Maple-glazed Chanterelle & Arugula Salad with Grilled Apricots and Pecans
Mushrooms Salads Wild Foods

Maple-glazed Chanterelle & Arugula Salad with Grilled Apricots and Pecans

Among the most well-known and best-loved of wild mushrooms, chanterelles figure prominently in the wild mushroom seasonal cycle, usually starting up in late spring or early summer, just as the season for fresh morels begins to wind down. After that, chanterelles can be depended upon to be be growing in some part of the world for the next 6 to 8 months, and frequently longer. Their cheerful orange-yellow color and distinctive trumpet-like shape make chanterelles one of the most easily …

Chicken and chanterelle skewers on the grill
Mushrooms Poultry Wild Foods

Grilled Chicken & Chanterelle Skewers

Recipes like this one are made for easy, no-fuss meals. It only takes a few minutes of prep and a very short cooking time – and the results are nothing short of phenomenal. To transform simple grilled skewers of chicken into an elegant center of the plate showpiece, we alternated tender chunks of moist chicken thigh meat with firm, fresh whole “button” chanterelle mushrooms – then brushed the whole thing with a finger-licking sticky glaze. Fragrant thyme is frequently paired …

Earthy Delights Rhubarb Fool
Desserts Vegetables

Rhubarb Fool

  You may be disappointed to learn that the whimsical name of this charmingly simple dessert has nothing to do with foolish persons. Instead, it comes from the French word foulé, meaning “to press,” a reference to the mashed fruit most often used to flavor it. The English claim the concoction as their own, although the French name implies that it may have started elsewhere. But the origin of the name is irrelevant; what’s important is the delightful combination of tangy fruit and …

Ramp, Goat Cheese & Pine Nut Phyllo Rolls
Appetizers Breads & Baked Goods Cheese Wild Foods

Ramp, Goat Cheese & Pine Nut Phyllo Rolls

Ramp, Goat Cheese & Pine Nut Phyllo Rolls are inspired by the Greek classic, spanakopita, a layered “pie” which is typically made with spinach and feta cheese wrapped or layered in thin, crisp phyllo pastry. It’s not uncommon for regional variations to contain other wild greens or herbs in addition to or in place of the usual spinach. It’s the sort of hearty, rustic dish that lends itself to experimentation with whatever fresh, local ingredients are readily at hand. Our version uses fresh …

Classic Frankfurters with Grilled Ramp Relish
Sauces & Condiments Wild Foods

Grilled Ramp Relish

If you like grilling, bacon and ramps (not in any particular order), then this recipe is aimed squarely at you. This unusual relish was adapted from a recipe by famed New Orleans chef & showman, Emeril Lagasse. We’ve made a few changes to the original preparation, but let’s give credit where it’s due. Think what you like about Emeril (and his signature “bam!”), but the man has some serious chef chops and his dishes are not only imaginative, they’re also based on solid …

Bacon, Egg and Morel Sandwich
Eggs Any Style Mushrooms Wild Foods

Bacon, Egg and Morel Sandwiches

Here’s a tasty way to get your minimum daily requirement of vitamins B, E and M (Bacon, Eggs & Morels, of course). A couple of these hearty sandwiches are just what the doctor ordered to put some pep in your step and a smile on your face . This savory sandwich has all the elements of a classic country breakfast, neatly contained in a single delicious package, but its appeal goes far beyond breakfast; we’d eat if for breakfast, lunch or dinner and for …

Two pizzettas, just off the grill
Appetizers Breads & Baked Goods

Grilled Pizzettas with Fire-roasted Tomatoes and Barolo Salami

As the seasons move from spring towards summer, the very thought of cooking and heating up the house becomes less and less appealing. Grilling is the perfect solution, but you can’t live on hot dogs, burgers and barbecued chicken forever. The answer? Grilled pizzettas. The dough is easy to make; the pizzas are small enough so everyone can have their own, and the toppings need little preparation. Best of all, there’s practically nothing to clean up. Grilled pizzettas are different from regular …

Thai Green Curry with Chicken and Fiddleheads
Asian Rice Dishes Soups & Stews Wild Foods

Thai Green Curry with Chicken and Fiddleheads

The fresh flavor of fiddleheads, that wild spring vegetable with the charming name, is distinctive, but not assertive. It’s these qualities that make fiddleheads so versatile. They can be prepared in any number of traditional ways, but they also make a fine substitute for just about any green vegetable. Think of any dish that calls for green beans, asparagus or even broccoli and use fiddleheads instead! But before you add fresh fiddleheads to your favorite recipe, they need a little …

Meat

Grilled Lamb Chops with Fresh Mint

These grilled lamb rib chops are perfect for a quick, yet elegant meal. Prep them first thing in the morning (or even the night before), and you’ll have dinner on the table in 15 minutes or less. Lamb, considered a traditional spring dish, is generally harvested at 3 – 5 months of age, so that “spring” lamb was actually probably born in the fall. Americans tend to prefer milder-flavored meats, so it’s no surprise that lamb is much more popular than mutton, …

Appetizers Salads Vegetables Wild Foods

Warm Fiddlehead Salad with Pistachios and Parmesan

While almost everyone has heard of “fiddlehead ferns,” most people think only of the Eastern fiddlehead, the ostrich fern (Matteucia struthiopteris), as edible. But there is another widely consumed wild fern, the lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina), which grows along the west coast of North America from California to Alaska. Often simply called “Western fiddleheads,” lady fern fiddleheads differ only slightly from ostrich fern fiddleheads in appearance and flavor. Both fiddleheads have a distinctly “wild” green flavor that is often compared …