Foraging and Fiddleheads
Today is the official start of our summer vacation- yay! Nothing signifies the start of summer like the emergence of the fiddleheads. I spent the morning in a delightfully meditative state, foraging for the special green beauties. My Alaskan friends and I agree: there is something deeply primal about heading out into the woods and gathering wild plants. It just feels right. It's also amazing to come home with bags full of nutrient dense vegetation.
Fiddleheads Five Ways: Part 3
Not only are fiddleheads beautiful and tasty, they are also a nutrition powerhouse! According to LiveStrong.com , fiddleheads are a fine source of Vitamin A, Vitamin, C, niacin, riboflavin, phosphorous and iron.
Fiddleheads Five Ways: Part 2
Today I am sharing my favorite fiddlehead recipe: pesto! I used toasted pumpkin seeds, but feel free to substitute whatever you have on hand (pinenuts, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc). Remember to begin by blanching your fiddleheads in boiling water for about two minutes, followed by an ice bath.
Fiddleheads Five Ways: Part 1
As I mentioned yesterday, we are currently in the midst of fiddlehead harvesting. After work we headed back out to the river for another picking session. Even Tom finds fiddlehead collecting satisfying because they fill the container quickly!
Foraging for Fiddleheads
Alaska is abundant with wild game and fish, but foraging for wild plants takes a little more work. But it's fun work! With the right mentality, every spring walk through the woods can be turned into a treasure hunt for green buds and shoots.
Forest Bathing
My beautiful friend Kelci was just telling me about an article she read about shinrin-yoku, or the Japanese practice of forest bathing- basically walking among the trees, objective and technology free. She commented about how lucky we because, unlike most Japanese, we can take a forest bath every day, just by stepping out our Alaskan front doors.