Tips on foraging and five edible plants to try

Lately, chefs and home cooks alike have been taking advantage of nature's bounty by harvesting the wild edibles found in forests, marshes, and meadows. This process is called 'foraging'. Tama Matsuoka Wong's book, Foraged Flavour is an excellent resource for anyone interested in foraging...and it has recipes too!

What is foraging? Foraging is a process of researching, identifying, harvesting and cooking edible fruits and plants that grow in the wild. I recently enjoyed a truly Canadian meal that included milkweed, pickled cattails and daisy capers. It was a fascinating experience and it introduced my palate to a whole new flavour profile. Meals such as this, along with my own interest in gardening, inspired me to look a little further into the possibilities of foraging in my own neighborhood. While we won't all roll up our pant legs and put on our wellies to head into the field, items that are sourced through foraging are sometimes little jewels that can add accents and interest to our everyday foods.

More and more these items are showing up in farmers' markets, so whether you choose to endeavor into the fields yourself, or find these items in your local market, here are a few of nature's gems to get you started:

Stinging nettle: Despite having the most unsavoury name, stinging nettle is edible! Available in the spring, its flavour lies somewhere between celery and mint. It is meant to be harvested before it flowers and goes to seed. The nettle is covered with stinging hairs which make it difficult to handle, you will require gloves to harvest. The stinging component goes away once the nettle is cooked. Always eaten cooked (often blanched) nettle is a delicious replacement for your usual hearty green.

Cattail: Often found in sunny, yet moist areas, cattails are one of the giants (literally) of foraging. It is the shoot of the cattail that is consumed. They need to be plucked from the wetlands, trimmed and peeled back to their moist interior (the edible portion resembles heart of palm).

Asian honeysuckle: Growing nearly everywhere in Canada, Asian honeysuckle is a remarkably resilient species of which both the young leaves and flowers are edible. The leaves are a nice alternative to any bitter green you would cook with. The flowers contain the nectar and are sweet to taste.

Daylilies: Who knew? Yes, it's true. The wild daylilies growing in the back corner of your yard could actually be edible. Daylily shoots are often sautéed until fork tender and served warm. After the shoots, the plants begin to develop their buds, which are often used in Chinese cuisine. Caution needs to be taken when consuming daylilies as they resemble many other plant varieties. The species hemerocallis fulva is the edible species.

Shiso: Also known as Perilla, Shiso is perhaps my favourite discovery in the world of foraging. Although now farmed and readily available in Asian markets, wild Shiso is a wonderful aromatic herb that falls somewhere between basil and cilantro with a hint of grassiness. Available in both red and green varieties, the small leaves tend to be the most tender and flavorful.

Note: It is important to remember that if you decide to forage, you must do your research in advance, both to ensure that what you are harvesting is edible, and to be sure you aren't cultivating any endangered species. It is also necessary to be familiar with where you are foraging, to be sure that you won't be consuming any herbicides or pesticides that may have been used in the area.

Originally posted August 11th, 2012.