One of the outcomes of the pandemic is many of us have been home more and have become more aware of our home environment. Arianna Alexander Collins of Ashfield helps landowners, groups and individuals gain a closer connection to the edible plants in their environs. Even better, she will help them learn how to prepare the wild edibles you have available.
“I am a wild edibles enthusiast. I don’t consider myself an expert. I learn what I can from the flora and fauna around me and from other wild edibles enthusiasts and herbalists. And what I learn, I enjoy sharing with others,” Collins said.
Collins also has a BA in environmental education and an MS in environmental administration. She has worked with many local organizations focused on nature such as Northfield Mountain, Athol Bird and Nature Club and Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary.
“I have taught all over Western Massachusetts and Southern Vermont,” she said.
Collins said once the pandemic hit, she “needed to pivot away from workshops or people coming to my home.” Out of that, and employing all appropriate COVID measures, Collins began to focus on teaching people about wild edibles on an individual basis.
Collins is also offering a free group workshop Saturday, Aug. 28, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. The workshop is being sponsored by the Belding Memorial Library and is grant-funded.
“There will be trailside nibbles, sample dishes, and drinks for taste testing,” she said.
The location will be revealed once registered. You can register by calling the library at 413-628-4414. There will also be information on simple food preservation.
In terms of private guidance, Collins said “It doesn’t matter if you have a postage stamp or the 100-acre wood.” She added, while guiding landowners, “I always eat it first so people feel safe about it.”
She also asks people questions about their diet and allergies. “For example, people with cashew allergies can’t use staghorn sumac to make teas and drinks,” she said.
Some plants you may find on your land may be obvious, such as black or red raspberries. Collins said you can just pick raspberries in a container and then put them in a bag in the freezer to preserve them for muffin-making in the fall or winter.
“If you have red raspberries, don’t wash them before freezing or they will turn to mush,” she said.
She also cautions if you happen to have apple or pitted fruit trees on your land to be careful about seeds and pits as they contain an arsenic compound.
Some of the plants you might run across that Collins enjoys using in salads and stir-fries include yarrow flower, yellow wood sorrel, sheep sorrel, purslane and ox-eyed daisy.
“You can’t eat most daisies, but you can eat that one. I can’t describe the flavor. It has a flavor all its own,” she said.
Other plants include white and red clover. “Weeds are just plants that people don’t know what to do with yet,” said Collins.
Collins said she particularly likes gathering the many types of nutritious greens to make pestos. “Really, anything with garlic and cheese, how can you go wrong?” she said with a laugh.
Collins said there is a lot of lamb’s quarters available now and offered her pesto recipe using them.
While spinach and other garden greens droop in the heat, lamb’s quarters stays perky until the first frost. You can gather and eat its leaves and seeds for immediate use and also blanch and freeze in bags for later use. In making pesto, I will make several batches and freeze some for the winter.
Ingredients:
About 3 cups lamb’s quarters leaves and seeds
Optional: additional 1 cup other greens
1/3 to ½ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
½ to ¾ cup nuts (your choice)
1 cup grated cheese (Parmesan, Romano or other cheese)
Salt, pepper to taste
In food processor, combine leaves (and seeds if the plant is going to seed) and enough oil to coat and blend. You can also add other greens you like for flavor such as cilantro, parsley, purslane, kale, or arugula. Basically, whatever edible greens are available.
Grate 2 cloves of garlic and blend in. When the greens are well-blended (more oil may be needed), add a handful or two of your favorite nuts and/or seeds: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, walnuts. Then add about a cup of your favorite cow, sheep or goat Parmesan and/or Romano cheese. Blend well and taste test.
Do you like it as is? Need a little salt? Black pepper? Cayenne pepper? More cheese? More garlic? Play with the recipe to your satisfaction.
Lamb’s quarters pesto should be thick. You can eat it with crackers or spread it on rice cakes for a quick and easy summertime lunch. For a savory autumn or winter dish, be sure to have a cup of pesto stocked in your freezer for making pesto pasta with veggies and meat.
Collins said another aspect of working with wild edibles addresses some aspects of food security. “During the pandemic we were afraid to even go to the grocery store. So, for example, instead of buying oranges, you could make a tea of white pine needles to get your vitamin C,” she said.
In terms of foraging on your own, Collins said it is best to “always have at least three different reference books with you. Be really cautious about trusting apps and internet information.”
She added you should be very clear about the different aspects of the plant you are researching, looking at what type of stem, leaves, berries, flowers and if the are hairy, smooth etc.
“You don’t want to get it wrong. You can take a little nibble of it first to see if you like it,” she said.
Collins recommends not gathering plants in an area where pesticides have been sprayed or there has been a lot of run-off from a road. Also, to be a good forager, recognize if there are enough plants to gather and still leave some for other people or wildlife, Collins said.
Collins charges a basic fee of $80 an hour to walk your land and provide education and ideas. For more information go to https://bit.ly/3kcGlfv or call 413-628-1773.
“I like serving as a bridge between the land someone lives on and people,” said Collins. Collins also has a nature blog at hearkentoavalon.com.
Cris Carl is an avid local gardener, licensed therapist and certified herbalist. She is an experienced journalist who has written for the Recorder for many years. You can reach her at cstormfox57@gmail.com.