If you’re a mushroom hunter, even a beginner, you’re going to have excess shrooms, and that’s a good thing. But you’ll want, and need to have some solid methods for preserving them in your bag of tricks to make the most of your harvest. Drying and pickling are my favorite methods. But, if you’ve ever…
Pickles, Preserves, Etc
Ischnoderma Kimchi
Ischnoderma resinosum is a great all-around mushroom, and I managed to snag a few at the end of the season before it got too cold. I’d made a note to ferment some up to see how I liked them. Sure, There’s plenty of mushrooms you could ferment like this, but some are better than others….
Dryad Saddle Pickles with Jalapeno & Dill
I have a few friends in particular that go out every year for morels and consistently can’t grab enough for a meal. But, one thing they can usually count on are a few dryad saddles / pheasant backs (Cerioporus squamosus). The flavor is strong, and some people don’t care for it, but, however you feel…
Brine Fermented Ramps
I’ve been getting a lot of questions this year about if you can ferment ramp bulbs, if leaves or bulbs are better, if brine is good, or pounding with salt, etc, etc. The answer to all of your burning questions about ramp fermentation is that yes, ramps make a wonderful ferment, and people have been…
Wild Plum Jam
Here’s a solid recipe for working with wild plums (Prunus americanus). Wild plums are a lot different from plums you might see in a store, as they can be tannic, sour, and generally difficult to work with if you’re expecting your wild fruit to be sweet. A lot of times, people have the tendency to…
Cactus Seed Flatbread
Here’s a simple recipe for a flatbread made to compliment my desert stew that’s based around using barrel cactus fruit. Cactus seeds of a number of different cactus are edible, although, I can only speak to eating the seeds of saguaro and barrel cactus, so for this recipe, I’m specifically referring to barrel cactus,…
Lotus Root Confit
From what I can tell, Americans don’t think of lotus root as something that grows in the U.S., or even as something to eat, but the lotus has always been here. They’re a little tricky to cook, but what I’ve learned is that they kind of like to be done either hot and fast (deep…
Meat Garum
Meat garum (just think soy sauce made from meat) was the first thing I planned to make after flipping through copy of the Noma Guide to Fermentation, by Rene Redzepi, a book I know plenty of my friends have been experimenting with. It is some seriously mind bending, technical restaurant ideas and experiments, and not for…
Root Vegetable Sauerkraut, with Wild Caraway
Fresh sauerkraut is a world of difference from the mostly overcooked, mushy versions sold in jars at the store. Besides having a mild flavor (if you choose) the cabbage is still crisp, which gives you more freedom for cooking with it in the kitchen and having it keep it’s integrity. Cabbage is only one thing…
Goat Milk Jam / Cajeta
If you’re in a kitchen, either in a restaurant or at home, you will, without a doubt, eventually peer into a cooler with a bunch of expired milk at some point in time. I used to have about 50 gallons a month to worry about, and when some would go past the date, be it…
Grilled Hen of the Woods Duxelles
We’ve all been there, you came upon your hen tree, or maybe you just stumbled on a new one, and it’s packed with pounds and pounds of clean, fresh hens. Finding them was the easy part. Now comes the work of bringing them home, along with hours of cleaning, cooking and processing. With mushrooms so…
Nasturtium Capers (Lacto-Fermented)
Milkweed capers, dandelion capers, elderberry capers, I’ve made them all, but the best, from a flavor and texture perspective are nasturtium capers. They’re widely known in the chef and gastro-centric gardening communities, got a really good shout out in Jeremy Fox’s book On Vegetables in 2017. The book is chock-ful of cutting edge plates, and…
Wild Grape Reduction
The new land I’ve been exploring in Wisconsin (an abandoned dairy farm) has a couple patches of wild grapes that dependably give fruit, so I had to mock up some sort of version of everyone’s favorite, slightly dated 90’s condiment. Since this one isn’t fermented, it’s closer to saba than balsamic but unlike saba, the…