Edible & Medicinal Plants
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Front-yard Foraging — An Introduction to Common Edibles
There are sooooo many plants out there that the idea of "Foraging" can
become overwhelming. So take a day to begin your education with a few
tasty choices that can be found right outside your own front door.
Believe
it or not, every year people spend thousands of dollars spraying poisons
on their lawns to get rid of healthy, delicious, nutritionally-packed edible
plants for the simple reason that they are not grass. But with the rising
cost of grocery bills and the more and more common
news stories on salmonella and e. coli in our "fresh" food system,
perhaps the time has come to learn what our grandparents always knew —
the best food comes from our own front yards.
This workshop will focus on common and easily identifiable edible
plants, many of which are no doubt growing in your own yard or local
park. You will learn how to identify and harvest these tasty edibles, as
well as several different ways to prepare each one.
Some, like dandelions, you
may already know without having an understanding that these "unsightly
weeds" actually have more nutritional content that anything you can
pay top dollar for in at Organic Foods market!
A fun, educational and delicious day, this is another great workshop for
teachers, parents, Scout leaders and others who work with kids.
Learn to view the landscape from an entirely new perspective and develop
an appreciation for the power and variety of all you will find when you learn
to "Go Slow and Look Low".
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Student
Comments: Read what past students of this workshop
have to say
Spring Foraging
The Spring Green-up is one of the most exciting times of the year! Winter stores are all but gone, root vegetable are soft and woody, and even the most highly acidic of acorns have disappeared from the ground. When those first green shoots begin to appear it is cause for celebration in the two- and four-legged foraging communities alike!
Come spend the day learning to find and identify those tiny, flowerless bits of green that come with the opening weeks of spring. Discover the world of chickweed, the wonders of violets, how to eat pokeweed safely, and just how delicious a dandelion can be.
(And the perfect day to break in your new Gathering Basket!)
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The
Photos: We held our first Spring Foraging workshop in
April '09 at our main location in New Jersey — here are just some of the photos from that beautiful spring day!
››NEW! Woodland
Foraging
The wild bounty of the summer has faded and with the days getting shorter
and the nip of Autumn in the night air, Fall's harvest is beginning to
come into it's own. This is the time of year when the Woodland shares
her wares and the nuts and roots and tubers and seeds are kings of the
fall foraging outing.
We will spend the day out and about in the woods
and fields, finding and identifying the wild edibles (and some of the
more handy utilitarian plants) available during this abundant season.
Then we will head back to the house to prepare and taste the delicious
treats we have gathered — come join us, and be sure to bring your
appetite!
›› This workshop is not currently on the schedule, but we'll let you know the next time it's offered.‹‹
››NEW! Medicinal Plants: Discovering Nature's Pharmacy
Mosquito bites, headaches, poison ivy rashes, cuts & scrapes, upset
stomaches, sore muscles, fevers, bee stings... remedies for
all of these problems and many more can be found in the common plants
growing just outside your front door!
Many plants (including some you
probably have in your spice rack) have medicinal properties — some
mild and easy, some potent and powerful — that can be used in
an unexpected situation in the woods or as a part of your regular first
aid kit at home. Many of the traditional drugs you buy at the pharmacy
have their roots (no pun intended :-) in the medicinal properties
of common "weeds".
This workshop will focus on learning to find and identify these safe and
common medicinal plants, how to easily discern some of the key medicinal
properties, and how to best use those properties to take care of "what
ails ya" at any given time. We will be out on the landscape working
with plants in their natural habitats and using them in their most basic
states.
A great day, and extremely valuable information for anyone who like to
spend their time camping, hiking, hunting, or in any other outdoor activity!
(For more advanced preparation techniques, salves, tinctures etc., please
check out our Medicinal Plant Preparations workshop.)
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Skill
of the Month: Our September '08 newsletter profiled
one of the easiest (and tastiest) natural cold remedies around. Pine
Needle Tea is super-high in vitamin C and the expectorant and
decongestant qualities can be very helpful when fighting a cough and
cold. See these step-by-step instructions to try it for yourself.
Primitive Style & Outdoor Cooking
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Primitive Cooking: The Art of Cooking on Coals and Ash
Where did we get the idea that primitive cooking is all about bug soup
and grasshopper-kabobs? Come join us for a proper primitive feast, and discover
how delicious and easy it can be to cook over (and on) an open fire!
Learn
how to build the most effective fire structures for creating the perfect bed
of coals and/or ashes, and get your hands dirty as we prepare a full-on multi-course
meal, including
coal-roasted meats and vegetables, spit-cooked fish, kabobs and delicious
ash cake deserts. This is a real experience, and the hands-on knowledge you
take home will make you the hit of your next family camping trip or backyard
Bar-B-Q!!
Please Note: The Toronto workshop may include some aspects of Clay
Cooking as well.
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Skill of the Month: One of our favorite campfire treats is Ash Cakes, and we shared the recipe and step-by-step instructions as our December '07 Skill of the Month. We hope you'll enjoy them too!
| June 3 | $85 | Register Now! |
|---|
Cooking
With Clay
Clay is virtually everywhere, and when you are cooking on (and in) an open fire, clay can be your best friend!
In this workshop you'll learn
how to prepare meat, fowl, fish and veggies using the fool-proof Clay
Bake technique to create some of the tastiest, tenderest, most fall-off-the-bone
delicious dinners you've ever had.
You will also learn how to both cook
and bake in both a clay pot and a clay oven, how to make and
use a dakota hole, and how to make yummy desert treats.
A fun and delicious
day, so come on out and get your hands dirty and your belly full!
››NEW! Hot Rock Cooking: Beyond Stone Soup
While that is where we will start, with "stone soup" or stew, the food in this workshop will quickly move beyond these basics to very delectable new levels! Learn to use the rock grill, rock oven, steam pit, and other techniques to become a true "Outdoor Gourmet"! This workshop (as with our other cooking workshops) is a fun time and great feast.
›› This workshop is not currently on the schedule, but we'll let you know the next time it's offered.‹‹
››NEW! Campground Cookery: Dutch Ovens, Skillets, Griddles, Grills & More
If coals, ashes, clay and rocks are just not your thing, perhaps this more traditional approach to camp cookery is what you're looking for. In this workshop we will use traditional campground cooking implements like dutch ovens, skillets, fire-top grills and more to prepare everything from breakfast specialties to soups, sandwiches and steaks, all the way through to cakes and cobblers for desert. Learn the subtleties involved in using these "old favorites" of the campout experience which will take your outdoor cooking to a fine art. Nothing ever tastes as good as food prepared on and enjoyed around a camp fire! So join us for a relaxing day of food and frivolity... and bring your appetite!
›› This workshop is not currently on the schedule, but we'll let you know the next time it's offered.‹‹