Ramps Allium tricoccum (Wild Leeks)

The American Indians and pioneers made use of the Wild Leek leaves and bulbs for seasoning. They  used it for bland or tasteless foods. The bulbs were also served as an emergency food supply. The  pioneer women, in some cases, pickled the bulbs and considered them a delicacy. Insect stings were  treated by rubbing juice of a crushed bulb on the affected area. The tea of a bulb could effectively  induce vomiting. When the Cherokees gathered the bulbs they cut or broke off the little stub under the  bulb and replanted it so the plant would continue to grow.  

Because of they were one of the first greens to appear in spring, ramps were considered an important  “tonic” by providing vitamins and minerals that had not been available during the winter. The Cherokee boiled or fried the young plants, while the Iroquois consumed them seasoned with salt and pepper. Both the Objibwa and Menominee dried and stored parts of the ramp to be stored for winter months.  Their high vitamin content and blood-cleansing properties meant that the ramps were highly prized by  the American Indians for their nutritional value as well. The Chippewa decocted the root to induce  vomiting, while the Cherokee consumed the ramp to treat colds and made a juice from the plant to treat earache. A tonic of the plant was used by the Iroquois to treat intestinal worms.  The Wild Leek is disliked by dairy farmers. This is because when eaten by cows, it causes milk to have  a strong onion flavor. 

Ramps are used as a spring tonic & to treat colds.  

Ramps are rich in Vit. C, used for preventing scurvy; they contain anti-oxident & antibacterial  properties in their sulfur compounds (allicin & others) and also selenium (boosts immunity & lowers  cancer risk). 

The most edible of the alliums but rarely eaten by animals others than humans.

A recent study concluded that a 10% harvest once every ten years is the maximum sustainable harvest for ramps. If bulbs are to be harvested, leave behind the base of the bulb (with the attached roots), collect them only after the seeds have ripened, and use seeds to reseed the soil disturbed during harvesting. They are pollinated by bees & insects.

Allium tricoccum leaves which grow up to 8” tall are rich in nitrogen, magnesium and calcium. Reserves accumulate in the bulbs. When the leaves decompose they release calcium to the soil where it can be picked up by the roots.

Ramps grow best in shady areas with damp soil throughout the year (not just the growing season) and

highly organic soil with plenty of decomposed leaf litter. They tolerate full to partial shade and medium wet to medium dry soil. The main habitat for ramps is forests dominated by birch, sugar maple, and poplar but they are also found naturally under beech, linden (basswood), hickory, and oak. They are typically found in association with other wildflowers including bellwort, bloodroot, ginseng, mayapple, trout lily and trillium.

Ramp Butter 

Combine in a med. bowl -  

∙ 8-10 ramp leaves, washed & finely minced 

∙ 2 stick butter (1 c), softened 

∙ 1 T lemon juice 

∙ 1/8 t pepper 

∙ salt to taste 

Scoop onto plastic wrap and roll into a log shape, twist the ends to seal; chill until firm. Keeps 2 week  refrigerated or 12 months in freezer. Slice off as desired for potatoes, toast, pasta 

Use leaves fried in butter or bacon grease with potatoes, cooked with scrambled eggs; add washed raw  leaves to salads or pickle; use flowers as a garnish for soups 

Very slow to establish a colony - only harvest 1 leaf per plant and no bulbs 

Creamed Nettles on Toast 

∙ 4 c chopped stinging nettles

∙ 2 T butter 

∙ 2 cloves garlic 

∙ ¼ c cream 

∙ sprinkle of nutmeg 

∙ salt & pepper to taste 

∙ toasted bread 

After picking, washing and shopping with gloved hands add nettles to boiling water and cook for 5  min. Save the cooking liquid for nettle tea but rinse the cooked plant in cool water then squeeze in  handfuls to remove excess water. Heat butter & garlic in a skillet over med. heat & cook 3 min. until  golden. Add nettles, cream & nutmeg, heat through season to taste with salt & pepper then serve over  toast. 

Stinging nettle is medicinal for enlarged prostrate. It is best avoided if pregnant. Intentional touching of the stinging hairs helps with arthritis joint pain relief and a medicinal cream is manufactured from the  nettle plant. 

Stinging Nettle Urtica diocia

Heat deactivates the sting caused by chemicals in the hairs on the  leaves and stems so cooking makes this nutritious plant safe to eat. A ½ cup of cooked young nettles  (top 6” of early growth) provides your complete Vit. A needs for a day plus significant amounts of  fiber, potassium iron, calcium, manganese, riboflavin, protein and more.  

Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmas) 

∙ 1 tablespoon olive oil 

∙ 2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice 

∙ 1 large onion, chopped 

∙ ½ cup chopped fresh dill 

∙ ½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves 

∙ 2 quarts chicken broth, divided 

∙ ¾ cup fresh lemon juice, divided 

∙ 60 fresh grape leaves 

∙ 1 cup olive oil 

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice, onion, dill, and mint; sauté  until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Pour in 1/2 of the broth, reduce the heat to low, and simmer  until rice is almost cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in 1/2 of the lemon juice and remove  from the heat. 

2. Plunge grape leaves into a deep container of very hot water until soft, about 10 seconds; pat dry. 3. Place a grape leaf onto a work surface with the shiny side facing down. Place 1 teaspoon rice  mixture on leaf at the stem end; fold both sides in toward the center and roll up from the wide  bottom to the top. Place stuffed leaf into a 4-quart pot. Repeat to stuff remaining leaves, packing them into the pot tightly so they don't open while cooking. 

4. Drizzle olive oil and remaining lemon juice over leaves, then pour in remaining broth to cover.  Cover the pot and simmer for about 1 hour; do not let it boil as the stuffing may burst out of the  leaves. 

5. Remove from the heat, uncover, and let cool for 30 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and  serve.

Fox Grape Vitus vulpina

Fox Grape has aggressively growing vines with curling tendrils and maple-like,  serrated edged leaves which climb up and over surrounding vegetation. This species was a parent to the Concord grape & is very high in the anti-oxidant resveratrol, know as a longevity nutrient. Wild grapes  have 2-10 times the amount of polyphenols as cultivated grapes. These substances lower inflammation  & reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Grape s are harvested in fall but nutritious  grapes leaves are best used when newly out in the spring for stuffed grape leaves. 

May Apple Podophyllum peltatum (umbrella plant, ground lemon)

May apple grows in clusters of umbrella-like plants on the woodland floor. It may be challenging to find the ripe whitish-green fruit as chipmunks,  squirrels, box turtles, raccoons & other woodland creatures usually eat them first. Box turtles are  important to this plant as seeds which have been passed through their digestive systems are more likely  to germinate! The ripe yellowed fruit has a lovely smell and the pulp makes good jam or jelly; discard  the outer skin and the seeds (they have a laxative effect). DO NOT eat any other part of the plant as it is toxic. 

Native Americans medicinally used the fruit as a laxative, to get rid of intestinal worms, and topically  to get rid of warts. It is anti-viral and cancer drugs have been manufactured from may apples. Avoid  using if pregnant or nursing. 

Mayapple Topping 

∙ Ripe mayapples 

∙ Honey 

Cut may apples in half, spoon out pulp into a strainer, remove the seeds from the pulp. Add honey.  Good on yogurt, cottage cheese or toast. 

Cleavers Galium aparine (Bedstraw or Catchweed)

Cleavers are a sprawling plant with square stems with tiny  hooked hairs that enable it to cling. White flowers in small clusters in spring used to curdle milk for  yogurt and cheese. Cooking, boiling or steaming, softens it (young growth is best) so it can be eaten as  a nutritious vegetable or wash, chop & add to soups. 

Smoothie Recipe (1 serving) 

Put in blender: 

∙ collect a full handful of stem tips & leaves, wash well, roughly chop,  

∙ ½ c apple or orange juice 

∙ ½ c fresh berries 

∙ ½ banana 

Blend & thin with more juice if desired. 

Tougher, older growth can be steeped for tea; it is high in Vit. C. The seeds have beta-carotene, lutein,  lycopene & antioxidants; they can be roasted & used for a coffee substitute (it is in the same botanical  family). 

Medicinal uses are: as a spring tonic (along with other herbs), the tea is used for excema & psoriasis,  and also as a diuretic.  

Cleavers has been used as mattress stuffing, thus the common name bedstraw. When clumped together,  cleavers as been used as a strainer. 

The roots are used to make a red dye. 

Note: some people get a skin irritation from sap & hairs

Indian Cucumber Medeloa virginiana

A slender, upright perennial wildflower that typically grows  1-2.5’ tall on a single, unbranched stem rising up each year from a crisp, edible rhizome with a mild  cucumber-like flavor. Flowering plants are recognized by their two tiered growth: a lower whorl of less than a dozen leaves and an upper whorl typically of three. Notice how the leaves within each whorl are  similar in size and how all the leaves have parallel veins.  

It is native to rich moist woodlands with acidic soil in eastern North America. One can find the white,  edible root of this plant growing close to the surface at a right angle to the stem. Foragers should be  mindful that digging and consuming this tasty, easily gathered trail-side nibble is lethal to the plant and  resist the urge to dig. Indian cucumbers are rarely found in the wild and they are endangered in some  states. If you want to eat Indian cucumber roots, it’s best to grow them in your own garden. You can  gather Indian cucumber seeds from the plant’s ripe berries in August or early September and plant the  seeds immediately. Indian cucumber is a very slow grower taking up to two years for the plants to  establish and another five years until they start flowering and roots can be gathered. 

The roots have diuretic and anti-convulsion properties. They’re usually brewed to make an herbal tea to aid convulsions and seizures in children. Sometimes, crushed berries and leaves are made into a herbal  infusion whose diuretic property has been shown to maintain kidney health and treat edema as well as  

water retention. It can be washed and eaten raw or cooked. Iroquois used the plant as an anti convulsant and pediatric aid.  

Chocolate Covered Ground Cherries 

8 oz bar of either milk or dark chocolate, chopped small 

ground cherries with husks on but pulled back, washed & let dry 

Melt chocolate in small bowl in the microwave until melted (don't over heat); stir until smooth Line a tray with wax paper, dip cherries in the melted chocolate, using husks as handles, & let sit on  wax paper for 20-30 min. 

Ground Cherry Physalis pubescens (husk tomato)

 The fruits are bee pollinated & eaten by turkeys,  skunks, opossum, fox and box turtles. 

This is a tomato family plant so all species are poisonous if you eat any part but the fruit. The fruit  has high levels of fiber, Vit. K1, Vit. E, Vit. C (in amounts similar to oranges & strawberries), beta carotene, and B vitamins. It also has significant amount of magnesium, iron and zinc. The fruit contains compounds that are anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory and has anti-cancer properties. Ripe fruit is  sweet with no bitterness – do not eat if bitter, it can cause upset stomach & diarrhea. May be eaten fresh when removed from husk and has a citrus-like flavor. It can be used in recipes for  jam, salsa, or pie; fresh in salads or as a garnish. Fruits are best stored in the refrigerator with the husks  on & keep for several weeks. The fruits can also be dried like raisins. Dipped in chocolate the fruits are  a treat!

Common Evening Primrose Oenothera biennsis

The biennial herbaceous plant grows up to 7' tall in 

the wild in North America and blooms bright yellow flowers. The plant gets its name because of its  large fragrant flowers with a mild lemony scent which bloom in evening and partly or fully closed  during a day time from mid-summer to fall.  

The roots, flowers, fruit, and seeds of Evening Primrose have been used for medicinal and therapeutic  purposes for ages. Native Americans used the leaves and seeds for curing bruises, wounds,  hemorrhoids as well as other skin related problems. Oil derived from the seeds contains gamma linolenic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, and the pain relieving compound phenylalanine. It is being  studied as a treatment for aging problems, alcoholism, acne, atopic eczema, heart disease, hyperactivity in children, chronic headaches, symptoms of menopause, multiple sclerosis, weight control, obesity,  PMS and schizophrenia. 

Massaging your scalp and hair with 5 ounce of Evening primrose oil along with 5 drops of Rosemary  oil and 5 drops of Lemongrass oil can help in strengthening the hair follicles, moisturizing the scalp  and reducing itching and scaly flakes on the scalp. 

The root of Evening primrose is consumed as a vegetable along with peppery flavor. Young leaves are  cooked as greens. Shoots are consumed raw. The plant is also used to make tea. 

Taking evening primrose oil increases the chances of bleeding if used with anticoagulants, aspirin,  heparin, warfarin, non-steroidal, clopidogrel, naproxen and ibuprofen. If you take medication for blood  thinning or blood pressure medication, speak to your health care provider before consuming evening  primrose oil. Evening primrose oil is probably safe for most people when taken for short periods of  time (maximum of 12 weeks). There can be mild side effects, such as stomach upset and headache. 

Downy Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea

A deciduous, early-flowering, large shrub or small tree  which typically grows 15-35' tall and bears 5 petaled, white, slightly fragrant flowers arranged in  drooping racemes that appear before the leaves. The common serviceberry is found throughout eastern  North America. Serviceberries need at least four hours of direct sunlight each day. Since they can  tolerate part shade, they grow at the edge of a woodland or near larger trees, and they will still receive  adequate light. They favor soil has loam, is acidic, and well-drained. 

The first settlers in New England often planned funeral services when the Amelanchier arborea  bloomed because the ground had thawed sufficiently to permit grave digging, thus it became known as  the serviceberry tree. 

Fruit is edible either raw or cooked. The fruit has a few small seeds whose flavor on different trees  varies from dry and tasteless to sweet and juicy. The fruit ripens unevenly over a period of 2 - 3 weeks  and is very attractive to birds. Serviceberry is an excellent source of: manganese, magnesium, iron,  calcium, potassium, copper, carotenoids. Serviceberries can be prepared in any way you would use  blueberries. In addition to eating the fruit fresh, it can also be baked into pies or other desserts, canned,  or preserved.  

Except for the ripe berries, all other parts of the plant contain cyanogenic glycosides and can be toxic to cattle in large quantities. 

Red Mulberry Morus rubra (native) and Morus alba (introduced and more common)

An important  fruit for Native Americans who ate them fresh and dried them for storage. The fruit stems can be eaten  and are not noticeable in mulberry pie. The deep pigment of ripe purple to black fruits is anthocyanin  which reduces inflammation throughout the body, lowers the risk of heart disease and has other health 

benefits. They are a good source of iron and 1 c provides more than 100% adult requirement of Vit C. Cooked mulberry leaves are also edible and nutritious. 

Mulberry Cobbler 

∙ 3 T butter 

∙ 1 c flour 

∙ ¾ c sugar 

∙ 1 t baking powder 

∙ 2 c ripe mulberries, rinsed 

∙ 1 apple, chopped 

∙ 1 c milk 

Preheat oven to 350. put butter in a 9” baking dish and place in oven until butter is melted then remove  from oven. In a bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder then stir in milk. Pour batter over the melted  butter and sprinkle fruit on top. Do not stir. Bake for 35-40 min. until golden. 

Elder Flower Fritters 

∙ Elder flower clusters, washed and patted dry 

∙ your favorite pancake batter  

∙ oil for frying 

Heat ½ inch of oil in a heavy skillet. Holding the elder stem, dip each flower cluster in the batter, shake off excess, then submerge in the hot oil. Fry until golden. Drain on paper towels. Dust with  confectioner's sugar, if desired. 

Elderberry Sambucus canadensis

 To harvest berries, snip off whole clusters & freeze on stems  (berries are fragile & easily crushed if not frozen); when frozen shake off stems. Elderberries have long been used as food, however the raw berries contain glycosides that may cause nausea but are destroyed  by cooking. Elder flowers can be eaten raw or cooked.  

Elderberries are high in fiber, protein, Vit. C & are a potent anti-oxidant fruit with high levels of  anthocyanins & flavonoids. They are also antiviral. Berries ave traditionally been used to effectively  treat colds, coughs, flu fever & aches, & used as a laxative & diuretic. Flowers have been used  topically to soothe skin, fade blemishes and lighten freckles. 

Sunchokes Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem Artichokes)

Plants will spread, sometimes invasively, by rhizomes and self-seeding to form colonies. Sunchokes have rough-hairy 6-10 foot stems with rough,  oval toothed 4-8 inch leaves. Many 2-4 inch yellow sunflowers (to 2-4” across) bloom on each stalk in August-September. Local song bird populations (particularly finches) love to feed on the seeds and the  tubers are eaten by small mammals and loved by pigs. 

Jerusalem artichoke was an important food plant for native Americans for many years prior to 1600.  Plants are still grown today for harvest of the tubers which begins about 2 weeks after the flowers fade.  Each plant typically produces 2-5 pounds of tubers per year. Raw tubers have a nutty flavor. Tubers  may be grated raw into salads, boiled and/or mashed like white potatoes, roasted or added to soups.  Unlike potatoes, sunchoke tubers do not contain starch; they contain inulin which converts into fructose which is better tolerated by people with type 2 diabetes than sucrose. However, one tuber's content of  inulin can produce flatulence unless cooked in lemon juice!  

Boil quarter-inch-thick sunchoke slices for 15 minutes in lemon juice to just cover them. They turned  out amazingly sweet and still delicious, although they have less of their original flavor. But the lemon boiled sunchokes produced no intestinal after-effects.  

Another method to adjust for the overdose of inulin in Jerusalem artichokes would be to build a  tolerance by consuming small quantities on a regular basis. This helps the gut microbiota to adapt – the  amount of beneficial bacteria will grow, while the gas-producing bacteria will diminish. 

Native Americans used the tubers extensively as a staple food.They boiled them and ate them in place  of bread. They taught settlers how to use them and “Indian potato” is credited with saving the Pilgrims  from starvation through their first harsh New England winters. 

A few people have had allergic reactions so start out by eating small amounts first to make sure the new food agrees with you.  

Groundnut is the larval host for Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly. Mammals will eat the fruits and roots

Groundnut Apios americana

This perennial vine in the legume family can grow 8-16 feet long and  often wraps around small trees, shrubs, herbs. It has edible fruits and large edible tubers that provide  numerous health benefits. Although the fruit and seeds are edible, it is the tuber that is most useful as  food. They grow in a chain of 2-20 tubers which vary in size, and each one is connected to the other by  

a thin woody rhizome. After sorting out any with insect damage, wash them, then peel off the tough  outer skin. They can be cooked anyway you would cook potatoes. The flavor is sort of a potato bean  blend, not sweet; they're starchy and firm. They contain 17% protein by weight. 

Paw Paw Asima triloba

An understory tree that grows to 30 feet which is necessary for the species  survival of the Zebra swallowtail butterfly whose larva feed only on pawpaw leaves. The pawpaw is  pollinated by flies and beetles.  

The green kidney-shaped fruit has an unusual tropical flavor like bananas, mango or pineapple but not  quite the same as any of those. 

Harvest when they are on the ground but not too blackened or gently shake the tree & catch or cushion  the fruit before it hits the ground. Pawpaws don't ripen off the tree. Eaten when slightly soft, pawpaws 

are a good source of potassium, Vit. C, magnesium, and iron. They also contain B vitamins, calcium,  beta-carotene and iron. Medicinally, they have anti-viral, anti-cancer and anti-microbial compounds.  They also contain a neurotoxin, annonacin, but more research needs to be done to understand it's  effects. Some people have an upset stomach as a reaction to eating pawpaws so start by sampling only a little. 

Pawpaw Breakfast Cookies 

∙ 1 ¼ c oats 

∙ 1 c pawpaw pulp 

∙ ½ t cinnamon 

∙ ¼ c peanut butter 

∙ ¼ c finely chopped walnuts (optional) 

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together using more flour until dough is a soft consistency.  Roll into balls and place on greased cookie sheets then flatten slightly. Bake for 12-15 min. Option –  top with chocolate chips or roll in flaked coconut before baking. 

Hot Spicebush Cocoa 

∙ 2 c milk 

∙ 2 T chopped spicebush twigs (¼” long) 

∙ ¼ c cocoa 

∙ 3 T sugar 

∙ 2 T water 

∙ pinch of salt 

Gently heat the milk in a saucepan until slightly steamy. Add the twigs, turn off heat, cover & steep for  30 min. Strain into a bowl & discard the twigs. In a 2nd saucepan mix the other ingredients. Stir over  low heat until smooth, turn off heat & add the milk mixture reheat to drinking level. 

The intensely flavored spicebush berries ripen to red in late summer and are used in ice cream, baked  goods and to season meat. They can be dried in a food dehydrator or oven and stored in the refrigerator  or freezer as otherwise the oil in them can become rancid. To use dried berries grind them in a motor  and pestle or a coffee grinder. 

Extract of spicebush bark is effective to treat fungus problems such as athlete's foot and yeast  infections. Native Americans used the leaf and twig tea as a treatment for colds, coughs and fevers.  Bark was used to treat intestinal parasites and crushed leaves on the skin to ward off mosquitoes. 

Spicebush Lindera benzoin (wild allspice)

Spicebush grows about 6 to 12 feet tall with 2 to 6 inch  bright green alternating leaves that have a whitish color on the undersides. It has yellow flowers in the  spring and plump red berries in the fall. The leaves are host to the swallowtail butterfly caterpillar in  the summer and the berries are an important food source for migrating birds. 

Once you've smelled it, it is easy to identify and is foraged all year long even in winter when without  leaves. Do a scratch and sniff test. 

Common Persimmon Diospyrus virginiana

t is a deciduous tree with a rounded oval crown that  grows to 35-60’ tall. Once you've seen it, the Amercian persimmon is easy to identify by it's distinctive  thick, dark gray bark that is broken into rectangular blocks. Edible persimmon fruits (1-2” in diameter)  mature in fall to an orange to reddish-purple color, and may persist on the tree into winter. The tree is a  host for the beautiful green luna moth's caterpillars and is wind and insect pollinated.

When fully ripe, persimmons are Nature's candy; they have a sugar content higher than ripe bananas!  Native peoples ate them fresh, dried and cooked. Ripe persimmons are very soft and wrinkled; unripe  persimmons are extremely astringent, high in tannins and taste very bitter – yuck! So wait until the fruit has ripened and fallen (or gently shake) onto a clean tarp spread under the tree. Check for your harvest  often as wild creatures also love sweets. 

Persimmon pulp is easily frozen but use a food mill of strainer with a pestle to remove the seeds from  the pulp before adding to muffins, breads, smoothies, jam, pies or: 

Persimmon Fruit Leather 

Line dehydrator trays with parchment paper and spread persimmon pulp very thinly on each. Dry at  145 for at least 6 hours or follow your dehydrator instructions. The fruit leather should be dry and no  longer sticky.  

You can also use an oven at 150-170 with the door slightly open. 

Cut the fruit leather and roll to store in air tight containers or sealed plastic bags in a cool dry place. 

Persimmons contain Vit. C, potassium, iron, calcium and have carotenoids that help vision and boost  the immune system. 

Persimmon bark was chewed by native people to relieve heartburn and bark infusions were used for  sore throat, fever, mouth sores, for diarrhea and as a skin wash. Steeped leaves were used as a tea high  in anti-oxidants.