pilaf*
This recipe can be made with brown rice, but the wild rice adds a special dimension to it. 1 cup dry wild rice (4 cups cooked) 2 Tbsp sesame oil � cup chopped green onion 2 cups cattail shoots, sliced (about 30 cattails) 2 tsp salt � cup slivered almonds
1. Cook the wild rice until tender. 2. Sautee onion and cattail shoots in sesame oil until tender and translucent. 3. Mix the rice and the saut�d cattail shoots and onion together. 4. Add salt and slivered almonds. To make this recipe into a soup, just add 4 cups of chicken broth or other soup stock of choice. Simmer together for 15-20 minutes and serve.
Membership Dues CRHI is supported solely by member dues at this time. Membership is 25$ per year. Dues help to cover the costs of operating the Institute, which at this time is mainly printing and postage and occasional fees for use of a facility. Members receive our quarterly newsletter and attend classes and events sponsored by CRHI for free, although some classes might request a small fee to cover costs of materials or facility charges. Membership dues can be mailed to:
CRHI c/o Prodigal Gardens 673 S. Washington Ave Viroqua, WI 54665
CRHI c/o Prodigal Gardens 673 S. Washington Ave Viroqua, WI 54665
|
