Getting excited that foraging season is about to pick up. Last year I found out dandelion roots have inulin and tried pounding them fresh into tea (instead of the traditional dry roasting like a coffee substitute) and it was sweet, looking forward to a season of experimenting with this.
P.S. - Dandelions are also super nutritious in other ways. Used in old snakeoil recipes due to being a "restorative", but that's 'cause super high in vitamins A&K, great for liver, gall bladder, kidneys.
@QueenPhillippa I was homeless in Santa Cruz for almost a year, I promise you there are some of the homeless eating that. Well, were in the mid 90s. Al that agriculture spills into the ditches, the foraging there included stuff like brussels sprouts and little green grabs for the soup, we raised enough money for potatoes to roast in the sand on the beach. Some of the people foraging with us turned the harvest into soup for Feed the People. I hope someone out there is still being resourceful.
@tippitiwichet Yes! IT's time! Late summer is a perfect time for post harvest gleaning too. IF there could be freeze drying, dehydrating or canning projects, homeless could have lightweight easy to get and carry food!
@QueenPhillippa Also, we have a ton of wild mustard in the empty lot next door, I hate it when management mows, lol.
@tippitiwichet Might be a cool project to do some approved prearranged foraging before the spring mows.
We had an acre, and believe me, half of it is a LOT to deal with. The problem is when it's a really wet spring...by the time everything dries out enough to mow, it's gone to seed!
So it's a bigger crop next year.
@tippitiwichet We have incredible and massive wild mustard and milk thistle in northern California.
It can go on for MILES.
All the homeless people and no one can figure out to harvest that shit, cook it and feed people!