![](http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/RapunzelBeth/Foraging%20in%20Inwood%20Park/IMG_4350.jpg)
My copy of Nature's Garden by Samuel Thayer arrived last week and I've been eagerly reading it. I didn't really expect to learn much; the few plants that I haven't foraged don't grow near me. (Right: Decaying Pier Machinery by wide eyed lib)
But this book is teaching me new info about plants I've been foraging for years. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata, covered here), for instance. Sam believes that the tastiest part of this plant is the flower stem before the flowers open. He removes the leaves and steams or sautees them. Apparently the stems are considerably milder. I've gathered the leaves, buds and roots many times, and it never occurred to me to gather the stems. It's too late for this year, but next year I'll give it a try.
I highly recommend this book and have added it to the resource list. If you order it from Sam's website, it costs more, but he'll sign it for you.
Pictured: winter cress, ground ivy, sheep sorrel, lamb's quarters, poor man's pepper, wild lettuce & blueberry
(As always, if you're new to foraging and want to give it a try, please read the first diary in the series for some important information. For a complete list of all plants covered in the series, click here.)
No new plants this week, but here are some new photos of previously covered plants with links to the posts where I originally covered them in depth. Please read the original post if you are interested in doing any harvesting.
![winter cress](http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/RapunzelBeth/Foraging%20in%20Inwood%20Park/IMG_4054.jpg)
![winter cress](http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/RapunzelBeth/Foraging%20in%20Inwood%20Park/IMG_4251.jpg)
In the blink of an eye winter cress (Barbarea vulgaris) has gone from a shiny, dark green basal rosette to a 3 foot tall flower stalk topped by tiny yellow flowers. I have a high sensitivity to bitter flavors, so it's not my favorite plant, but my partner eagerly harvests it every year. Learn more about identifying and harvesting winter cress here.
![ground ivy](http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/RapunzelBeth/Foraging%20in%20Inwood%20Park/IMG_4334.jpg)
Ground ivy (aka Glechoma hederacea, creeping charlie and a million other names) has been spreading its pretty scalloped leaves all over the place. The leaves of this mint make a lovely herbal tea with surprisingly strong diuretic properties. Read more here.
![sheep sorrel](http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/RapunzelBeth/Foraging%20in%20Inwood%20Park/IMG_4274.jpg)
![sheep sorrel](http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/RapunzelBeth/Foraging%20in%20Inwood%20Park/IMG_4268.jpg)
The delightful lemony sourness of sheep sorrel leaves (Rumex acetosella) are thankfully just as tasty after flowering as before. The stems and flowers won't do you any harm, but they're pretty tough and stringy. I covered sheep sorrel in depth here.
![lamb's quarters](http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/RapunzelBeth/Foraging%20in%20Inwood%20Park/IMG_4341.jpg)
Lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album) are sprouting in all kinds of sunny and partially sunny places. These particular specimens are about 2" high. Lamb's quarters leaves and young stems have a similar flavor to spinach, but a bit more delicate and delicious. They're also considerably more nutritious than spinach. Read more here.
![poor man's pepper](http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/RapunzelBeth/Foraging%20in%20Inwood%20Park/IMG_4372.jpg)
![poor man's pepper](http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/RapunzelBeth/Foraging%20in%20Inwood%20Park/IMG_4370.jpg)
Right now, poor man's pepper (Lepidium virginicum) can be found in every stage from basal rosette to fully developed seeds. The leaves, flowers and seeds really add a nice zip to sandwiches, salads, soups, stirfries and anything else your imagination can conjure up. Interestingly, last year I was able to find tons of poor man's pepper but not much of its better known cousin, shepard's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris). This year is the exact reverse, with the latter sprouting from every sidewalk crack and the former nearly in hiding. Learn more about both plants here.
![wild lettuce](http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/RapunzelBeth/Foraging%20in%20Inwood%20Park/IMG_4373.jpg)
Despite being found on every continent other than Antarctica, wild lettuce (probably Lactuca canadensis, in this case) can sometimes be hard to find. In my area it seems randomly strewn in fields and by the sides of roads. Although closely related to garden lettuce, it's considerably more bitter, so it's best to collect it in early Spring or after a frost. More info here.
![blueberry](http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/RapunzelBeth/Foraging%20in%20Inwood%20Park/IMG_4275.jpg)
![blueberry](http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/RapunzelBeth/Foraging%20in%20Inwood%20Park/IMG_4276.jpg)
Our final plant for today is an especially delicious one. I discovered a small stand of lowland blueberry bushes (Vaccinium species) hiding beneath a juneberry bush (Amelanchier species) in very public park. I suspect it's a secret that only the birds and I know. Learn more about blueberries here.
So what's growing around you?
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If you'd like to learn more about foraging but missed the earlier diaries in the series, you can click here for the previous 41 installments, and here for RonV's 4 part mini-series on medicinal plants and how to use them. As always, please feel free to post photos in the comments and I'll do my best to help identify what you've found. (And if you find any errors, let me know.)
Here are some helpful foraging resources:
"Wildman" Steve Brill's site covers many edibles and includes nice drawings.
"Green" Deane Jordan's site is quite comprehensive and has color photos and stories about many plants.
Green Deane's foraging how-to clips on youtube each cover a single plant in reassuring detail.
Linda Runyon's site features only a few plants but has great deals on her dvd, wild cards and books (check out the package deals in particular).
Steve Brill's book, Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places is my primary foraging guide. (Read reviews here, but if you're feeling generous, please buy from Steve's website.)
Linda Runyon's book The Essential Wild Food Survival Guide contains especially detailed information about nutritional content and how to store and preserve wild foods.
Samuel Thayer’s book The Forager's Harvest is perhaps the finest resource out there for the 32 plants covered. The color photos and detailed harvest and preparation information are top-notch. His second book, Nature's Garden, is just as good. For an autographed copy of either book, order from Sam's website.
Steve Brill also offers guided foraging tours in NYC-area parks. Details and contact info are on his website.
Don Wiss’s website is a treasure trove featuring hundreds of photos of common northeastern edibles.
For well-sourced info on the medicinal uses of plants, Plants for a Future is a site I turn to time and time again.
Finally, the USDA plants database is a great place to look up info on all sorts of plants.
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