Allium Canadensis, the veritable "Wild Onion", a pain to gardeners and lawn junkies.....but to those in the know a treasure for the senses, small but pungent. this time of year I focus on the bulbs as the green tops seem to have lost most of their flavor.....the bulbs are tiny little things, much smaller than even shallots or green onions, but very strong with an onion/garlic/ bitter aroma.

This year I decided to preserve mine in olive oil with a dash of salt and some small hot peppers, all chopped roughly and in a jar. I'll let them sit that way for a few days, then blend them in a food processor with the oil...something to drizzle over steak, or even fish. who knows...(btw took a tiny taste....wow now that's strong...)

falling leaves

So this fall (September to be exact)was a good year for wild mushrooms. I gathered, and was given several tens of pounds of both "Chicken of the woods" (Sulpher Shelf) and "Hen of the woods" (maitake). The chicken mushrooms have all been eaten....and I have about 2 lbs of the Maitake left in the freezer. Wild mushrooms (at least these ones) have an amazing aroma and vitality that just can't be matched by their domestic cousins.....worth a try most definitely.

Last year at this time I was also gathering and processing white oak acorns to make into acorn meal, a most amazing nutty treat....unfortunately this year doesn't seem to be working out for me in this area, as I think tropical storm Irene blew them all away.

As the year winds down into winter, and fall limps along with a lack of its usual flaming glory, I am pondering ways to gather fresh foods to see me thru the winter; walleye and fall trout, periwinkles and mussels, Jerusalem artichoke tubers, wild oyster (oh already had those), parched corn meal, actually I'll take anything that I can get before its all gone under a blanket of that cursed white stuff.....