Wild Edibles

The Humble Limpet (Petalida): A Treasure of the Sea (Η Tαπεινή Πεταλίδα)

Petalides and OuzoThe Humble Limpet (Petalida): A Treasure of the Sea (Η Tαπεινή Πεταλίδα)

Limpets tightly adhere to rocks in shallow water where the sea meets the shore. They’re found throughout the Mediterranean, and on rocky coastlines around the world.

As a kid growing up on Puget Sound, I gathered limpets’ domed, pointed shells ...

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Cooking in Packets Seals in Juices & Flavor

Salmon Kleftiko Packet

During the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Turks, Klefts were irregular guerilla fighters. Among their many feats, Klefts famously stole sheep and roasted them slowly over buried fires. This trick prevented the Ottomans from smelling meat and finding the guerillas.

Kleftiko is a lamb dish named after the Klefts’ ...

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How to Harvest and Use Edible Spruce Tips (or Pine Tips or Fir Tips)

Spruce Tips Ready to Pick

Spruce tips are one of the more unusual, least used, and tastiest wild edibles in Alaska. Over the last few weeks, I picked a bucketful and had a great time playing and experimenting with them.

(I used spruce tips because they grow in my yard. Pine tips and fir tips are ...

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Culinary Experiments with Devil’s Club Leaf Buds

I’ve always played with my food and eaten with my fingers. As a child, these habits got me into trouble. As an adult, they led me into the kitchen. There’s no more satisfying way than cooking to play with your food.

My favorite kind of playing with food involves foraging. Rooting ...

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How to Harvest and Use Devil’s Club

Blanched Devils Club Shoots

Devil’s club leaf shoots are the ultimate seasonal treat – they’re edible for only a few days a year and taste wonderful. They have a resiny, almost piney, odor when first picked that is tamed, but doesn’t dissipate entirely, when heated. Cooked devil’s club shoots have a uniquely energizing and ...

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How to Harvest and Use Fireweed Shoots

Fireweed After the Fire

Fireweed shoot season is upon Southcentral Alaska.

Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) grows along Alaska’s roadways and waste areas (and throughout North America as far south as California in the west and the Carolinas in the east). Spreading rapidly on underground runners, fireweed is one of the first plants to reestablish itself after ...

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