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Award-winning chef, author and forager Alan Bergo. Food is all around you.

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Fermented Japanense Knotweed Relish

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Fermented Japanese Knotweed RelishA few years ago I shared my now favorite recipe for fermented Japanese Knotweed I got from my friend Jacqui, who lives in France. You take the knotweed, peel it, and ferment it in brine. The fermentation seems to denature the mucilage (slimy quality) a bit, with the natural acid produced from lacto-fermentation bringing a nice tartness that compliments the knotweed really well. 

After I shared the technique, a lot of people were interested in trying it out for themselves to see what it was all about, and it was really well received. I got a number of follow-up questions about working with the finished product, so I made a point of working with it some more during the winter to illustrate all the things you can do with it. 

Fermented Japanese Knotweed Relish

The first, and best thing I’ve made so far is just a simple relish. To be honest, I’m not a fan of knotweed all by itself, I like it cut and/or mixed with things.

Cutting the fermented knotweed rings into pieces that will fit on a spoon, then mixing with some roasted pepper for color, capers for a briny bite, lemon, fresh herbs, and a little scallion works really well, and it’s a dream served alongside a piece of fish. It’s easy to throw together, and, as the knotweed hasn’t been cooked, the low-pH helps to stabalize the finished product, extending it’s shelf-life in the fridge (roughly a week or two). 

Brook Trout with Fermented Japanese Knotweed Relish

Brook trout with knotweed relish in the Kehoe carbon pan.

How to use it 

Warm it up

While you can eat it cold, I don’t recommend it, especially if you use good extra virgin olive oil as I suggest here. Extra virgin olive oil stiffens at refrigerator temperatures and will make the relish seem thick. It should be loose and just a little bit saucy. 

Brook Trout with Fermented Japanese Knotweed Relish

With fish

Knotweed has a natural affinity for fish, and the relish is a perfect example. In the image in this post, I added a few spoonfuls to a pan of trout at the end of cooking to warm it up and it was delicious. 

Extra ideas 

  • The relish is good with mild foods, think white rice, potatoes, etc
  • Warmed up and served with a bowl of rice and teriyaki (or similar) glazed salmon
  • Tossed with roasted potatoes for a side dish
  • Spooned on top of a creamy potato soup 
  • Roll some up with nuggets of goat cheese inside slices of grilled eggplant, then bake 
  • A warm condiment for grilled meats, especially pork and chicken 

Fermented Japanese Knotweed Relish

Fermented foraged Japanese Knotweed Relish
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Fermented Knotweed Relish

A simple relish made from fermented Japanese Knotweed, capers, roasted peppers, scallions, lemon and olive oil.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time5 mins
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Japanese Knotweed
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 oz 1 large roasted peeled bell pepper
  • 3 oz fermented peeled knotweed stems cut into 1/ 2 thick rings, then cut into ¼’s
  • 1 oz 2 large scallions, tender white and green parts only, cut into 1/8th inch slices
  • 2 Tablespoons flavorful salad oil like extra virgin olive or Smudes sunflower
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or another herb like mint or basil
  • A few scrapes of fresh lemon zest to taste
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients and mix well in bowl.
  • Double check the seasoning for salt, acid and heat and adjust until it tastes good to you.
  • Keep the knotweed relish in a covered container in the fridge, it will last for a week or longer. The flavor improves as it sits.
  • It's great gently warmed and spooned over cooked fish.

Related

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Alan Bergo
Milkweed buds are the second-best edible part of t Milkweed buds are the second-best edible part of the plant, besides the pods in my opinion. They need to be cooked to be edible. 

I only pick from common milkweed in areas where there’s very large colonies. 

I leave some buds to flower on each plant, I also avoid any tops that have insects or monarch caterpillars. Plenty of food to go around. 

#milkweedisafoodplant #foraging #milkweedbuds #asclepiassyriaca
HALP! I’ve been keeping an eye on two loaded mul HALP! I’ve been keeping an eye on two loaded mulberry trees and both got a bunch of fruit knocked down by the storms and wind. 

If anyone in West WI or around the Twin Cities knows of some trees, (ideally on private property but beggars can’t be choosers) that I could climb and shake with a tarp underneath, shoot me a DM and let’s pick some! 🤙😄

TIA

#throwadogabone #mansquirrel #beattlefruit #mulberries #shakintrees
Lampascioni, or edible hyacinth bulbs are one of t Lampascioni, or edible hyacinth bulbs are one of the more interesting things I’ve eaten. 

These are an ancient wild food traditionally harvested in Southern Italy, especially in Puglia and the Salentine Peninsula, as well as Greece and Crete. I’ve seen at least 6-7 different names for them. 

A couple different species are eaten, but Leopoldia comosa is probably the one I see mentioned the most. They also grow wild in North America. 

The bulbs are toxic raw, but edible after an extended boil. Traditionally they’re preserved in vinegar and oil, pickled, or preserves in other methods using acid and served as antipasti. (Two versions in pic 3). 

They’re one of the most heavily documented traditional wild foods I’ve seen. There’s a few shots of book excerpts here.

The Oxford companion to Italian Food says you can eat them raw-don’t do that. 

Even after pickling, the bulbs are aggressively extremely bitter. Definitely an acquired taste, but one that’s grown on me. 

#traditionalfoods #vampagioli #lampascione #cucinapovera #lampascioni #leopoldiacomosa #foraging
Went to some new spots yesterday looking for poke Went to some new spots yesterday looking for poke sallet and didn’t do too well (I’m at the tip of its range). I did see some feral horseradish though which I don’t see very often. 

Just like wild parsnip, this is the exact same plant you see in the store and garden-just escaped. 

During the growing season the leaves can be good when young. 

They have an aggressive taste bitter enough to scare your loved ones. Excellent in a blend of greens cooked until extra soft, preferably with bacon or similar. 

For reference, you don’t harvest the root while the plant is growing as they’ll be soft and unappealing-do that in the spring or fall. This is essentially the same as when people tell you to harvest in months that have an R in them. 

#amoraciarusticana #foraging #horseradishleaves #horseradish #bittergreens
In Italy chicken of the woods is known as “fungo In Italy chicken of the woods is known as “fungo del carrubo” (carob tree mushroom) as it’s one of the common tree hosts there. 

My favorite, and really the only traditional recipe I’ve found for them so far is simmered in a spicy tomato sauce with hot chile and capers, served with grilled bread. 

Here I add herbs too: fresh leaves of bee balm that are perfect for harvesting right now and have a flavor similar to oregano and thyme. 

Makes a really good side dish or app, especially if you shower it with a handful of pecorino before scooping it up with the bread. 

#chickenofthewoods #fungodelcarrubo #allthemushroomtags #traditionalfoods #beebalm
First of the year 😁. White-pored chicken of t First of the year 😁. 

White-pored chicken of the woods (Laetiporus cincinnatus) are my favorite chicken. 

Superior bug resistance, slightly better flavor + texture. They also stay tender longer compared to their more common yellow-pored cousins. Not a single bug in this guy. 

#treemeat #ifoundfood #foraging #laetiporuscincinnatus #chickenofthewoods
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