Who is this course right for?
Anyone who is excited by foraging and wild food cooking will appreciate this knowledge lounge we've created. Think of it as a place to relax and learn in an inviting atmosphere surrounded by nature, and the hearth.
I'm an absolute beginner. Is this right for me?
Yes, this course is right for you. I will guide you step by step through the entire process from identifying plants in the field to cooking them in the kitchen. We'll go slowly so you can grasp the content from beginning to end. The PDF resource guides that accompany each lesson are there to support your learning process as well.
What part of the world does one find the plants you cover in this course?
The majority of the plants I focus on in this course are wild, abundant and very common. A significant portion of them are ubiquitous and can be found in many of the temperate zones throughout the world: North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australasia. However, I was unable to pinpoint the exact world range for each plant. Note: I have included a few plants that start as cultivated specimens where I live in the Northeastern U.S. that then freely spread themselves, becoming wild in the landscape. They are wild in other parts of the world.
Are the recipes vegan or vegetarian? I am on restricted diet. Will I be able to make these recipes?
For the most part, the recipes are formatted as master recipes so you can adapt them to suit your dietary needs. Frequently, you can make them vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free etc. Although in some cases, as in the Herb Baked Fish, there is no substitute for fish. Just as I write this, I am wondering if you can replace the fish with tempeh or eggplant slices, tucking them under the magic of herbal pastes. I am excited to keep exploring the versatility of these recipes with you!
What if I can't forage for the featured plant(s), can I still make the recipes?
Yes, in most of the recipes I give you wild plant substitutes. That is the beauty of the master recipe format. It offers you a template to get your creative cooking juices flowing with whatever plants you have at hand.
What plants do you cover in this course?
In The Wild Kitchen, along with Holiday Kitchen Forage, explores the following plants in this order:
Nettle (spring shoots): Urtica dioca
Wild Black Raspberry: Rubus occidentalis
Dayflower: Commelina erecta
Violet: Viola sororia
Lamb's Quarter: Chenopodium album
Sweet Cicely: Myrrhis odorata
Amaranth: Amaranthus retroflexus
Nettle (mature): Urtica dioca
Hardy Kiwi: Actinidia arguta
Wood Sorrel: Oxalis stricta
Sheep Sorrel: Rumex acetosella
Wild Bergamot: Monarda fistulosa
Chickweed: Stellaria media
Purple Dead Nettle: Lamium purpureum
Garlic Mustard: Alliaria petiolata
Wild Lettuce (sort of): Lactuca canadensis
Pawpaw: Asimina triloba
Burdock (late fall): Arctium minus
Large Cranberry: Vaccinium macrocarpon