Let the wild food feast begin!

I had a few hours to spare yesterday and took a nice walk in the woods. The cold weather has silenced the Spring Peepers, but I'm sure their songs will fill the air soon enough.
With reports of Morel finds throughout Ohio, I had high hopes of finding a few, but it just didn't pan out. I did, however, come across several False Morels, which means that the edible varieties will be on their way soon!
Luckily, my foraging attempt wasn't completely unproductive. I did manage to collect a handful of fiddleheads and a serving or two of stinging nettle. Fiddleheads are a tasty treat, with a string-bean/sweet pea flavor, and I usually either steam or blanch them very quickly, then finish them with a little butter, salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Nettle has a very earthy, hemp-like flavor, and I like to do a quick sauté in a little butter and olive oil, simply seasoned with salt and pepper. These wild edibles have such unique and distinct flavors, so I try to keep the seasoning very simple to let the natural flavors come through.
Take care when harvesting fiddleheads that you only take a few from each plant, or else you will likely end up killing it! Remember that not all ferns are edible, so avoid any with a wooly fiber coating, which will not only taste terrible, but will most likely make you sick, as well. As always, consult a reputable field guide before consuming any wild food!

Spring Has Almost Sprung (or is it "Sprang"?)

Well, it's been a long Winter here in Ohio.  It hasn't been a particularly harsh one (as I'm sure this year's mosquito population will support), but for anyone that hunts wild foods, every Winter is excruciatingly long!
I did see some local message boards purporting finds of Winter Oyster Mushrooms, but, alas, my few hunts were unproductive in the fungal realm.  I did manage to get a little exercise, although that is something I rarely seek as it's own end.
But with the rash of violet and crocus blooms, with the daffodils not far behind, my thoughts now turn toward the coming bounty of Spring edibles.  Soon, wild-food enthusiasts the world over will be harvesting (hopefully in a sustainable manner) Ramps, Fiddleheads, Cattail shoots, and a plethora of gourmet mushrooms.  If we have the type of rainfall that Mother Nature blessed us with last year, we should see another bountiful year for Morels, Pheasant-backs, Crown-tipped Corals and others.
If you are new to wild food hunting, I would suggest that your first hunt include a few reference guides, so that you do so in a safe and sustainable manner. 
My go-to text for mushrooms has always been The National Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms ( at Amazon.com ).  This comprehensive guide provides a wealth of information about hundreds of mushrooms, and includes nearly 800 full color photographs, plus detailed descriptions of the most common North American varieties.  You may also track down more specific guides detailing only the shrooms native to your state or region.
For all non-fungal edibles, I highly recommend The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer ( also at Amazon.com ).  This expertly written book is fairly narrow it's scope (providing info on about two dozen plants), but it not only provides detailed instructions on the finding, identification and harvesting of wild edibles, but also recipes and preservation techniques.
Although I would not recommend relying solely on information gleaned from the internet, you will also find very valuable and useful information at various websites and, of course, on youtube.  I have several youtube tutorials that may help to supplement these field guides. A few that may be of some interest...
Hunting Yellow Morels
click to watch


Hunting Ramps (Wild Leeks or Spring Leeks)
click to watch


Hunting Crown-tipped Coral Mushrooms
click to watch