It’s Sochan season, and while I was reminded of it in a big way while hunting morels in a flood plain forest. There were lots of familiar plants (no morels), but most of all I was struck by the Rudbeckia laciniata / Sochan—it was everywhere I turned. The colonies seemed to go as far as…
Sochan
Spring Sochan and Watercress with Venison Ham
When spring arrives, greens are on my mind, and there are tons for cooking: nettles, waterleaf, violets, wood nettles, but sometimes I want some raw. Two of the best wild greens for eating raw are sochan and watercress, the watercress being harvested above the water to avoid liver fluke, of course, especially if you live…
Wild Greens with Venison Bacon
At the end of Winter, there is nothing I crave more than fresh greens. Sure, there’s kale at the store, and spinach, cabbage, and everything else. But they’re not the same as the wild plants. 2018 I was on my wild green-picking grizzly, as we say, and I stocked the freezer with at least 30-40…
Sochan
Sochan, pound for pound, is one of the best greens I’ve eaten and to sweeten the deal, is one of the cornerstones of traditional, and severely under-documented Cherokee cuisine. You might be thinking, Alan, I’m a forager, and if it’s as great as you say, what is sochan and why haven’t I heard of it…