Have you ever met someone and just clicked?
That’s what happened when I met Butterpowered Bike of the blog Hunger and Thirst for Life at a foodie event recently. She was talking about making wild garlic pickles, I was offering bundles of herbs from my garden. It was foodie love at first bite… er, sight!
I was fascinated by her knowledge and skill at foraging, so when she asked me if I’d like to go with her sometime, I couldn’t say yes fast enough.
I’m fascinated by foraging. Last year, I got to go on an herb walk with renowned herbalist Brigitte Mars and I was immediately fascinated and awe-struck by the bounty growing everywhere you look. It completely changed the way I look at the ditches along the bike path where I take my near-daily walks—so much so that two weeks ago, while staring off into the ditch weeds, I realized I was looking at asparagus.
I had the baby and the stroller with me, but that didn’t stop me stumbling off into the weeds! (“Be right back, baby!”) I only harvested four spears, because I was too late in the season, but I was hooked; I was officially a forager.
Two weeks later and ButterPowered Bike and I are tromping through the same ditch examining weeds/plants/herbs and collecting food like it’s going out of style. She apologized that we found so little, but I went home with my sack full of new foods to try.
And that’s really half the fun of foraging for me right now. How often do you have the opportunity to try a completely new food (and for FREE, I might add)? I cooked up the first of my bounty this morning (stuffed yucca blossoms) and it was delicious.
I’m totally smitten, both with my new hobby and my new amigo. She’s promised to let me in on the location of some of her favorite foods, and if that’s not friendship, I don’t know what is!
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