On Sunday, August 23, naturalist/author "Wildman" Steve Brill will give a free talk and presentation at Native Landscaping in Pawling, and lead one of his world-famous Wild Food and Ecology Tours of the adjacent Appalachian Trail in Pawling, NY. The subject matter: foraging—the ecological harvesting and uses of common edible wild plants and mushrooms.
As soon as we depart from the railroad station where we meet, we'll find the huge leaves of burdock, with an edible root that tastes like potatoes. Nearby, we'll find loads of wild parsnips, garden escapees that taste even better than their commercial forerunners, plus lots of wild carrots, a.k.a. Queen Anne's Lace.
Other common herbs and greens we can expect include water mint and wild mint, lamb's-quarters, yarrow, purslane, sheep sorrel, wood sorrel, poor man's pepper, sassafras, water mint, various wild mustards, and black birch.
Water Mint
This common wetland species imparts a remarkably complex and satisfying flavor to any dish where mint is normally used.
We'll also find lots of jewelweed, a major medicinal herb with juice that relieves a variety of skin irritations, from insect bites to preventing poison ivy rash. In addition to the common species, spotted jewelweed, which has an orange flower, this is the only tour where we'll also find pale jewelweed, with its yellow flower.
If it has rained beforehand, the mushrooming should be as great as it was in past years. We may find large quantities of delectable parasol mushrooms, gourmet boletes, brittle russulas, smoky-
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