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

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Wild Plums Prunus americana image by Jesse Roesler

Wild Plums Prunus americana image by Jesse Roesler

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Forager Chef

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FORAGER | CHEF®
🍄🌱🍖
Author: The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora
James Beard Award ‘22
Host: Field Forest Feast 👇
streaming on @tastemade

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

TBT brisket face 💦. Staff meal with @jesseroes

TBT brisket face 💦. Staff meal with
@jesseroesler and crew @campwandawega
📸 @misterberndt

#staffmeal #brisket #meatsweats #naptime

Venison that totaled my Honda. With prairie turnip

Venison that totaled my Honda. With prairie turnips, @teparybeans Huun Ga’i Pima corn, dried squash and ramps. A few comfrey flowers and dill.

#carmeat #easyweeknightmeals #timpsila #prairieturnips #wastenotwantnot

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