4.28.2015

recent forest treasures




a (we think) raccoon skull, a couple bags full of ramps that he found along the Blue Ridge Parkway- the tops of which will be or have been eaten/pickled and the bulbs planted, and just a couple morels.  I love the treasures that are out there waiting to be found and enjoyed.

12 comments:

  1. I'm not going to lie I'm kind-a jealous. What awesome finds!

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    1. April is definitely a good month to hunt in the woods! our finds aren't typically quite as exciting...

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  2. What wonderful finds. We headed to our ramp harvesting spot yesterday and they are almost ready, can't wait!

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    1. Mike had been hunting all over unsuccessfully and then found some maps online of areas off the parkway that are pretty reliably ramp-heavy. There were also guidelines regarding how much you were allowed to take for personal use, so he headed up and came home very pleased!

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  3. Last spring was the first time that I harvested ramps and I'm curious to hear different ways to prepare them. So, you pickled the leaves? What to you eat them with after they're pickled? Do you put them on sandwiches?

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    1. we like them raw, the entire thing. but in an effort to cultivate a ramp area here at home we are eating only some whole and using the leaves and majority of the white stalk of others but planting the bulb/root tip. some we are planting whole. Mike made pickled (whole) ramps and kimchi from the leaves. neither are ready yet so we'll have to wait and see!

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  4. Hmm, so those were ramps that I saw in the woods last week! I was just reading about them and then happened to see a plant that I was pretty sure was a ramp - it looked just like yours. Plus, I'm currently re-reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and she talks about foraging for ramps and morels in April - tis the season!

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    1. very likely! possibly they could have been lilies of the valley, too- that's one that throws us off a lot when ramp hunting. but very likely they were ramps. I LOVE that book and have been wanting to reread it for ages and can't remember who I loaned my copy to......

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  5. Those are pretty great finds for a day in the forest! I'm a bit jealous too, as we usually come home with sticks and rocks. :)

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    1. sticks, rocks and acorn caps are our usual as well, with an occasional feather thrown in. I was super excited about the skull, and I'd love to get some shed antlers.

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  6. Amazing finds, we haven't been on a forage for a few years.

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    1. we tend to often move pretty slooooowwwwly through the woods, with lots of stopping and looking for fairy houses or gnomes or who-knows-what. so that makes it a bit easier to see hidden treasures ;)

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thanks for taking the time to read and comment~