The 2024 foraging season, "Wildman's" 42nd, continues with his second public tour of Morningside Park, beginning at 2 PM, March 10, "Wildman's" 75th birthday, and meeting at 120th St. and Morningside Ave. This 2-hour foraging tour will be held in conjunction with Friends of Morningside Park, and it will cover the first edible/medicinal plants to appear in early spring.
These cold-resistant greens include field garlic, with spicy, onion-like bulbs, plus the tender young leaves which you use like chives.
Chickweed, which tastes like corn-on-the-cob, grows in sunny spots throughout the park. It tastes like corn, and has more vitamins than a health food store.
Sunny spots will also feature lemony-flavored sheep sorrel, one of the tastiest edible "weeds." Wet lawns could feature spicy hairy bittercress, which tastes like its relative watercress, as well as intensely-flavored winter cress.
Other sunny, grassy spots may produce shepherd's purse, the most mild-flavored of the mustard greens, while partially-shaded spots will feature its strongly-flavored relative, garlic mustard, with garlic-flavored leaves and horseradish-flavored roots.
Dandelions will be abundant too, with the savory leaves at their best now. "Wildman" hasn't been arrested and handcuffed eating one of these since undercover park rangers infiltrated his tour in 1986, but there's always hope that this could recur and go viral again!
Edge habitats will feature bitter dock, so bad-tasting raw, it took "Wildman" 29 year to try it cooked, only to discover that this super-abundant member of the buckwheat family is one of the best-tasting and versatile wild potherbs, used sparingly, so as not to overpower the other ingredients. It's also excellent coated with herbs and roasted into chips. Its lemony-flavored relative, curly- or yellow dock, should be coming up too.
Ground ivy, a.k.a. gill-over-the-ground, is an attractive member of the mint family that's tolerant of the cold. This resident of lawns makes a delightful tea that's used in herbal medicine for water retention.
Sassafras, the original source of root beer, is in season all year, and it could be growing in thickets. Since this is "Wildman's" second public tour here, there could be a variety of surprises as well.
Mushrooms are not common in early March, but on the 2023 tour, we found large quantities of wood ear mushrooms, one of the few cold-tolerant fungi. Familiar in soups in Chinese restaurants, you can also coat these gelatinous mushrooms with with herbs and bake them, to make "Wildman's" Gummy Ears.
Since this is only "Wildman's" second public tour here, there could be a variety of surprises as well.
Note:
- Participants should be dressed for the weather, and be aware of very bad subway service. Trains are often canceled due to track work.
- No sandals (there are mosquitoes, thorns and poison ivy). Everyone should have plastic bags for veggies and herbs, paper bags for mushrooms, which spoil in plastic, containers for berries from late spring through fall, water and lunch, and extra layers when it's cold. Digging implements and pocket knives are optional.
- Dogs are permitted. Children are encouraged to attend.
- There's no smoking whatsoever at any time.