Conference turris::cooks

    My first curiosity is close to home. Last night while mowing my
    lawn, I noticed that my yard is loaded with dandelions. I've heard
    of using dandelion leaves in salads, but I don't know when it's
    O.K. to pick them. Should they be picked before they come to flower,
    or after ?
    
    Jim

    We always had "dandelion salad" in April/May while the dandelions were
    young and tender.  With it my mother and grandmother added cooked diced
    potatoes, onions and bacon with a hot viniger dressing. mmmmmmmm.
    

    They should be picked BEFORE coming to flower.  They will sometimes
    have what looks like a button in the center of the plant.  (That
    button eventually becomes the yellow flower that will go to seed
    and multiply in your lawn.)  Be sure to wash the leaves thoroughly.
    I've used them with other salad greens but prefer a dandelion salad
    with only dandelion leaves tossed with olive oil, vinegar, and a
    sprinkling of salt.  BTW, I discard the "buttons".
    
    
     

One of my folks neighbors used to make dandelion wine from the "buttons".

In my opinion, it tasted worse than the greens, which I find too bitter.

    A "weed" called Lambs Quarter is very similar to spinach when cooked.

    The best I found coming from parents who were both raised on farms
    and who are full-blooded Italian.  I've learned you don't throw
    anything away when you grow up in that enviornment. Anyway my favoite
    might sound gross but is rather tasty. Picking the large yellow
    flowers on the squash (zucchini) plant. You pick the yellow flowers
    and dip in bisquick recipe on the box that you mix for pan cakes,
    dip the flower in that batter and then fry in Crisco or veg. oil,I
    use Crisco because it tastes lighter. Fry until golden brown on
    either side.......mmmm.......mmmm....can't wait ......
    Donna (The Italian Goddess)
    

    Donna,
    	Don't stop there with the squash blossoms.  Stuff them with your
    favorite stuffing and bake or fry!  Glad to see someone else of
    Italian heritage eats these.  Most people think the blossoms are toxic!
    There is a cooking show on a PBS station in Boston with a woman named
    MaryAnn Esposito.  She cooks Italian dishes.  Although her
    pronunciation is atrocious, her dishes are good, and she made the
    squash blossoms on one show.  
    
    Sarah
    

    Hi Sarah!!
       I have seen that women.......she's good.....I never thought of
    stuffing them....also at 2:30 everyday they have a real chef from
    Italy that cooks all Italian and even sings while he cooks, he's
    wonderful. I don't remember the station but it's on everyday at
    2:30 under Expresso Cookings or Expresso ____________ (something).
    He is so good, sounds like all my uncles.
    I also do the califlower buds cut them up, put them in the batter
    and fry them.....good.......I love summer with all the fresh vegs.
    My father sells his vegs to 2 Italian restaurants in Leominster.
    And my mother still can tomatoes for sauce, makes homemade pasta
    every Monday, and makes Italian sausages and pepperoni too.......
    I wish I made the time, she never worked outside of the house. But
    I miss all those meals...........
    Donna
    

    If you don't "do" fried food, squash blossoms are delicious raw,
    sliced lengthwise (I remove the hard base) and added to salads.
    They are a lovely color, and the texture is nice.  They have to
    be eaten fresh off the vine, though, or they wilt.
    
    --Louise

    Jim, 
    
    You should check out Abacus::Survival.  There are entrys in there
    on wild foods.  Cooking wild carrots etc. is also an interest of
    mine and I'd love to see more action in that conference!
    
    Wild foods generally have a much better flavor than their hybrid
    counterparts: compare a wild strawberry with a store-bought strawberry
    for instance.  But I imagine that the wildest you could get here
    would be sauteed fiddleheads!
    
    See ya 'mongst the cattails!
    
    Helen

    Thanks Hellen !

    You got the taste of wild strawberries right. They're smaller than the
    cultivated, but have ten times the flavor. Same goes for wild blueberries
    verse cultivated. One handful of wild blueberries to pancake mix,
    equals two cups of cultivated, in flavor.

    More information is in the works. As of right now, I still
    experimenting with some of the plants I have found around my 
    house. 

    Jim

    One important item... MUSHROOMS!
    but of course, this is just for experts, as there are too many
    poisonous ones very similar to their edibles counterparts... I love to
    pick OYSTER MUSHROOMS in Sept and Oct in the woods, they are CHOICE
    food,  chicken mushrooms is other of my favorites, and don't forget the
    "puff-ball" mushroom when young... I could go on and on.  We closely
    examine each one we pick up to identify, if in doubt we get a spore
    print of it, and if safe... we have a feast!
    Again, this type of food is better be left alone for those that are not
    familiar with them, it is just too easy to make a mistake
    and...consequences can be FATAL.

    Well, I feel somewhat guilty that I opened this note, but have not
    contributed. The problem is that, what I found from the wilds, was not
    that convenient to obtain or it didn't please my taste. I tried wild lettuce, 
    and dandelion leaves but found that I was too late picking them, so they
    were too strong tasting. I couldn't find Indian cucumbers around my 
    house despite my efforts. Bullhead water lily were abundant, but I
    was too lazy to go get some. 

    I'll have to wait til next spring to try again.

    Jim

    ORGANIC GARDENING, February 1990 issue
    
    20 Culinary Standouts
    ---------------------
    
    Anise Hyssop (Aqastache Foeniculum) -	strong anise to root-beer 
        					taste; use sparingly.
    
    Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) -	Chrysanthemum petals range
    						from slightly to very
    						bitter; taste test.
    
    Lavendar (Lavandula angustifolia) -		English lavender has sweet 
    						lemon-floral taste superior 
    						for cooking: other species
    						taste medicinal.
    
    Apple Blossom (Malus spp.) -		Delicate floral taste.
    
    Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.) -		Some varieties floral and 
    						pleasant, others taste
    						metallic; taste test.
    
    Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) - 			Lilac clusters, floral
    						taste.
    
    Borage (Borago officinalis) -		Cucumber taste; remove
    						hairy sepals.
    					
    Elderberry (Sambucus caerulea) -		Blossoms traditionally
    						prepared as fritters; 
    						definitively identify 
    						species as some
    						elderberries are poisonous.
    
    Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) -		Watercress-type flavor, one
    						of the most versatile and 
    						widely accepted. 
    						Whirlybird types have no
    						spur and are easier to clean.
    				
    Calendula (Calendula officinalis) -		Slight floral taste; all 
    						varieties seem to have 
    						similar taste.
    
    Fennel - 					All culinary herb flowers
    						are edible.  This is one of
    						6 with the most interesting 
    						taste.  Others are thyme, 
    						basil, rosemary, sage and
    						arugula.
    
    Pink (Dianthus spp.) - 			Delicate clove taste.  The
    						classic cottage pinks have 
    						a particularly delicate
    						taste. 
    
    Chives (Allium Schoenoprasum and A. tuberosum) - Onion flavor, use when
    						buds first open or they
   						will be papery and tough;
                                                the flowers of the Oriental
    						types have a more floral
    						quality.
    
    Geranium (Pelargonium spp.) - 		Scented geraniums much 
    						superior to common 
    						geraniums in flavor; 
    						particularly choice are the
    						rose and peppermint
    						varieties.
    
    Rose (Rosa spp.) -				Diverse flavors from floral
    						and lush to metallic; taste
    						test.  R. rugosa ALBA,
    						EGLANTINE and damask types 
    						are choice.
    
    Sage -					One of the 6 culinary herbs
    						with the most interesting
    						taste.
    
    Scarlet Runner Bean (Phaseolus coccineus) -	Nectar and bean flavored;
    						most varieties have a 
    						similar taste.
    
    Squash Blossom (Cucurbita spp.) -		Slight squash taste, little
    						difference between
    						varieties.  Pumpkin and
    						some zucchini blossoms are
    						large and easier to stuff.
    
    Viola, Pansy, and Johnny-jump-ups (Viola cornuta, V. X Wittrokiana, and
    V. tricolor) -				Light floral flavor; little
    						difference among varieties.
    
    Violet, Viola odorata -			Strong floral taste.
    
    To deterine the edibility or possibly toxicity of a plan or flower the
    following texts are recommended:
    
    Poisonous Plants of California by Thomas C. Fuller and Elizabeth
    McClintock
    
    Sturtevant's Edible Plans of the World edited by U.P. Hedrick
    
    Poisonous Plants of the United States and Canada by John M. Kingsbury
    
    The Oxford Book of Food Plants by G.B. Masefield, M. Wallis, SG.
    Harrison, and B.E. Nicholson
    
    

    Partial listing of common poisonous plants and should be considered 
    toxic and not included in any culinary presentation, whether it be
    in the food itself or as a garnish on the plate.  All parts of the
    plants are toxic except where noted.
    
    Amaryllis (Hippeastrum puniceum) - bulb
    Anemone (Anemone tuberosa and other species)
    Autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale)
    Azalea (Rhododendron sp.)
    Belladonna Lily [Naked Lily] (Amaryllis belladonna) - bulb
    Bird-of-Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) - seeds and pods
    Buckeye (Aesculus arguta, A. hippocastanum and other species) - seeds, 
      	flowers, and leaves
    Buttercup (Ranunculus spp.)
    Caladium (Caladium bicolor and other species)
    Cardinal Flower (Lobelia Cardinalis)
    Clematis (Clematis spp.)
    Daffodil (Narcissus Pseudonarcissus) - bulb
    Datura (Datura meteloides)
    Gloriosa Lily (Gloriosa spp.)
    Hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp.)
    Iris (Iris spp.) - leaves and rootstock
    Jessamine 0(Gelsemium sempervirens)
    Lantana (Lantana spp.)
    Larkspur (Delphinium spp.)
    Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis)
    Lupine (Lupinus spp.)
    Monkshood (Aconitum spp.)
    Narciussus (Narcissus spp.)
    Oleander (Nerium Oleander)
    Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)
    Sweet Peas (Lathryus spp.)
    Rhododendron (Rhododendron spp.)
    Star-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum spp.)
    Tansy (Tanancetum vulgare)
    Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda and W. sinensis) - pods and seeds
    
    The following common flowers should be avoided, as no reliable
    documentation on their safety has been found:
    
    Bachelor's-buttons
    Impatiens
    Mullein
    Petunias
    Primrose
    Snapdragons
    

Foxglove (Digitalis sp.) probably ought not be trifled with, due to the presence
of the alkaloid drug that takes its name from this plant genus.


Kingsbury's book on poisonous plants of North America is very informative and
a bit frightening as well.  Reading it can give you a distrust for almost
anything growing in the wild, but most especially mushrooms.

--PSW

	We had this last night, it was delicious. Giant Puff balls
	are of the fungus or mushroom family. They must be completely
	white inside and out, they are slightly larger than a softball,
	but can grow bigger. To be sure it is edible you should slice thru 
	the middle and make sure it is creamy white. Once it has started to
	turn in the least from pure white, it can become toxic. You must
	peel the outer later of the giant puff ball.

	1 or 2 Giant Puff Balls, peeled and sliced 
		slice thin bite size

	1 Tbl. butter
	
	1 Tbl Olive oil (extra virgin)
	
	2 cloves garlic minced
	
	2 sundried tomatoes

	1/3 cup chicken broth

	1/4 cup dry white wine

	1/4 cup cream

	1 Tbl Honey mustard

	2 Tbl minced fresh basil


	
    Warm oil and melt butter large frying pan. Add and saute' garlic till
    fragrant. Add Puff ball pieces and brown both sides (medium heat).
    Remove puff balls to drain on paper. add sundried tomatoes, chicken
    broth, and white wine, saute' medium heat 5 min. Then add honey mustard
    and cream while stirring, cook until sauce starts to thicken and slightly
     reduced. Add chopped basil and return puffballs. Cook a minute or so more
    to rewarm puff balls and serve over pasta or rice.

	Puff balls are also delicious served just sauted in oil, butter
	and garlic, they have a very delicate texture and mushroom taste.

Marilyn
		

Don't eat European puffballs.  Unlike the American species, they are highly
toxic.

--PSW