Food

Springs wild edibles

by h olly bell e b u o no and c at h e rine wa l t hers p hot ogra p hs by ra ndi ba i rd

Jim Feiner collects watercress in a stream down-Island.

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On the following pages, youll find details on a variety of foods and ingredients you can find in the springtime on the Island in your backyard, in fields, in forests, and on beaches. Plus recipes for strawberry knotweed pie, watercress spring rolls, and candied violets.

ancient folk belief about cleaning the blood, renewing the spirit, and energizing the body. From the time of the Greek physician Galen in the second century and into the seventeenth, it was commonly believed the blood became stagnant after a cold winter, and that indoor air affected ones temperament and brought about melancholy, as per the four humours (blood/sanguine, phlegm/apathetic, black bile/depressive, and yellow bile/ choleric). The idea still seems to hold water if you consider all the fluorescent lights and vitamin D lamps for sale throughout the northeast in wintertime. How does one clean the blood? The process is very simple; its been done for centuries in England and the United States, and its a tradition in which everyone can participate: young and old, healthy or infirm, Islander or landlubber. The antidote to the melancholy after months of snow, cold, and dismal darkness is eating greens. The greens are bitter, but thats the point. They are stomachic, meaning they improve digestion, which is the whole essence behind purifying the blood. The ancient folk belief says that the blood is not dirty, rather the liver and the lymphatic system accumulate toxins from processing rich, heavy foods during cold winter months, and eating bitter greens helps to expel them. Here are ten items to be on the lookout for this spring. Cleavers Cleavers (Galium aparine) is an herb that grows in dense mats on long spindly stalks, often knee-high or higher in rich soil. The hairy stalks are dotted with axils of tiny leaves, like crowns, every few inches up the length. (It resembles sweet woodruff, which is shorter and not edible: In fact, sweet woodruff is considered by the FDA as safe only when used in alcoholic beverages, and large doses are toxic.) Adorning each whirl of cleavers leaves is a tiny white flower. The plant is also commonly called ladys bedstraw, because the hairy stalks cling to each other and to your clothes giving the plant a sticky feeling. American colonists would mat the stalks together to stuff their mattresses for cushioning. Medicinally, cleavers

fter the long, cold winter we spent indoors, spring has arrived to push us outside to collect new green leaves and dig up fat roots. This is the time, according to tradition, for spring cleaning and we dont mean the house. Were referring to an

Cleavers

may-june 2009 martha s vineyard 69

holly bellebuono

have been used in traditional herbalism to improve the health of the lymphatic system and to treat numerous ailments. Look for cleavers in shady rich woods or in the cool areas of your garden, often growing up rock walls or fences. Harvest the entire stalk: Snipped into pieces, it can be eaten raw in salads, or steamed (as you would steam turnip greens) with vinegar, making it a tasty vegetable.

derful bitter. With your evening meal, try lightly steaming them with ginger slices and tamari or soy sauce; or in the fall, harvest the roots, which are high in iron and can be sauted, stir-fried, or steeped in vinegar for a salad dressing.
quick recipe: Steamed dandelion leaf salad

Gather a basketful (or a gallon bag full) of dandelion greens, rinse them, and lightly steam them in the water that clings to them (only for a few seconds). Remove from heat and add a handful of dried cranberries, crumbled feta cheese, pine nuts, and a sprinkling of olive oil and vinegar. Mix well and serve with crusty garlic bread, local roasted chicken, and elderberry wine. Garlic The many species of the onion family include onions, chives, and garlic (Allium sativum). While garlic is not a common wild plant on the Vineyard, you may find clumps of it, or of escaped cultivated garlic, growing anywhere the soil is rich and the trees offer shade and protection. Both wild and cultivated garlic are high in minerals such as magnesium, iron, manganese, and sulfur, and have traditionally been used in the diet to regulate cholesterol levels. Even in somewhat acid soils, like under our scrubby oak trees, youll

russ cohen

Japanese knotweed

find clumps of these alliums sending up their tall stiff leaves that resemble spears. If you dig, youll discover tiny bulbs, often not as big as what you see at the store, but these are edible and delicious. When the plant flowers, it sends forth balls of buds that open haphazardly and give the plant a fire-cracker look. The buds that form prior to the flowers opening are edible and can be snipped off for a salad or stir-fry, and the flowers usually white, purple, pink, or red are edible and offer a nice zing to the same dishes. Japanese knotweed This introduced species is often considered a pest and is eradicated from many yards, but it is actually quite lovely to look at with flowers that hang in clusters, giving it an ethereal, cloud-like appearance and its useful as food. Instead of simply eradicating it, consider pulling up all the shoots in the early spring to make asparagus omelets. This would certainly be less intensive and more flavorful than spraying them with herbicide. If you dont know where your neighborhood patch of knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) is, watch for it this summer: The whole plant can grow into a bush six feet tall, and the broad heart-shaped leaves are smooth and bright, just like pokeweeds. But instead of growing upright on a trunk, it sends out leaning and creeping stems punctuated with cream-colored flowers at the base of each leaf. Because it contains resveratrol the same substance touted for making wine a heart-healthy drink eating Japanese knotweed may help protect against heart attacks, and

Dandelion

Dandelion This plant is a veritable medicine chest and food pantry in itself. Dandelion (Taraxacum vulgare) is familiar to many of us with its bright yellow flower and deeply toothed leaves, which gave it the name lions tooth, or dent de lion in French. Whether you like it or not, many a lawn has dandelions. The plant is easy to identify even when its not in flower because of the leaf shape and the fact that dandelion leaves and stalks have no hair; chicory, which is also edible, has similar leaves but has tiny hairs all along it. Spring is the best time to gather young dandelion leaves, which are high in vitamin A, ascorbic acid, potassium, and calcium, and are considered a valuable diuretic. Eaten raw, they provide a pleasant bitter contrast to sweet spring lettuces; or steamed, they make a won70 martha s vineyard may-june 2009

Garlic

it is also being studied for its effects against Lyme disease. Harvest the stalk of the plant and cook as you would asparagus or rhubarb. Slightly tart, the young stalks (after theyve grown slightly beyond the shoot stage) taste similar to rhubarb. (See recipe for strawberry knotweed pie on page 74.) Mustard If you want a spicy kick in the springtime, harvest some mustard leaves. Each flower of this Brassica plant is a tiny, yellow cross, and these sunny mustards can quickly overtake a fallow field. Several varieties grow on the Island, including field mustard (B. rapa) and black mustard (B. nigra). The leaves are serrated, deeply lobed, and can be a purplish color. Mustard plants have slightly prickly under-leaves and stems. Look for them in meadows, abandoned gardens, and waste places that receive ample sun. The early spring leaves can be eaten raw in salads for a mild peppery flavor (reminiscent of arugula), but as summer progresses the flavor grows sharper. To remove excess bitterness, be sure to boil in changes of water: Bring water to a boil, submerge the leaves and let them boil for three to five minutes, then drain and repeat the process with a pot of fresh water. Rinse after the final boiling. Mustard greens can also be sauted and

in an old folk dish called poke sallet, in which they are boiled in several changes of water, then sprinkled with vinegar, and served with cubed pork if desired. Oxeye daisy Oxeye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) is the common daisy with white petals and a yellow center that blooms in springtime. Daisies are at their tastiest before the flowers blossom: The unopened buds and greens are edible and delicious. Oxeye daisies can be found in yards and open, grassy areas, and alongside gardens and roads. The leaves look small and frilly, a cross between miniature arugula leaves and frise lettuce. The taste is milder than arugula, but with a

Pokeweed

may be cooked with bacon or pork for a satisfying Southern-style meal. You can make your own homemade mustard by grinding the tiny mustard seeds and mixing them with water, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pokeweed This is one of the loveliest plants, but is poisonous by the end of the season when it sports a thick crimson trunk that towers overhead and droops bouquets of scarlet berries from above. For a few weeks in early spring though, the young tender shoots can be eaten like asparagus only until they are no bigger than the width of a finger. Phytolacca Americana can be found in rich soil near gardens and woodland edges and can grow up to ten feet tall, with a trunk that is as thick as your forearm, and leaves that are a smooth, bright green. Look for the young shoots to emerge from last years root stalks. Both the roots and shoots will have the characteristic scarlet-tinged coloring and resemble fat asparagus, but the root is always poisonous. Later in the season, poke produces berries with small white flowers that hang in clusters like grapes. The seeds inside the berry are toxic and should not be eaten. However, the new one- to two-inch leaves are nutritious and fine throughout the growing season, and especially in the spring,

Mustard

Oxeye daisy

may-june 2009 martha s vineyard 71

flavor described as sweet, succulent and slightly spicy by Russ Cohen in his book Wild Plants I Have Knownand Eaten (Essex County Greenbelt Association, 2004). Pinch the leaves free and add them to a salad along with other leafy green spring edibles like watercress, wild mustard, dandelion greens, and sea rocket. Sea rocket As the name implies, American sea rocket can be found while walking the beach, especially along the Islands north shore, at the edge of grassy areas. Growing six- to twelve-inches high, this native plant (Cakile edentula) belonging to the mustard family has delicate (usually yellow) flowers and oval, succulent, green leaves with slightly wavy, blunted edges. All of it is edible, and quite nutritious with calcium, beta-carotene, and folate. Another rocket, commonly called arugula, gives us a hint of the taste of this wild edible, sometimes referred to as sea kale. The leaves taste similar to arugula with that characteristic spicy, horseradish flavor that may intensify later in the season. Sea rocket adds zip to your sandwich or salad. Just pinch off the leaves, wash, and toss with milder salad greens, or chop and use to garnish seafood. After a late-summer bloom, seed pods form and these can be picked and ground into mustard.

Sea rocket

Stinging nettle One of the most nutritious so-called weeds, stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) has a reputation for leaving painful welts on the skin. Its true, if you brush against one of the one- to three-foot, pale green stems or its serrated, deeply toothed leaves, the plant will inject you with a tiny amount of formic acid, and it will sting. Rather deceiving, with its small, pretty, pale green flowers hanging like little garlands, nettle is covered with tiny hollow hairs, so you must wear gloves

to harvest it. As seventeenth-century English physician Nicholas Culpeper said, Nettles are so well known that they need no description. They may be found, by feeling, in the darkest night. Look in the very rich, shady woods, near vernal springs, or on the farm where you used to keep compost, and dont let the sting keep you from this nourishing plant. Nettles can be brewed into a tea that is rich in cobalt, iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and B vitamins; nettle tea can also be used as a hair rinse and strength-

Fun with food: Violets

If you have one of those non-perfect lawns like ours, you dont have to search far for wild edibles. In among the dandelions, if you look closely, youre likely to see some tiny wild violets. The violets we are most likely to find in our Vineyard yards are known as the common blue or dooryard violet (Viola sororia), one of many violet species in the world. (All are edible.) Violets, as dandelions do, generally appear in April
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be consumed raw in a salad. And the small, purple flowers have a sweet nectar taste that makes them a beautiful, edible garnish for decorating a spring watercress soup or topping off a green salad. But our favorite use besides just popping them in our mouths is to make candied violets, a technique we learned from Linsey Lees Edible Wild Plants of Marthas Vineyard (originally published in 1975 by Vineyard Conservation Society). This is an inexpensive, easy, and enjoyable spring afternoon activity for children with some dexterity maybe ages six and up. Gather each flower with the stem attached so you have something to hold on to

and May, and are often found growing together in yards and grassy areas. The heart-shaped green leaves of the violet plants are edible and nutritious and can

72 martha s vineyard may-june 2009

ener, or to water your plants. Nettle is also a superb potherb, meaning it can be used as a vegetable, and it can be grown in a pot on your kitchen windowsill for regular meals. Put nettle leaves in soups (the sting disappears when cooked), casseroles, or anywhere you would use spinach. Watercress In the same family as mustard, watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is one of the most popular wild foods available, and its long growing season (flowering from April to October) makes it easy to find and harvest. As the common name suggests, watercress loves water: It often grows in dense spongy patches on the surface of springs and creeks, its succulent, spicy leaves floating on the rippling waters under shady trees. The small, dark green, oval leaves have rounded edges, and tiny tufts of white, four-petaled flowers grow at the end of firm yet tender stems. Snap off the peppery tasting leaves (and the flowers, if desired) and add to salads or soups, or use like chives. This plant provides vitamins A and C and was traditionally used in the treatment of scurvy and tuberculosis. Best eaten raw, it offers a wonderful, pungent taste to counteract sweet lettuces in salads. (See recipe for wild watercress cold rolls on page 74.)
Watercress

A suggested reading list for more specifics on wild edibles

Edible Wild Plants of Marthas Vineyard by Linsey Lee (Vineyard Conservation Society, 1999). National Audubon Society Field Guide to Wildflowers: Eastern Region by John W. Thieret, Nancy C. Olmstead, and William A. Niering (Alfred A. Knopf, 2001). A Foraging Vacation: Edibles from Maines Sea and Shore by Raquel Boehmer (Down East Books, 1982). Edible Wild Plants: Eastern/Central North America by Lee Allen Peterson, a Peterson Field Guide series (Houghton Mifflin, 1977). Wild Plants I Have Knownand Eaten by Russ Cohen (Essex County Greenbelt Association, 2004).

Stinging nettle

while painting the petals. For children, carefully painting both sides of the petals with egg whites and then sprinkling them with sugar takes patience. They may want to dip the whole flower in the egg white at once, but this effectively drowns the fragile flower. When the egg white dries, the sugar hardens and the flower is candied preserved in its miniature beauty slightly crunchy, sweet, with the essence of violet.

cream and a sprinkling of the candied violets. The next day, we threw some on our waffles, and served them up with maple syrup. They would probably beautify other springtime desserts, such as strawberry sundaes and strawberry shortcake or even cheesecake and panna cotta. This method can be used to candy rose petals and mint leaves also. 2 dozen wild violet flowers with stems attached 1 egg white 1 1/2 teaspoons water 1 small bowl of superfine sugar 4 small, slender watercolor paintbrushes, preferably new

1. Pick flowers while still moist, early in the day. (If theyve had a full afternoon of sun, they are more inclined to wilt soon after picking.) Dry on paper towels. 2. In one small bowl, whisk the egg white with water. Put the sugar in a separate bowl. 3. Hold each flower by its stem, dip the brush into the egg white and gently brush the eggwhite mixture onto each tiny petal, covering the entire surface including the backside. When all the petals glisten, gently sprinkle the sugar all over, including the underside. 4. Place the sugared flowers on a screen or a plate lined with wax or parchment paper to dry. Store in an airtight container.
may-june 2009 martha s vineyard 73

Candied violets
As you can imagine, a purple flower garnish looks great on desserts, as we learned when we topped a strawberry mousse with whipped

out to approximately 1/8-inch thick, adding

Spring wild edibles recipes Strawberry knotweed pie

This recipe is adapted from Wild Plants I Have Knownand Eaten by Russ Cohen. Young, spring Japanese knotweed tastes similar to rhubarb, and makes a perfect partner with seasonal fresh strawberries in this beautiful pie. Knotweed first appears in April, and by May the young stalks of 1 to 2 feet high are ready to harvest by cutting just about the woody base and removing the leaves. This is a recipe for a two-crusted pie, but weve also made it using only a top crust and that works nicely as well. Makes a 9-inch pie 3-plus cups sliced strawberries 3-plus cups peeled, sliced Japanese knotweed stalks (cut stalks in half lengthwise to reduce any trapped air space inside, and then in 3/4to 1-inch pieces, as you would cut rhubarb) 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice Flour, as needed for filling and rolling Dough for crust, recipe follows 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix the filling ingredients together in a bowl; if runny juice accumulates in the bowl, stir a tablespoon or so of flour into the filling to help absorb it. 2. Spread out one ball of dough with the base of your hand, then use a rolling pin to roll it

flour to the pin, counter, and/or dough if they get sticky or roll the dough between 2 sheets of wax or parchment paper dusted with flour. Place in the pie plate. Pour filling into the pie plate. Repeat the process with the second ball of dough and cover filling (or cut into 1/2-inch strips and place over filling in a lattice pattern). 3. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees, then 25 minutes more at 400 degrees. The pie is done when the filling bubbles over and the crust is golden. If the pie crust is getting too brown in one or two places before the rest is done, place a small piece of aluminum foil over that spot to slow the browning. dough for crust (To fit a 9-inch pie plate) 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour Pinch of salt 5 tablespoons cold butter 5 tablespoons vegetable shortening or lard (or all butter, if preferred) 7 tablespoons cold apple or orange juice 1. Pour flour and salt into a food processor. Dice butter into small pieces and cut shortening into big pieces and add to processor, and pulse until coarsely chopped (small lumps are okay). Add cold juice and pulse until it begins to ball up. 2. Shape into two balls, wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.
Jim Feiner, fresh from snipping watercress.

Wild watercress cold rolls

The recipe was created by Jim Feiner, a Chilmark forager and the principal broker of Feiner Real Estate. Cold rolls are great any time and they can be served as an appetizer or a light dinner. They look quite attractive with the watercress and the whole basil leaves laid flat against the wrappers so they can be seen. Jim and his family prefer to make spring rolls with tofu but enjoy substituting cooked chicken or shrimp, or simply preparing them vegetarian style with the watercress, vegetables, and noodles. The optional basil leaves add a neat twist to the flavor. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or pick up one from the Asian section at the supermarket. We can recommend a sweet chili sauce, such as Mae Ploy, or Maesri Spring Roll Sauce. Makes 8 or more rolls About 2 ounces glass/cellophane noodles (a.k.a. bean threads)* 1-pound block extra-firm tofu 2 tablespoons sesame or canola oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger Fish sauce, to taste 3 cups fresh watercress leaves, washed and drained 1/2 cup grated carrot

Strawberry knotweed pie

74 martha s vineyard may-june 2009

russ cohen

Index to advertisers
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Wild watercress cold rolls

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1 cup mung bean sprouts 1 cucumber, peeled, sliced in half lengthwise, seeded, and cut into thin strips Fresh basil or mint leaves, slivered (optional) About 8 round spring roll (rice paper) skins *Bean threads come in a variety of packaging. We used one of two bundles from a 3 3/4-ounce package. You can substitute rice vermicelli noodles, but they need to be cooked for 2 to 3 minutes and then run under cold water to stop the cooking process. 1. Soak noodles in a bowl of hot water until tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Then drain, and return to bowl. 2. Drain tofu on a tilted cutting board with a heavy weight on top to force water out. After the tofu has drained, slice into 1/2-inch pieces the whole length of the block. You should have 6 pieces. Slice each of those pieces in half lengthwise to make thin strips. In a large skillet over medium heat, saut the tofu in sesame oil with garlic and 1 tablespoon ginger. When tofu begins to brown on one side, flip the pieces over, and add the remaining ginger and cook until golden, about 7 to 9 minutes in total. Sprinkle with fish sauce, turn off heat, and put aside until cool. 3. Set out separate bowls for remaining ingredients: watercress, grated carrot, bean

sprouts, cucumber strips, and basil or mint leaves. 4. Place a medium saut pan or skillet (large enough to fit the rice paper sheets) filled with hot water next to the prepared ingredients. The trick in preparing cold rolls is to soak the rice sheets in hot water long enough to roll but not so much they will tear, about 30 to 45 seconds. This is easily learned with practice. As soon as they get flimsy, carefully pull them out, and lay them flat on a clean kitchen towel.
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5. To assemble a roll, layer a small amount of each ingredient on the bottom half of a rice sheet, leaving about an inch along the edge for rolling. Too many ingredients or pressure will cause the sheet to tear. When the ingredients are in place, first fold in the sides of the roll and then gently lift up the bottom edge and roll up to the top. Put aside and repeat until all the rolls and ingredients are used up. You can try to leave the ends open if you keep the rolls snug; it does look more attractive with the watercress sticking out. 6. Cover rolls with plastic wrap until ready to serve. You can cut rolls and decorate, but they hold up better when left whole. Serve with dipping sauce. u
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Food

Summers wild edibles

b y h olly bell e b u o no and c at h e rine w a l t hers p hot ogra p hs by ra ndi b a ir d

58 martha s vineyard july 2009

2 in a 3-p a rt series

Our series on the variety of foods and ingredients you can find on the Island in your backyard, in fields, in forests, and on beaches continues with summers tasty treats. Plus recipes for rose-hip soup, a salad with fresh raspberries, and sumac lemonade.

W
of the day.

hile youre enjoying the beach and the sun, be sure to include natures summer bounty in your day. Its easy to locate and harvest many useful

wild plants on the Vineyard, and even easier to make delicious food and drinks with them. Here are the descriptions you need to find tasty flowers and nutritious greens to go with every meal

Beach peas
In the spring, the beach pea plant (Lathyrus maritimus) has beautiful purple or fuchsia flowers amid the pale green leaves. If you look at the same plants again in July and August, youll often see hanging pods (similar to common garden pea pods) with three to eight small peas inside. Since the peas are undersized, it might take too much time to collect for a meal, but they taste like regular peas and can be eaten and cooked in the same way. Beach pea tendrils, located at the tip of the plant, can be snipped and lightly steamed. Look for the beach peas on both the south- and north-shore beaches, in the dunes and around
Writer Holly Bellebuono and her daughter, Madia, collect wild roses that were likely once cultivated. Like those of Rosa rugosa, the petals can be gathered to make tea or syrup, or to sprinkle on a fruit salad.

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Beach peas

high-tide marks, or along beach paths. Collecting the peas is a good activity for kids inclined toward foraging.

Blackberry (see raspberry) Burdock and yellow dock

Burdock (Arctium lappa) leaves are silvery green, wide, and wavy; its cousin yellow dock (Rumex crispus) has long, narrow, and often speckled, reddish-brown leaves. While they look different, they are generally found growing in the same poor- to medium-quality soil (such as along roadsides and yard edges) and the roots are

used in a similar manner: chopped and eaten in stir-fries, or soaked in vinegar to create a mineral-rich salad dressing. Their roots, which are quite difficult to dig up but well worth it, are valuable sources of iron. (See recipe for a homemade vinegar on page 65.)

wrack. (Other seaweeds are edible, by the way, but bladder wrack is not as tasty.) Irish moss (Chondrus crispus) contains carrageenan and is used commercially as a thickener as it has the wonderful ability to make liquids gel. Many foods can benefit from a little nutritious Irish moss added in: soups, puddings, chilled salads. Theres even a recipe for Irish moss lemonade in A Foraging Vacation: Edibles from Maines Sea and Shore by Raquel Boehmer (Down East Books, 1982). The best way to experiment with Irish moss is to gather it fresh and dry it on large screens outdoors in shade or indoors in a wellventilated space or even in an oven on very low heat. Once all the water is gone, store it in sealed bags. When ready to use, shake the seaweed to remove excess sand, and reconstitute by washing in several changes of water before cooking it. Or, if using fresh plants, wash in several changes of water and simmer on low heat in whatever recipe you choose (the plant must be cooked prior to eating it). Small amounts are generally called for.
quick recipe: Irish moss pudding

Cat brier
The trails throughout up-Island are rampant by mid-summer with a looping, climbing vine that leans out into the path with tiny twisting tips. This is cat brier (Smilax rotundifolia). As the species name implies, the leaves are rounded; they are leathery and slightly heart-shaped, coming to a point at the tip. Those swaying tips that reach out to brush against you as you hike the trail are actually edible, and the last three inches of the tips make a succulent, crunchy addition to salads. The small flowers elsewhere on the plant are nondescript and not edible, and in the fall they put forth tiny, blue berries that are also not edible. Cat brier is considered an emergency food useful to know if you are ever lost.

To make pudding, use a 1/2 cup of fresh Irish moss to set a quart of milk. Wash the seaweed in cold water for 10 minutes before placing it in cheesecloth that you suspend in the milk. Simmer for 30 minutes. Squeeze the cheesecloth to release

Cat brier

Irish moss
Irish moss seaweed can be found on many New England shores and is a red algae. The fronds are generally three to six inches long and sport a deep reddishpurple or green color. These forked and curled fronds grow in clusters, and have no sacks on them like you see on bladder
holly bellebuono

Burdock and yellow dock, displayed by Holly Bellebuono.

60 martha s vineyard july 2009

would TVP (textured vegetable protein) in stir-fries; mix them with hamburger or turkey meat for your burgers; or grind them in a mill to the consistency of flour, and use in a one-to-one ratio with your normal wheat flour. This vital plant is alltoo-often pulled out as a weed; instead, put it to use all season long.

Purslane
Fat, juicy leaves are often neglected when choosing wild foods, but they are prized among those who seek mild tasty treats. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) often grows in gardens and in shady, cultivated places, and it is a creeper, so look for it spreading out among the vegetables or landscaping plants. It often shows one yellow flower near the top. The entire leaf is succulent and can be added whole to many raw dishes. This is one of those plants that is nice to snip, here and there as you work, to add to salads at mealtime, because the rounded, fat leaves add a sweet crunch. Many foragers harvest the nutritious leaves, but the stem can be eaten too, usually pickled, and the seeds can be ground to flour. (The seeds form just behind the flower, in the leaf cluster; they can be harvested after the flowers have dropped away, and hung in bunches in a paper bag to encourage ripening.) Chilmark gardener Elizabeth Gude likes using purslane and lambs-quarters as

Irish moss

the carrageenan before removing it from the milk. Add a 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of nutmeg, cocoa, or coffee for flavor. Pour into bowls and chill for 1 hour.

grows to six feet or taller and has developed tiny brown seed clusters, harvest the seeds; these are highly nutritious and can be used in a variety of ways: Sprinkle them on your oatmeal; use them as you

Lambs-quarters
Nearly every garden on the Vineyard sprouts lambs-quarters (Chenopodium album), which, if given the chance, can provide many meals. In your garden or anywhere the soil is disturbed, look for silvery green plants with serrated leaves growing alternately up the stem; upper leaves are smooth and the entire plant has a mealy, dusty appearance. This dust will rub off on your fingertips and sparkle like silver, though it in no way affects the flavor or safety of this valuable wild food. The leaves are delicious and nutty eaten raw, or they can be steamed as a vegetable. Some people boil them, but this can make them slimy and disagreeable. Raw, however, they provide the same nutritional content as spinach. Later in the season, as lambs-quarter

Lambs-quarters

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Purslane

but dont neglect the leaves of the first year canes, which make a wonderfully nourishing tea. This tea has been valued by midwives for centuries for toning the uterus during pregnancy (these days there is some controversy about using it in the first trimester), but anyone can drink it. Extremely high in calcium, raspberry leaf tea has an astringent taste; if you enjoy dry bitter teas such as Earl Grey, youll likely enjoy raspberry leaf tea. Gather a handful of leaves at the same time you harvest some red clover and youll be able to serve a nutritious and naturally sweet tea within ten minutes. Raspberry and blackberry roots have been used medicinally for centuries as strong

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holly bellebuono

Red clover

wild herbs for her salads. Eat them raw, she says. Steaming them makes them lose their crunch, but raw they keep their texture and are delightful.

astringents, useful for dysentery and cleansing. (See recipe for arugula salad with fresh raspberries and balls of goat cheese and walnuts on page 64.)

Red clover
If you are fortunate enough to participate in Whippoorwill Farm, the Islands community-supported agriculture program, be sure to notice all the red clover (Trifolium pratense) blossoms at the farm. Look for the fat, pinkish-red, globe-shaped blossoms atop a tall hairless stalk; just below the flower sit three clover-shaped leaves. Harvest the entire top, which includes the flower and the leaves directly beneath it to a depth of two to three inches, to make a tea that is so mineralrich many herbalists consider it a fertility

Raspberry (and blackberry)

All children know raspberries: those thimble-shaped, red sweet-tarts that grow on thorny branches. There is a quick trick to tell, before the fruit appears, if the branch is a raspberry or a blackberry (both Rubus spp.): Raspberry canes are bluish, while blackberry canes are green. Raspberry leaves also sport a soft green color on the upper side, but they are a bright silver underneath. Eat the berries of the second-year canes,

Raspberry

holly bellebuono

edible berries. The sumac trees with feathery

Fun with food: Sumac

Its kind of cool, literally, to make pink lemonade on a hot summer day from a wild plant. Technically, its called sumac-ade, since were using summer sumac berries from the small trees where these upright clusters of red berries are found. The drink is also referred to as Indian lemonade. Both Native Americans and early colonists used this native plant to create the same drink hundreds of years ago. On the Island, we find two varieties of sumac, scarlet sumac (Rhus glabra) and dwarf sumac (Rhus copallina), both with

leaves that turn a noticeable crimson in the fall can typically be found at the edges of open fields, or around farms or abandoned lots. According to Linsey Lee, a West Tisbury resident and author of Edible Wild Plants of Marthas Vineyard (originally published in 1975 by Vineyard Conservation Society), there is little danger of confusing edible sumac with poison sumac. Poison sumac, she says, bears white berries in drooping clusters as opposed to the red, upright clusters of berries of the edible sumac and is relatively uncommon. (The dried red berries from another variety of sumac, Rhus

62 martha s vineyard july 2009

tonic. Valued for its ability to heal eczema in children, as well as to treat bronchitis and whooping cough, red-clover tea can also be drunk by anyone who wants to enjoy its naturally sweet, honey flavor. Gardeners plant this member of the legume family, since the roots fix nitrogen in the soil. Marie Scott, a forager and farmer who grew up on the Vineyard and now winters in Vermont, gathers redclover tops all season and blends them with nettle (that she harvests in the spring), horsetail (that she finds along the cliffs of Vineyard beaches), and raspberry leaves; she combines them for a calciumand silica-rich bone-strengthening tea. While Im at it, she says, Ill throw in some peppermint and ginger for a flavorful brew. A naturopath initially gave me the tea, but I realized I could harvest many of the herbs myself. To prepare the tea, boil the blossoms and leaves in water, steep for ten minutes, and strain.

carotene, fruit acids, and fatty oil, and are prized for their high content of vitamin C. Chop the hips and cover with boiling water to brew a zesty tea, or remove the seeds and hairs to make a heavenly syrup to pour on pancakes, clairs, and even frittatas. Brew a handful of rose petals for a delicate, calming tea that goes beautifully with afternoon sugar cookies, or use them to make a syrup (much milder than hip syrup). The fragrant rose petals can also be sprinkled on fruit salads or dipped in a light sugar syrup, laid flat, and allowed to dry to make delicious

candies. For a delectable brunch, include some of these unique candies in your next batch of homemade granola, add yogurt, and top it off with fresh fruit and rose-hip syrup. Gather the rose petals from an area where you know they have not been sprayed with chemicals. (See recipe for rose-hip soup on page 64.)
The first installment in this series is on our website, www.mvmagazine.com. It features items in spring that may grow throughout the season, and a reading list. Part three, in the SeptemberOctober magazine, will cover fall edibles.

Roses
Many people think of Aquinnah and Oak Bluffs for their fantastic displays of wild roses; these are ready to harvest right now, and not only for your flower vase. Roses are useful medicinally for our bodies and the petals are tasty as food. And not just those large, golf-ballsized rose hips of Rosa rugosa, but in fact any rose species can be harvested for its hips, which are high in tannin, pectin,

Roses

coriaria found in the Middle East, are used throughout that region in cooking to impart a fruity, lemony flavor.) The berries of scarlet and dwarf sumac begin to ripen in August, and many foraging experts suggest harvesting the clusters as soon as they turn red, rather than later when they can attract insects or lose their flavor. They also suggest not picking directly after a rainstorm, because the water will temporarily wash away the malic acid, ascorbic acid, and tannic acid, all flavorings found on the outside of the berries. Boston-area foraging expert Russ Cohen has a method for checking to see if the sumac berry is ready: Lick your finger, jam it into

the cluster, and then lick it again; if it tastes pleasant and lemony, he says, the berries are ready for use. Making a refreshing, tart drink full of vitamin C from sumac-berry clusters may be easier than making traditional lemonade, which requires plenty of squeezing and juicing. It simply entails steeping the clusters in water until pleasantly sour and red in color.

become bitter. Also, the berries are covered in fine hairs, so filtering through cheesecloth works better than a typical strainer. 1 gallon cool or cold water 10 to 12 clusters of sumac berries Island honey, maple syrup, or sugar to taste 1. Place water in a large pot, add the berry clusters and gently break them apart with your hands. Let the berries steep at room temperature or in the sun, submerged, for several hours or overnight. 2. Remove the berries, and strain the liquid through cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Sweeten to taste, and serve over ice.
july 2009 martha s vineyard 63

Sumac-ade
There are different ways to prepare this, but many suggest not pouring boiling water over the clusters, because that tends to leach out too much tannic acid and the results can

Summer wild edibles recipes

1. In a wide salad bowl, combine the arugula and lettuce. 2. With your hands (and some disposable

2 teaspoons minced shallot 1/2 cup olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 1. In a food processor, add the vinegar, raspberries, honey, and shallot, and blend for a few seconds. Add in the oil, salt, and pepper to taste and pulse two or three times to combine.

Arugula salad with fresh raspberries and balls of goat cheese and walnuts
Peppery, dark green arugula, fresh from the farmers market, along with pale green lettuce leaves and sweet-tart fresh raspberries is a refreshing change from other everyday salads. Wild blackberries or blueberries can also be added or substituted for raspberries. Serves 4 6 cups baby arugula, rinsed and dried 1 small head of bibb or Boston lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces (about 2 cups) 6 ounces goat cheese 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted for 5 minutes in a 350-degree oven Honey-raspberry balsamic vinaigrette, recipe follows 1 cup fresh raspberries

plastic gloves if handy), roll the goat cheese into small balls, approximately 1/2-inch in diameter, and place on a piece of wax or parchment paper on a plate. Place walnuts in a food processor and pulse to finely chop. Place chopped walnuts on a plate and roll the goat cheese balls to completely cover, pressing to get a nice coating of walnuts. Place the cheese balls back on the wax or parchment paper and refrigerate, covered in plastic wrap, until ready to serve the salad. 3. Before serving, add just enough vinaigrette to coat the leaves, and mix well. (Reserve leftover dressing for another salad.) Top with raspberries and walnut-cheese balls. honey-raspberry balsamic vinaigrette 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 6 raspberries 2 to 3 teaspoons Island honey

Rose-hip soup
The Marthas Vineyard Cookbook by Louise Tate King and Jean Stewart Wexler, originally published in 1971 and re-released last year in its fourth edition (Globe Pequot Press), has a chapter dedicated to wild foods. In the spirit of delectable fruit soups, this one uses a wild fruit available in the summer season to anyone on Marthas Vineyard who seeks it out. Dressed up with sour cream and a bit of nutmeg, this rose-hip soup makes an elegant first course. Serves 4

64 martha s vineyard july 2009

 3 cups rose hips 6 cups water 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon water 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger 4 tablespoons sour cream More ginger or nutmeg, to garnish

Yellow dock and burdock vinegar

This mineral-rich vinegar can be sprinkled on steamed greens and vegetables, or mixed with oil to make a salad dressing. Use as much parsley and herbs as you like; parsley is included, because like the roots, it is also high in iron. Makes 3 cups 1 yellow dock root, 5 to 7 inches in length

Index to advertisers
Ahearn Schopfer and Assoc. Architects....... ..........................................inside back cover Autumn Construction................................... 21 Bill Smiths MV Clambake............................ 17 Building Shelter.............................................. 16 Bunch of Grapes............................................. 83 Cape Air............................................................. 16 Carol Craven Gallery.........................................1 CB Stark Jewelers........................................... 11 Claudia............................................................... 21 Coldwell Banker Landmarks....................... 85 Contemporary Landscapes......................... 82 Coops Bait & Tackle...................................... 76 Debra M. Gaines Fine Art Gallery.............. 19 Donaroma's.................................................. 8, 76 Doyle Construction....................................... 19 Dragonfly Gallery..............................................4 Dream Weaver...................................................6 Entertainment Cinemas............................... 82 The Field Gallery................................................5 The Granary Gallery..........................................5 The Green Room............................................. 81 Harbor View Hotel & Resort........................ 79 Hermine Merel Smith Fine Art................... 13 Hutker Architects........................................... 11 Island Real Estate. .......................................... 71 Jardin Mahoney........................................... 2,79 John G. Early Contractor and Builder....... 87 Julie Robinson Interiors............................... 18 Landscope Landscape Construction............. .......................................................back cover Maggies Salon................................................ 83 MV Construction Company, Inc................. 12 MV Hospital...................................................... 83 Mocha Mott's................................................... 82 The Net Result................................................. 81 North Water Gallery.........................................5 Our Market....................................................... 76 PikNik Art & Apparel...................................... 71 Plane Sense.........................................................7 Powers Electric............................................... 76 Rainy Day.......................................................... 83 Rosbeck Builders Corp.................................. 79 Sam Sherman Associates............................. 17 Sharkys Cantina............................................. 81 Shirleys Hardware........................................ 71 Simon Gallery.....................................................8 Sioux Eagle Designs.........................................4 Skipper. .............................................................. 82 Sullivan OConnor Architects..................... 15 Tea Lane Associates..........................................9

1. Pick over rose hips, using only fully ripened fruit for measuring. Rinse well; remove stem and bud ends. In a 2-quart saucepan, combine rose hips and water, bring to a boil, and cook over moderate heat for 25 minutes (do not boil too fast or too much water will evaporate). Let fruit cool slightly, then put through a food mill. Measure pulp; if necessary, add enough water to make 3 cups pured fruit. 2. Put pulp in a smaller saucepan, add sugar, stir well, and bring to a low boil. Mix the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water thoroughly, and stir slowly into fruit mixture. Continue to stir slowly until mixture comes to a low boil again. Cook, still at reduced heat, about 2 minutes, until soup thickens evenly. Turn off heat; stir in lemon juice, rind, and ginger. Let soup cool, then refrigerate until well chilled. 3. To serve, top each portion with a tablespoon of sour cream and a dash of ginger or grated nutmeg.

1 burdock root, 5 to 8 inches in length 3 cups apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons honey Parsley Fresh herbs as desired: basil, oregano, rosemary, all chopped 1. Thoroughly wash the roots and chop into tiny pieces. Rinse again. Place chopped roots into a (non-aluminum, preferably glass) quart jar. 2. Heat vinegar to lightly simmering and pour onto roots. Add honey, parsley, and any other herbs, and cap tightly. Keep in mind that vinegar may rust the lid; keep the jar on a dish in case of any oozing overflow and shake it daily for 1 to 4 weeks. The longer it steeps, the more iron is infused into the vinegar. 3. Strain through cheesecloth or a strainer and return vinegar to jar. u

Rose hips

Vineyard Electronics..................................... 13 Vineyard Vines.................. inside front cover Vintage Jewelry............................................... 71

july 2009 martha s vineyard 65

Food
3 in a 3-p a rt series

Sassafras leaves and roots make a tasty tea.

Our series on the variety of food and ingredients you can find on the Island in your backyard, in fields, in forests, and on beaches continues with autumns bounty. Plus recipes for beach plum jelly, elderberry syrup, banana-berry muffins, and autumn olive fruit leather.

ow is the time to harvest the brilliant ripe fruits and seeds of autumn to put away for the winter. The Vineyard is home to many trees and shrubs that gift us with edibles such as nuts and leaves, and learning how to preserve them is well worth the effort. Bottles

70 martha s vineyard september-october 2009

Falls wild edibles

by h olly b e l l e b u o no and c at h e rin e w a l t hers p hot ogra p hs by ra ndi b a ir d

Patti Roads, right, took her nephew Timmy Welch and niece Emma Strachan foraging for sassafras in a low-canopy forest in West Tisbury.
september-october 2009 martha s vineyard 71

Beach plums

shiny, black, and perfectly round, growing not as grapes do down the length of a stem, but rather in a loose flat-topped cluster of six to eight near the leaf joints. Look for chokeberries whenever you go blueberry picking as the fruits appear at the same time and grow in the same environment. Historically the Wampanoags used these nutritious berries fresh as well as dried in winter, adding them to stews as thickeners. Bring a basket or a few gallon bags with you to harvest a large amount. Wash them gently and drain, then use them as you would blueberries: Sprinkle onto oatmeal or cornmeal pancakes, or mix with blueberries, raspberries, and sliced grapes and top with a dollop of whipped cream. (See recipe for banana-berry muffins on page 78.)

alison shaw

and jars of colorful fruits and syrups also make wonderful Island-made gifts for the holidays.

Beach plums
Along many a Vineyard beach, especially up-Island, you will find beach plum shrubs (Prunus maritima) with their shiny, oval leaves and fragrant, white blossoms. In the spring the plant flowers profusely, and by fall the small, firm fruits have turned purple. Many Islanders spend the autumn making juices and wines from the fruits, but most people rave about the jelly (some say jam) that they find from Ethel Sherman at the West Tisbury Farmers Market if they arrive early enough. With a tartness similar to rose hips, beach plums offer the epitome of a Vineyard delicacy. (See recipe for beach plum jelly on page 77.)

swampy woods the same places you find blueberry bushes. Slender, thornless stems support leaves that are oval, lightly toothed, and hairless underneath (red chokeberries display hair under the leaves); the flowers are white to pink hanging in bells. The fruit, which first appears in August, is

Elderberry
Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) is one of the most ancient and useful shrubs, with great mythology and folklore to its credit for example, its been said if you sit under an elder bush on a midsummers eve, a fairy will appear. Its fragrant blos-

Black chokeberry
Despite their unfortunate name they will not make you choke these delicious berries are edible and worth the search in the woods of the Island. They are similar to a handful of other plants, including huckleberry and chokecherry, which makes accurate identification the work of professional botanists. Nevertheless, chokeberry and similar species are edible, so this should not hinder you from exploring the woods with a bucket and an appetite. The black chokeberry (Photinia melanocarpa) is a shrub growing two to six feet high in thickets, dry or wet acidic soils, bogs, and
72 martha s vineyard september-october 2009

Black chokeberry

Goldenrod

nent, maple-like leaves growing in vines and fragrant bunches of small, purple grapes perfuming the fall Vineyard air. Legend has it Bartholomew Gosnold took note of the abundance of wild grapes in the naming of the Island for his daughter after he landed here in 1602. But long before the first Europeans landed here, native Islanders, Wampanoags, had been well versed in the uses of this wild edible, using the fresh fruit and drying it with other berries for use in the winter. The Island grapes are mostly fox grapes (Vitis labrusca), one of some forty-plus varieties native to North America growing along the East Coast from Maine to South Carolina. Fox grapes are smaller than cultivated grapes and have a slightly tart, musky

soms are an excellent, traditional herbal remedy for treating childrens fevers. Look for the tall, broad shrubs anywhere you see creeks, bogs, marshes, or ponds; they wont be in the water, but theyll be nearby. Elder likes to keep its toes wet. The leaves are ovate, long, and resemble cherry tree leaves; the flowers are white, lacy, and form in a broad, thick umbel at the end of the slender branches. Dry a few of the flowers and store them in an airtight container, and wait for the rest to swell up into juicy, dark purple fruit. (The leaves, roots, and bark should never be eaten.) Elder flowers have been used successfully in syrups, teas, and tinctures to treat hay fever, sinusitis, and any catarrhal inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. Elderberry fruit is high in fruit sugars (including flavonoids) and acids, tannin, and vitamin C and is useful in treating rheumatism and prized as a remedy for childrens coughs and fevers. The berries can be cooked as you would blueberries into pies and muffins. (See recipe for elderberry syrup on page 78.)

named Liberty Tea after the Boston Tea Party, because it could be made without relying on black tea from Britain, and it became the beverage of choice among people hard pressed to do without their steaming morning cup. Here on the Island, we can harvest the leaves and flowers for this socalled Blue Mountain Tea (another affectionate name for goldenrod tea), as well as for external applications on wounds in the form of a traditional compress.

Grapes and grape leaves

One of the most preeminent of the wild edibles on Marthas Vineyard is, of course, the wild grape. Growing all over the Island, its easily identified with its large promiistockphoto.com

holly bellebuono

Wild grapes

Goldenrod
Marthas Vineyard is home to native goldenrod (Solidago Spp.), easily recognized by its tall, graceful, yellow plumes. There are many species, most of which can be used interchangeably, though the flowers and leaves of one sweet goldenrod (Solidago odora) are used mostly to brew a delicious beverage. The tea made from this plant, whose crushed leaves smell like anise, was

Elderberry

flavor that lends itself to a nice jelly, but not so much to just eating off the vine. The famous Concord grape is a cultivar of this V. labrusca variety that was first hybridized in Concord, Massachusetts, in the mid-nineteenth century. Primary uses for the fox grape on the Island include jams, jellies, and wine. The leaves are edible and useful as well, especially for stuffed grape leaves. For this, pick earlier in the spring when the leaves are still tender but large, and drop into boiling water for ten to twenty seconds. Throughout the summer and fall, the large leaves can be gathered, rinsed, and used to line fruit and cheese platters making for a beautiful presentation at any party.
september-october 2009 martha s vineyard 73

holly bellebuono

Hazelnuts grow in husk coverings, left, that need to be removed before the nuts can be shelled.

Hazelnuts
Marthas Vineyard boasts many secrets, among them hazelnut trees (Corylus americana). It can be helpful to scout out these delicacies in the summer, so that come autumn as the nuts mature, you get to them before the squirrels and raccoons do. Hazelnuts are ten- to fifteen-foot-tall shrubs with waxy, thick, dark green leaves and lighter green nut-pods. These pods generally hang beneath the leaves and form clusters of typically four nut-casings surrounded by smooth husk coverings that open at the bottom as the nuts mature. At maturity, the pods are almost as big as golf balls and the husks split open easily.

You must pick them at or after maturity, though, because even large husks, if immature, will hold only tiny little nuts after the shell is cracked. These are the filberts or hazelnuts you find at the grocery store, but they grow so abundantly here they are worth experimenting with. Try adding them to a bread recipe, candying them, or even making a chocolate hazelnut liqueur.

Sassafras
After Christopher Columbus brought sassafras root to Europe, it was considered a fashionable remedy for just about anything and was used as a heal-all. It was listed in the London Pharmacopoeia in 1618, and in

the U.S. Pharmacopoeia in 1820, but once it became a prominent remedy for syphilis, its popularity decreased. Bartholomew Gosnold began the exportation of sassafras (Sassafras albidum) from Marthas Vineyard after he arrived in 1602, and it remained one of the Islands chief industries for nearly a century. Easy to recognize, thanks to three distinct leaf-shapes growing on each tree (smooth elliptical, one-finger mitten, and two-finger mitten), sassafras saplings have thumb-width trunks and a reddish appearance about the leaves and stem. Mature sassafras on the Island can grow thirty to forty feet tall and make up a large portion of our woodlands. Sassafras leaves make a pleasant chew or tea, but the flavor of the root is much stronger. Treat yourself to an afternoon of finding a small (two-inch diameter) tree, dig down and follow the roots out laterally. You neednt dig deep just horizontally and dont lose those roots: Thats where the highest concentration of flavor is. Slice the roots, taking two to eight inches of the horizontal tuber, and leave the tree intact. Chop and brew the roots in boiling water for twenty minutes or longer, and strain. The flavor is sharp, fragrant, and stimulating.
The first two installments in this series are on our website, www.mvmagazine.com. They feature items in spring and summer that may grow throughout the season. For more information on traditional herbal medicines, visit www.vineyardherbs.com.

and contain high levels of the antioxidants

Fun with food: Autumn olives

Weve all grown up with the warning to avoid eating berries in the wild, and the fear of eating a red berry may be hard to overcome for some. But autumn olives, the tiny red fruit that hangs in heavy clusters from small trees all over the Island, is readily identifiable. Theyre covered with tiny, white or silvery speckles, if you look closely. Kids and adults alike love the slightly sweet, slightly tart taste of the juicy autumn olive, with
holly bellebuono

vitamins A, C, and E, as well as flavonoids and essential fatty acids. The nutritional levels are so high, there is pharmaceutical interest in the use of autumn olives for heart-health protection and against certain cancers, like prostate. Picking autumn olives on a warm fall day on the Vineyard ranks high on our list of pleasant outdoor activities. Its a great excuse for a walk outside and one that may entice kids. You dont need to bring a snack; its growing free on a tree. Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) is not native to Marthas Vineyard. The small tree or tall shrub with silvery blue leaves originated in Asia and was brought to the U.S. in the nineteenth century. In modern times, autumn olive trees were planted alongside highways to

a flavor similar to that of a pomegranate seed or dried cranberry. Mothers can love the fact that these berries, ounce for ounce, pack as much as seventeen times more lycopene than a tomato

Autumn olive berries

74 martha s vineyard september-october 2009

Clockwise from right: Sassafras saplings with their distinctive leaves; Timmy Welch holds a fat root; and Patti Roads previews the scent of the tea to come.

beautify and prevent erosion, because they thrive in adverse conditions. It is now considered an invasive species that can crowd out other plants, and since 2006 in Massachusetts it has been illegal to sell or replant. Luckily, there are no rules against foraging for the fruit. On the Island, you can find autumn olive trees along roads and driveways, and sometimes along paths through the woods. The tartness of the berries, and even the size, can vary from tree to tree. The larger the berry, the sweeter it is. In addition to being eaten fresh, autumn olives can be added to salads, made into a sauce, consumed along with cheese, and turned into a jam or jelly. But for kids, the optimal transformation for autumn olive is into fruit leather, a chewy

snack with a characteristic sweet-tart taste thats easy to make at home.

to the pot. You can add a touch of sweetener such as sugar, maple syrup, or honey, if desired, though this is not necessary and often depends on the tartness of the berries themselves. 3. Pour the entire contents of the pot through a food mill, to separate the seeds and pulp. (Alternately, push pulp through a fine-mesh strainer with the back of a wooden spoon.) 4. If you have a dehydrator, pour the pulp into the liquid-containing trays and let it run overnight. Or use a glass baking dish or rimmed cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. Spread the pulp to a 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick layer and dry in the oven at the lowest temperature setting (140 to 170 degrees) for 8 to 12 hours. The fruit leather peels off when ready.
september-october 2009 martha s vineyard 75

Autumn olive fruit leather

Adapted from Wild Plants I have Knownand Eaten by Russ Cohen (Essex County Greenbelt Association, 2004). 1. Put the fruit you have gathered (at least three cups) in a large pot with just enough water to keep the fruit from scorching as you cook it. 2. Bring the fruit and the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and lightly simmer, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the fruit softens and the pulp begins to separate from the seed. Stir the pot occasionally and check to make sure there is enough water and the mixture is not sticking

On Saturday, September 26, Russ will guide participants on a daytime exploratory journey to forage for wild edible plants growing on the island of Chappaquiddick. As he identifies suitable plants, he will discuss what part is edible, when to harvest, and how to prepare, as well as safety factors and conservation. That evening, Russ will be a guest at a special Slow Food Fall Foraging Potluck, which is open to the public. This event will be held at the West Tisbury Ag Hall at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to bring a dish with Island-grown, preferably wild, ingredients (seafood included). Due to space limitations, call Polly Hill
Elizabeth Rankin

at 508-693-9426 to preregister for the walk. Participants need not sign up for the potluck; additional information is available from Cathy Walthers at 508-645-3820. To start the weekend, Island chef and Slow Food member Jan Burhman will host an evening with Russ Cohen on Friday, September 25, from 4 to 8 p.m. as part of her Culinary Experiences program. With Russ as the guide, participants will forage up-Island and create a meal based on what they find. To sign up for this program, go to www.culinary-experiences.com.

Russ Cohen promotes foraging regularly on the mainland and will be on-Island September 25 and 26.

a day devoted to the art of finding and prepar-

Wild foods weekend

Polly Hill Arboretum and Slow Food Marthas Vineyard will host Russ Cohen, wild foods enthusiast and professional environmentalist, for

ing wild foods. The author of Wild Plants I Have Knownand Eaten (Essex County Greenbelt Association, 2004) has been leading wild food walks in the Boston area for more than thirty years.

76 martha s vineyard september-october 2009

Fall wild edibles recipes Ethel Shermans beach plum jelly

This recipe was given to Ethel, who sells the jelly at the West Tisbury Farmers Market, by her friend Nancy Cabot. Yields 9 8-ounce jars 5 1/2 pounds ripe beach plums 4 cups water 1.75-ounce box of regular Sure-Jell fruit pectin 6 1/2 cups sugar 1. Crush fully ripe berries thoroughly. 2. Add water, bring to a boil, and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Strain and measure 5 1/2 cups of juice. 3. Bring juice to boil, add Sure-Jell, and boil one minute. Add sugar and boil one minute. 4. Use hot, sterilized 8-ounce jars. Put in a hot water bath for 5 minutes.

september-october 2009 martha s vineyard 77

Index to advertisers
Ahearn Schopfer and Assoc. Architects.....1 Autumn Construction................................... 17 Boston Interiors.................inside back cover Building Shelter.............................................. 18 Cape Air................................................................6 Cape Cod Stone............................................... 77 CB Stark Jewelers........................................... 11 Claudia............................................................... 13 Coldwell Banker Landmarks..........................7 Doyle Construction....................................... 15 Dragonfly Gallery..............................................4 The Field Gallery............................................. 12 Flanders Up-Island Real Estate.................. 20 The Granary Gallery....................................... 19 Hutker Architects........................................... 11 Intercity Alarms.............................................. 21 Island Real Estate. .......................................... 79 Julie Robinson Interiors, Ltd....................... 15 Kendall & Kendall Real Estate.................... 79 Lanscope Landscape Construction .............. .......................................................back cover

rich tea. Strain, reserving the tea. 2. Pour the tea back into the soup pot and add the sugar. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the sugar dissolves and the tea thickens, stirring frequently, about 1 hour. 3. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Then add optional maple syrup to taste. Bottle in clear jars (so the rich purple color shows through) with tight lids and refrigerate. Pour on pancakes, waffles, and oatmeal.

Banana-berry muffins
Makes 12 muffins 2 cups pastry flour 3/4 cup white flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 3/4 cup sugar 1 cup milk or buttermilk 1/2 cup sunflower or safflower oil 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups fresh black chokeberries, blueberries, or a combination 1/4 cup sliced banana 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease muffin tins. 2. Combine dry ingredients (except sugar) in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and sugar until creamy. Beat in milk, oil, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients, and stir until just combined. 1. In a large soup pot, boil the elderberries with the water for 1 hour to make a strong, Carefully blend in berries and banana. Fill tins and bake for 20 minutes.

Hollys elderberry syrup

A delicious way to preserve elderberries (Sambucus canadensis) is to make a deeppurple pancake or waffle syrup with them. 1/2 gallon fresh or frozen elderberries (some stem is fine) 4 quarts fresh water 2 1/2 cups sugar (or less, to taste) 3-4 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)

Lighthouse Properties.................................. 79 MV Construction Company, Inc................. 22 MV Coastal, Inc...................................................2 MV Food & Wine Festival............................. 21 MV Savings Bank............................................ 19 North Water Gallery...................................... 12 PlaneSense..........................................................5 Shirleys Hardware........................................ 77 Sioux Eagle Designs.........................................4 Tea Lane Associates..........................................9 Up Island Paint and Tool.............................. 20 Viewpoints....................................................... 79 Vineyard Decorators..................................... 23 Vineyard Electronics........................................6 Vineyard Vines.................. inside front cover

holly bellebuono