Archive for June 2012
limits of the tide #4 – Orach (Atriplex patula L.)
Orach (Atriplex patula L.) is a common inhabitant of coastal areas in New Brunswick. It lives in sheltered locations on the upper shore, out of reach of the highest tides.
The leaves of Orach are fleshy and arrow-shaped. The margins of the leaves are variously toothed and the lowest teeth point outward (‘hastate’, similar to the leaves of Sheep Sorrel in the June 8, 2012 post under the category ‘growing and gathering’). The leaves are grey to bright green and lighter on the underside of the leaf. Orach is a highly variable and poorly known species with respect to taxonomy.
Orach flowers from July to August. The flowers are like many seaside plants, inconspicuous and small, in the axils of the leaves.
Orach is tasty and salty. It can be used in salads, or cooked in boiling water for 15 minutes and served like spinach.
Warning: 1. never eat any plant if you are not absolutely certain of the identification; 2. never eat any plant if you have personal sensitivities, including allergies, to certain plants or their derivatives; 3. never eat any plant unless you have checked several sources to verify the edibility of the plant.
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hunting the orach
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I know the place where the orach hides –
out of the way of the rising tides
between the rocks and deep in the sand,
with his halberd drawn, he makes his stand
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© Jane Tims 2012
limits of the tide #3 – Sea-blite (Sueda maritima (L.) Dumort.)
Another edible coastal plant is Sea-blite (Sueda maritima (L.) Dumort.). Sea-blite is a low-growing plant, often forming mats on the shore. Sea-blite can also be found at inland locations, near salt springs.
Sea-blite has thick, linear leaves. The flowers are small and fleshy, and grow in the axils of the stem. At this time of year, Sea-blite is still a small, inconspicuous plant. Later it will grow to between 3 and 5 dm.
The leaves of Sea-blite are very salty, and can be used as a source of salt in soup or stew, or an ingredient in salads. Used as a pot-herb, they should be cooked for 10 to 12 minutes in two to three changes of boiling water, to reduce the salt content.
Warning: 1. never eat any plant if you are not absolutely certain of the identification; 2. never eat any plant if you have personal sensitivities, including allergies, to certain plants or their derivatives; 3. never eat any plant unless you have checked several sources to verify the edibility of the plant.~
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persuasion
Sea-blite (Sueda maritima (L.) Dumort.)
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fingers of Sea-blite
poke the salt air,
rebuke the salt sea
crave attention –
pick me! pick me!!
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fingers of Sea-blite
point politely at the pot
propose, diplomatically,
add a little more salt
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© Jane Tims 2012
limits of the tide #2 – Seaside Plantain (Plantago juncoides Lam.) – Goosetongue greens
One of the edible plants we found at Oak Bay (near St. Stephen, New Brunswick) was Seaside Plantain, also known locally as Goosetongue.
Seaside Plantain, also known as Goosetongue, ready to pick… they have to be rinsed well since the outgoing tide has left a thick layer of sediment behind…
Seaside Plantain (Plantago juncoides Lam.) grows in thick clumps, forming an intermittent carpet across the shore. The succulent, linear leaves of Seaside Plantain are grey-green in color. Inconspicuous green flowers, not present until later in June, rise from the rosette of leaves in a terminal spike. Seaside Plantain is in the same genus as Common Plantain (see the post for June 13, 2012, ‘Common Plantain’ under the category ‘growing and gathering’). Plantago is from the Latin for ‘footprint’ and juncoides means ‘rush-like’.
Goosetongue greens are pleasantly salty and are a local delicacy, eaten as a salad or pickle, or cooked like green beans and served with butter. For a vivid description of the experience of gathering and preparing Goosetongue greens, see Nature of Words (www.natureofwords.com/2011/07/goosetongue-greens/) by Deborah Carr, and the post for July 14, 2011, entitled ‘Goosetongue greens’.
Warning: 1. never eat any plant if you are not absolutely certain of the identification; 2. never eat any plant if you have personal sensitivities, including allergies, to certain plants or their derivatives; 3. never eat any plant unless you have checked several sources to verify the edibility of the plant.~
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Sunday Dinner at Maces Bay
Seaside Plantain (Pantago juncoides Lam.)
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dig right in
says your father
and nudges the pitcher of water
in my direction
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I study the ‘goosetongue greens’ –
mound of green spaghetti
between spuds and chicken,
green eels diving
for the bottom of the plate
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two things not in their favour –
they’re green,
they look a little like
the tongues of geese
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I watch your Dad –
he adds a dollop of butter,
he weaves his fork to catch a little of each,
potato, greens and chicken,
chews with his eyes closed,
reaches for his glass of water
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I sigh
and taste –
salt air and butter-cream,
crisp, the perfect crush,
mouth-feel, amazing
please pass the water
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© Jane Tims 2012
Warning: 1. never eat any plant if you are not absolutely certain of the identification; 2. never eat any plant if you have personal sensitivities, including allergies, to certain plants or their derivatives; 3. never eat any plant unless you have checked several sources to verify the edibility of the plant.limits of the tide #1 – edible plants
Last week, our travels took us to the edge of the sea, where I looked for more edible wild plants. I found what I was looking for at Oak Bay, near St. Stephen. At the end of a little-used road, we came out on a gravelly spit of land jutting into the Bay.
mid-tide at Oak Bay… at high tide, most of the foreshore will be covered by salt water… at low tide, the clam-flats will be exposed
There, on the shoreline, were four plants to add to my larder of edible wild.
Three of the species formed a small community near the upper reaches of the shore: Seaside Plantain, Sea-blite and Samphire. All three are in the photo below… can you find them?
The Seaside Plantain (also known as Goosetongue) is the dense clump of long, thick, linear leaves in the photo above…
The Sea-blite is just starting to grow. Later in the season it will be as large or larger than the Seaside Plantain. In the enlargement below, Sea-blite is the small green plant to the right of the clump of Seaside Plantain…
The Samphire is also very small this time of year. Later it will be as large as the Sea-blite or Seaside Plantain. In the photo enlargement below, it is at the base of the clump of Seaside Plantain, at exactly 6 o’clock.
The fourth edible plant at Oak Bay is Orach. It grows on the upper shore, above the Seaside Plantain and beyond the limit of the tide. These plants often grow together along the coast, on salt marshes, tidal flats, dykelands and beaches.
Since the plants were not plentiful and not yet ready to pick, I took only one plant of each, for my drawings. I also took a bite of each type of leaf. Although there are subtle differences, all four were crisp and salty in flavour, a delightful nibble of the salty sea.
These are just a few of the edible plants living in coastal areas of New Brunswick. Over the next posts, I will explore these four species and a few others.
© Jane Tims 2012
Warning: 1. never eat any plant if you are not absolutely certain of the identification; 2. never eat any plant if you have personal sensitivities, including allergies, to certain plants or their derivatives; 3. never eat any plant unless you have checked several sources to verify the edibility of the plant.rescuing a turtle
On a recent drive to St. Stephen, we took the cross-country Route 785, a haul-road, recently upgraded and chip-sealed (this creates a hard, smooth pavement-like surface). For us, it is the perfect short-cut to the Bay of Fundy coast.
Since it is so far from ‘civilization’, cars travel a little fast on this road. Sometimes this is a peril for wild life.
Along the way, we helped a Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) in its desperate attempt to cross the road.
He was certainly suspicious of my help and my camera angle, and retreated into his shell rather than be properly photographed.
In the end, I helped him over a steep bank of gravel left by a grader, and he was on his way to the pond on his preferred side of the road.
‘Turtle-Crossing’ sign in southern Ontario
© Jane Tims 2012
growing and gathering – the benefits of eating ‘very local’ foods
In 2007, Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon embarked on a year-long experiment in eating local. Their book, The 100 Mile Diet – A Year of Local Eating, introduced many to the idea of obtaining their food from nearby sources. It reminded people about the thousands of kilometers our food has to travel to make it to our tables. It pointed out some of the barriers to ‘eating local’ and showed how, with a little ingenuity and effort, our diets could be more environmentally conscious and sustainable.
Eating local foods is a sound choice in our illogical world. It supports local farmers and producers. It mitigates some of the energy costs associated with moving food hundreds of miles to the consumer. It honors our origins and connects us to our ancestors who lived their lives more simply and locally.
Into this concept of eating local, I include the idea of eating wild foods whenever possible. My mother grew up in a time when bulging grocery carts were unheard-of. Without subscribing to any particular theory of eating local, she supplemented her food with wild edibles as a matter of habit. In addition to using rhubarb and currents from her garden, she picked berries when they were in season, tried to convince her family to join her in eating dandelion greens and sour dock, and showed us how to pick spruce gum from spruce trees as a chewy treat.
Eating ‘very local’ has many benefits. The edible plants growing right outside our doors are filled with nutrients, many are very palatable, even delicious, and they are present in great variety, and in all seasons. They are free and are easy to harvest and prepare. Picking berries or chewing spruce gum puts us in touch with nature and helps us to understand our role as a member of the ecosystem. It honors the people who came before us and helps us connect with the way our parents and grand-parents lived their lives. Identifying and picking wild plants for food is an enjoyable activity and a way to show your children how to be thrifty, engaged members of the ecosystem.
In an upcoming post, I will look at some of the ethical issues around using wild plants as food.
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six bottles of jam
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I reach up, for a cluster of pin cherries
and stop –
above me, my grand-mother’s hand
dry as a page from her recipes,
age-spotted, worried at the edges
her ankles are swollen, but she is determined –
enough berries for a half-dozen
bottles of pin cherry jam
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© Jane Tims 2012
Warning: 1. never eat any plant if you are not absolutely certain of the identification; 2. never eat any plant if you have personal sensitivities, including allergies, to certain plants or their derivatives; 3. never eat any plant unless you have checked several sources to verify the edibility of the plant.Rough Bedstraw (Galium asprellum Michx.)
Rough Bedstraw (Galium asprellum Michx.) is a common sprawling weed. It forms a tangle across low pastures, brooksides and ditches. The tangle looks springy and comfortable, the perfect mattress stuffing, but feels rough and sticky when rubbed backwards from stem to flowers, due to the plant’s rasping, hooked prickles.
Other names for bedstraw are Cleavers and, in French, gaillet. The generic name is from the Greek gala meaning ‘milk’, since milk is curdled by some species.
Rough Bedstraw is one of a number of common Galium species. They all have the same general habit… small narrow leaves are arranged in whorls of six or eight around the stem. They are all useful plants. They were used as stuffing because of their physical characteristics and because the smell of the dried plant repels fleas.
To identify the species of Galium mentioned below:
~ smell the plant in question
~ count the leaves
~ look for the color of the flowers
~ determine if the plant is rough or smooth
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Galium asprellum Michx.
Rough Bedstraw has its leaves in sixes, and is rough with recurved bristles. Its flowers are white. This species has weak stems and reclines on other vegetation. Asprellum means ‘somewhat rough’. It has been used to stuff mattresses.
Galium triflorum Michx.
Sweet-scented Bedstraw or Fragrant Bedstraw grows in forested areas. It has white flowers arising along the stem and its leaves in sixes. It reclines and clings, but is not as bristly as Rough Bedstraw. Fragrant Bedstraw is used for stuffing mattresses and has the smell of vanilla when it dries.
Galium verum L.
Lady’s Bedsraw or Yellow Bedstraw has yellow flowers borne at the top of the upright stem, and leaves in sixes or eights. The plant is hairy but not clinging. The word verum means ‘true’, derived from the Christian tradition that Yellow Bedstraw lined Jesus’ manger at Bethlehem. The roots also make a red or yellow dye.
Galium aparine L.
Cleavers, Goose-grass, Stickywilly, or (in Ireland) Robin Run the Hedge is bristly and has white flowers and leaves in eights. Aparine is the old generic name and probably means to ‘scratch, cling or catch’. The young shoots can be cooked as greens or used as a salad. The nuts are roasted and ground for a coffee substitute.
Galium mollugo L.
White Bedstraw, Hedge Bedstraw, or Wild Madder has white flowers and its leaves mostly in eights. It is smooth, without bristles and stands upright. A red dye is made from the roots. Its leaves are edible as a potherb or salad. It has a mildy astringent taste.
Most of the Galium along the roadsides in our area is Wild Madder (Galium mollago L.).
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Rough Bedstraw
(Galium asprellum Michx.)
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Our mattress is lumpy, as though stuffed
with Rough Bedstraw, fragrant as new sheets
but uncomfortable
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I sleep poorly
and a spring sticks in my back,
just where arthritis begins, along the spine
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Small back-pointed bristles
thwart my turning, bed-clothing tacky
on this humid night
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© Jane Tims 2012
Warning: 1. never eat any plant if you are not absolutely certain of the identification; 2. never eat any plant if you have personal sensitivities, including allergies, to certain plants or their derivatives; 3. never eat any plant unless you have checked several sources to verify the edibility of the plant.growing and gathering
Many of my recent posts are associated with my writing project, ‘growing and gathering’. My aim is to write a poetry manuscript about collecting and producing local foods. So far, I have concentrated on ‘edible wild plants’ in my blog, but the full scope of the project will include poems on gardening and other aspects of aquiring local foods.
My process so far has included research into a particular wild plant, a trip to see it in the wild and perhaps gather it for eating, a piece of prose on the characteristics of the plant, a pencil drawing (becoming more and more a part of my thought process), and a poem or poems about the edible plant.
As my project progresses, I am generating many poems. I am also starting to think about how I will assemble this information into a manuscript.
One of the first steps toward assembling the manuscript is to decide what themes are emerging. This will help me decide how the poems relate to one another, as well as identify the gaps.
Major themes so far are:
~ companionship (for example, picking berries with a friend)
the results of an hour of blackberry picking with my husband
~ competition (for example, trying to get those hazelnuts before the squirrels)
hazelnuts on the tree…almost ripe…who will get them, the squirrels or me?
~ time (this includes historical uses of wild edibles, as well as seasonal and lifetime components of eating local)
a ‘graveyard’ of old apple trees
~ ethics (this includes ecosystem concerns about eating wild plants when they are struggling to survive in reduced habitat)
a patch of Trout Lily in the hardwoods… edible… but should I harvest when this type of habitat is disappearing?
~ barriers to gathering local foods (for example, why do I buy bags of salad greens when Dandelion greens, Violet leaves and Wood-sorrel grow right outside my door?)
a salad of Dandelion greens and Purple Violets
In my upcoming posts, I want to explore each of these themes.
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berry picking
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fingers stain indigo
berry juice as blood
withdrawn by eager
thorns
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berry picking sticks
to me, burrs
and brambles
hooks and eyes
inseparable as
contentment and picking berries
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even as I struggle
berries ripen
shake free
fall to ground
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© Jane Tims 2012
Warning: 1. never eat any plant if you are not absolutely certain of the identification; 2. never eat any plant if you have personal sensitivities, including allergies, to certain plants or their derivatives; 3. never eat any plant unless you have checked several sources to verify the edibility of the plant.snippets of landscape – evidence of old roads
This week, we drove to the south-west corner of the province and spent a little time at the Ganong Nature and Marine Park, at Todd’s Point near St. Stephen. The area is managed by the Quoddy Futures Foundation and is the former property of Eleanor and Whidden Ganong (Whidden Ganong was President of the Ganong Bros. candy factory in St. Stephen). The property is beautiful and good for the soul. We walked through the fields, identified wildflowers, listened to the birdsong, and were returned to a simpler time.
The fields along the path were yellow with Buttercup (Ranunculus sp.) and the largest population of Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus Crista-galli L.) I have ever seen. The flowers of the Yellow Rattle were bright yellow, but the inflated calyx was tinged with red, giving the field a stippled glow (for more information on Yellow Rattle, see my post for August 3, 2011, ‘along the country road #1’ ).
Yellow Rattle among the field flowers… the fused sepals are tinged and veined with red
The Buttercups were everywhere, but concentrated in certain areas of the field. One area in particular seemed to mark the path of an abandoned road. The Buttercups have found some aspect of the old road to their liking. Perhaps the soil is compacted and they have a competitive ‘edge’ on the other plants. Perhaps the hidden track provides some alteration in the water regime or a place where certain types of seeds concentrate as they are dispersed. Perhaps there are subtle differences in the soil chemistry.
an abandoned track marked in Buttercups… the red tint in the foreground is from the reddish coloration of the Yellow Rattle
Years ago, I visited a property where the roadway to a back field was clearly marked with Bluets (Houstonia caerulea L.). The owner of the property said he thought they grew there because he always took his lime in an open cart back to his fields, and enough had spilled to make the way especially attractive to the Bluets.
Perhaps you will have a look in your landscape for wildflower clues to past activities.
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Invitation to Tea
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in the afternoon,
I huddle over tea
and watch
the road
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an old road,
rarely used –
walks scarcely part
the tangle of fern
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I scan the woods,
I love the look
of ancient trunk
and horizontal green
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and always,
in the corner of my eye,
the road
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overgrown –
a narrow course of saplings
intercepts
the sameness
of maturity
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I watch
expectantly
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but the road is abandoned –
cart-tracks worn
to rivulets,
culverts buried
by fallen leaves,
rusted oil tins,
depressions in the mould
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© Jane Tims 2012
Wood-sorrel (Oxalis spp.)
When I walk around our property, whether in the woods or in the open areas, I often overlook a little group of plants I am certain grows almost everywhere. The leaves are like those of clover, but the five-petalled flowers of the genus Oxalis are as delicate as any spring wildflower.
I am familiar with two Wood-sorrels, one a plant of the woods and one a plant of more open areas.
Common Wood-sorrel (Oxalis acetosella L.) grows in damp woods. Other names for this plant are Wood-shamrock, Lady’s-sorrel, and, in French, pain de lièvre (literally, rabbit bread). The flowers of Common Wood-sorrel are white with pale red veins and can be found blooming from June to August.
The Yellow Wood-sorrels (Oxalis stricta L. and Oxalis europaea Jord.) are low-growing weeds, found in waste places, along roadsides, in thickets, or in lawns and meadows. The Yellow Wood-sorrels are known by many names, including Lady’s-sorrel, Hearts, Sleeping-Beauty, and, in French, sûrette or pain d’oiseau (bird-bread). The flowers of Oxalis stricta and Oxalis europaea are yellow and bloom May to October. Oxalis stricta and Oxalis europaea are considered separate species, but there is a lot of ambiguity in the various references, probably since both are called Yellow Wood-sorrel. According to Grey’s Botany, Oxalis stricta has a tap-root, whereas Oxalis europeae has spreading and subterranean stolons.
The leaves of both Common and Yellow Wood-sorrels are pale green and clover-like. Each leaf consists of three heart-shaped leaflets. At night, the leaves fold downward.
The generic name oxalis comes from the Greek oxys meaning ‘sour’. The common name ‘sorrel’ comes from the French word for ‘sour’. Leaves of all species of Oxalis have a pleasant, tart taste and can be included in a salad as greens. The leaves are also used in a tea, to be served as a cold drink.
Oxalic acids cause the plants’ sour taste. Use caution ingesting this plant since it can aggravate some conditions such as arthritis, and large quantities can affect the body’s absorption of calcium.
To make a tea and a cold drink from Oxalis leaves, first pick, sort and wash the leaves…
Pour hot water on the leaves. They turn brown instantly! I left the tea to steep for about 10 minutes.
Strain and pour the sorrel-ade over ice cubes. The Wood-sorrel tea makes a pleasant cold drink, with a tart taste and a familiar but elusive flavour. Enjoy!
Warning: 1. never eat any plant if you are not absolutely certain of the identification; 2. never eat any plant if you have personal sensitivities, including allergies, to certain plants or their derivatives; 3. never eat any plant unless you have checked several sources to verify the edibility of the plant.~
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Common Wood-sorrel
Oxalis montana Raf.
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Oxalis montana
carpets the grove
three green leaflets
lined in mauve, held low
in folds at night
narrow petals
creamy white, fragile
veins inked in red
Lady’s sorrel
nibbled, sour
rabbit bread
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© Jane Tims 2012
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