Ukraine has been on everyone’s mind lately, so I thought it would be appropriate to dive into their national dish: Borscht (or maybe it’s Borshch?). As random as it might sound, borscht is something I’ve read about a fair amount about, as the famous tart stew of beets (and all its variations) are inextricably connected…
Leafy Greens | Recipes
Georgian Walnut Spread / Phkali
The foods of the Caucuses are fascinating. One of the most interesting things I’ve found is Phkali–a recipe for sort of spread that might remind you of pesto made from nuts, herbs and spices. I think I found my first version of the recipe in Dara Goldstein’s book on Georgian food, and from there I…
Moroccan Foraged Greens with Preserved Lemon: Bakoula
Bakula, a Moroccan mallow salad also known as Khoubiza or Bakoula, along with Bqula, among other names, is one of the most famous dishes of foraged greens I’ve found, and comes from Morocco. I first read about it while I was going through a research project / academic compilation called “Local Mediterranean Food Plants and Nutruceuticals“-a…
Zuppa Ortiche (Italian Nettle Soup)
Common stinging nettles are one of the most widely eaten wild plants around the world, and all it takes to unlock some new ideas for cooking with them is often a name, in the case of this Italian Nettle soup recipe, that’s the word ortiche, an obvious cousin to the Latin name Urtica. Do a…
Pasta Fagioli Soup with Nettle Pesto
Of all the Italian soups I was taught to make, pasta fagioli will always be one of my favorites. Adding common stinging nettles instead of the lacinato kale we would typically use, is a great way to sneak in some of your foraged greens. If you’re one of the people who enjoy wood nettles as…
Classic Stinging Nettle Soup
Stinging nettles are one of the finest wild greens you can use to make soup, and there’s plenty of recipes out there. Some are good, some are ok. Most of the ones I’ve tried have tasted mostly of potatoes. This one is the strongest tasting nettle soup recipes I know of, and it’s my version…
Nettle Soup with Pickled Chanterelles and Ramp Butter
A few years ago I had the pleasure of having dinner at my friend, Author and food writer Stephen Hoffman’s house. We started the dinner with the visual and interactive French classic eclade de moules (mussels cooked in pine needles) moved onto a nice salad with anchovy dressing, and a dish of slow-cooked halibut with…
Sochan with Bacon and Tepary Beans
Fresh spring sochan, simmered with a little homemade bacon, prosciutto, or another salted and or smoked meat, along with a generous helping of tepary beans, is my Midwesternized take on a combination of ingredients involving wild plants common around the world, typically in areas that have robust wild food traditions, often based on scarcity or…
