Foraging & Hunting - 3/3 - Dog Island Farm

Huckleberry Lemon Sauce

Posted on September 19, 2010 · 5 Comments

I love huckleberry season.

Why, you ask (as if you don’t love them too, be honest, now)? First off, huckleberries, while small, are not plagued with the standard onslaught of unpleasantries that often come with wild foraging: no brambles, thorns/spines, no awkward crawls under bushes or 3 mile hikes through the rain, no damaged clothes, no special foraging equipment, no whole day’s work for a mere cup or two of result.

Huckles are consistent, plentiful, and fairly easy to harvest. Our huckleberry patch is within an hour’s drive of our house, and in about an hour and a half we can pick about a gallon of them! In street clothes, with nothing but our trusty huckle-buckets and something big to carry them home in.

Second reason I love huckleberries above all other foraged foods? They are incredibly good. Think blueberries, but then multiply that by like, 100. Then add a little bit of lemon, maybe some cinnamon…that’s kinda what fresh huckles taste like. They are small, but intensely flavored and a little goes a LONG way.

I like to add a handful of them into an apple or pear tart: makes the whole thing a lovely deep berry color and adds a little zing and unexpected depth to what would otherwise be just another dessert. They’re KILLER in sourdough pancakes. They freeze well for up to a year, and are awesome dried (I put them in my granola, and in any dried fruit/nut trail snacks I take hiking).

Last week Rick and I went a-huckling with our friends Jay and Chava, and came back with quite a haul. Once we picked through them to remove any stowaway leaves, green berries, stems, and pine needles, we had well over 10 cups of perfect berries. Not bad for a stroll through the woods!

Unfortunately, as these things have a way of doing, life got in the way of cooking and I didn’t do anything with these berries for 5 days (other than gaze at them longingly). So, they got a little squishy.

Oh well – time to make (and can) some huckleberry sauce!

Huckleberry Lemon Sauce

for canning:

6 c fresh huckleberries, de-stemmed and rinsed under cold water

2 c water

2 c (or so) sugar/evaporated cane juice, to taste

zest of 2 lemons

juice of at least 3 lemons (approx 1/4 to 1/2 c) no pre-juiced store bought stuff, please!

Bring berries, water, lemon zest, and sugar up to a boil and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the lemon juice, and stir to incorporate. Meanwhile, follow basic canning procedure and get all your jars and tools sanitized. You DO know proper canning procedure, right? If not, you can find nearly everything you need to know to preserve food safely HERE.

Fill your jars with piping hot preserves, seal, and process in a water bath for 10 minutes. The mixture will be very thin, but not to worry – you’ll thicken it when it comes back OUT of the jar. Trust me on this.

to use the sauce fresh:

Put 1 c fresh huckles in a small saucepan with a splash of water and a pinch of lemon zest. Add about 1/3 c sugar, and bring to a simmer. Stir in the juice of 1/2 a lemon, and remove from the heat. Make a slurry of 1 tsp corn starch and 1 tsp water, and incorporate it into the huckleberry mix. Stir until thickened, and serve.

OR:

Place 1 c of the prepared mixture in a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Meanwhile, whisk together 1 tsp of corn starch with 1 tsp of water into a slurry. Mix this into the simmering huckleberry mixture, and stir until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat, and serve.

This sauce is great over ice cream, pancakes, tapioca, custard, or (my favorite) a crusty square of croissant bread pudding (recipe forthcoming)!

(I also have a theory that with the addition of some salt, cracked black pepper, some sautéed shallots, and a bit of vinegar, we’d have a pretty fabulous serving sauce for a pork tenderloin, venison, or duck, but I haven’t tried it yet. Soon!)

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Filed Under: Breakfast, Condiments, Desserts, Foraging & Hunting, Preserving, Recipes Tagged With: breakfast, condiments, desserts

Thursday in the City- Build Your Own World

Posted on September 16, 2010 · Leave a Comment

“How can we re-imagine and redesign our cities to allow them to become part of an urban foodshed? How can we make urban planning more participatory, transparent, and reflective of the public need for affordable and healthful food? What models, current, imagined or historical would help us to understand future directions for our cities?” The Studio for Urban Projects explores these questions with a “Public Orchard” installation at the 2010 01 San Jose “Build Your Own World” Biennial exhibition.

Public Orchard will be presented in Out of the Garage into the World in the South Hall from September 4-14 (in process and open for public viewing) and September 16-19 as part of the 2010 01 SJ Biennial, Build Your Own World.

Studio for Urban Projects Events:

September 17, 5:30 pm Darrin Nordahl talk

September 18, 10:30am-3:30pm Biodiesel Bus Tour

September 18, 6:30 pm Edible City Screening

September 19, 11:00am-2:00pm Canning and Preserving Workshop

Taken in London and in Sydney, Credit “Photograph by Luke Jerram”

There will be even more exhibits, performances, art, lectures, at the “Build Your Own World” Biennial from September 16-19 in San Jose. From what I have seen online, it looks pretty amazing. I have also seen one preview on the news. It was an art installation by Luke Jerram of pianos in the street called “Play Me I’m Yours”. I love anything, but especially art, that engages the public to interact and participate in the community. This Biennial does just that. Here is what the Steve Dietz, Artistic Director, and Jaime Austin, Assistant Curator have to say:

The future is not just about what’s next. It’s also about what we can build to ensure that what’s next matters. How can we, as resourceful, innovative, and knowledgeable local and global citizens build and participate in a desirable future in the face of global climate change, economic meltdown, political instability, and cultural divisiveness?

The 2010 01SJ Biennial is predicated on the notion that as artists, designers, engineers, architects, marketers, corporations and citizens we have the tools to (re)build the world, conceptually and actually, virtually and physically, poorly and better, aesthetically and pragmatically, in both large and small ways. 01SJ is about how powerful ideas and innovative individuals from around the world can make a difference and come together to build a unique and distributed city-wide platform for creative solutions and public engagement.

Under the theme “Build Your Own World,” ZER01, in collaboration with dozens of partners, will present over the course of 4 days, from September 16-19, hundreds of artworks, performances, events, and artist talks, which not only imagine the future of the world) but begin to build it.

For schedules of events and links to all of the exhibits, etc, check out Zero1. Even if you can not attend this weekends events, there is so much information and inspiration on the website.

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Filed Under: Community, Current Events, Foraging & Hunting, Thursday in the City Tagged With: education, farm tour, organizations

Elderflower Syrup

Posted on July 11, 2010 · 9 Comments

This morning was a morning for cocktails.

I don’t mean I got up at 7am and started drinking. Though I might not always decline a mimosa or Bloody Mary when offered (yes, please!), I’m generally not much for the wake-and-partake.

Well, OK, I’ll admit: after 10am, all bets are off. But today I wasn’t drinking cocktails; I was preparing mixers – I swear.

The result of my morning efforts? Three very different (and very tasty) drink syrups that I will be bringing with me to music camp next week.

First, I assembled a tonic syrup made with cinchona (quinine) bark, lemongrass, and citrus – recipe thanks to my good friend and food guru Alanna at Bojon Gourmet. I had always heard that making tonic was a terribly complicated process. After reading The Food Dude’s hilarious article (part 1, part 2) about his tonic-making woes, I had pretty much decided it was not for me. What a mess! But Alanna, ever the intrepid culinary explorer, did all the dirty work and concocted a marvelous little recipe that was easy to follow, and made a superb tonic syrup.

Which, in turn, made a *superb* cocktail. Ahem.

Secondly, I finished processing my very first batch of homemade grenadine (which should never ever EVER be bought from a store, as what is sold is often merely HFCS with some red dye/additives). I had tried some of the good stuff while staying at a friend’s house a few weeks back which they had made from store-bought pomegranate juice. It was remarkably flavorful, with hints of citrus, clove, cinnamon, and pepper. Remembering that I had canned some home-made syrup last year after finding a great deal on pomegranates at the farmer’s market, I decided to doctor it up a bit and see if I couldn’t reproduce their resounding grenadine success. I simmered the syrup with some black peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and grapefruit zest. I tried a bit of it while it was cooling, and though it may not be the glorious Nectar of the Gods that Kate and Nathan made, it is certainly not bad.

I’ll be playing around with this recipe a bit (read: mixing a lot of drinks) and will post my findings when I’ve settled on a winner (read: sobered up).

Third syrup of the morning was a syrup infused with the flower of the blue elder plant (which my brother and I harvested locally). Elderflower has received quite a bit of attention recently. I had my first run-in with elderflower this winter at the Charles Dickens Christmas Fair, where I was invited to try St. Germain – a delicious floral liqueur ostensibly infused with flowers hand-picked by old French dudes on bicycles.

Whether this story is true or not, the liqueur certainly got me thinking about elder and I resolved to harvest my own flowers this year and experiment with them. With a bit of searching, I found that two of my favorite foraged food bloggers (Hank Shaw and Langdon Cook) posted elderflower syrup recipes!

Elder grows wild all over the place! Once I knew what I was looking for (and made sure I knew the difference between the flowers of the blue/American elder – GOOD and red elder – BAD; they both grow around here), it was very easy to head out with a pair of garden snippers and a big canvas bag and come home with more elderflower than I could ever wish for.

The process of making elderflower syrup is super easy. A simple syrup is poured over fresh elder flowers and allowed to infuse for several days, then strained and stored.

This syrup can be used in alcoholic drinks, but is also very refreshing mixed with some lemonade, some sparkling water, or (as we happily discovered), added to some strong home-brewed kombucha. Because of the added citric acid, it is somewhat shelf-stable, but I would recommend it be kept in the refrigerator to prevent fermentation.

When harvesting elder, it is best to pick the flower heads early in the morning. As the day progresses and it heats up, the flowers will lose much of their potent scent. Simply cut the entire head off of the branch when collecting – the stems can be discarded later.

Once you have collected enough flowers (one brown paper grocery bag full of flower heads is about enough to make a quart of syrup), they need to be cleaned. The most effective way I have found to remove the flowers from the stems is to rub the clusters of flowers in my palm in a circular motion (like cleaning a paintbrush), allowing the petals to fall off into a large bowl or tray. Once the flowers are gone, the stems can be discarded.

Note: letting the flowers sit for a little bit at this point will give the (inevitable) insect population some time to vacate the premises. Not necessary, but some people don’t like bugs in their drinks.

Elderflower Syrup

4c water

3c sugar

2 lemons, zest and juice

2 Tbsp citric acid (optional – preservative)

4c packed fresh elder flowers (cleaned, stems removed)

In a large non-reactive stock pot, bring the water, sugar, citric acid, and lemon zest up to a boil. Simmer until all the sugar is dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and add in the lemon juice. Strain and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, pack the cleaned elder flowers into a jar large enough to accommodate the syrup. Fill the jar with flowers (I make it in quart jars). When the syrup has cooled enough to handle, pour it over the flowers and seal the jar. Let this infusion sit for several days, shaking the jar to agitate the syrup.

When the infusion is finished (taste it after 3-4 days, it should be quite floral and not funky or sour), pour the flowers/syrup into a colander lined with several layers of cheesecloth (over a bowl). Squeeze the remaining syrup out of the flowers, and either discard the flowers or use them for baking (maybe an elderflower cheese tart, or elderflower fritters?).

Keep the syrup in glass jars in the refrigerator for long-term storage.

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A few closing remarks about responsible wild foraging:

- always be ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN of your plant before eating something you have foraged. If you are not clear, consult an expert. There are many wonderful books and websites that can give you reliable information, but nothing is as good as a trip out with someone who really knows the local flora.

- that said, don’t get freaked out. Once you know a plant is safe to eat, EAT IT! There is a lot of misinformation about the dangers of foraging. Armed with knowledge and good field guides, the dangers are minimal. If you are really worried, stick to harvesting only plants that have no dangerous look-alikes.

- never “clean out” a plant or area of all of its goodies. Remember that animals and other humans may be relying on this food source, and that the plant needs a certain amount of its own seed to mature in order to reproduce. A good rule of thumb is to only take 1/3 of any forageable plant at a time. This leaves enough to ensure the health and longevity of the plant.

- sometimes a plant can be harvested in several different stages of its life cycle. Remember that elder flowers become elderberries, which are also a tasty wild treat. Flower petals can be shaken directly off the heads (leaving the center of the flower intact to fruit later in the season). If the tree is large, just remember to leave some flowers un-picked to ripen for later foraging!

- plants directly next to busy roads may have icky chemicals from exhaust and oil/car juices leaked into the ground. Be careful where you forage (the farther away from heavy traffic, the better!), and remember to wash everything thoroughly when you get it home.

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Filed Under: Drinks, Foraging & Hunting, Recipes Tagged With: drinks

Wednesday’s Blog – Guns 101

Posted on June 2, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Well, where to begin? I know not everyone likes guns. I do. I think they are a very useful tool, and something that (to me) embodies and symbolizes being an American. I have the right, given to me by the Second Amendment, to use a gun to defend my person and property. This right is not present in other countries, and with budgeting constraints on law enforcement, I am not comfortable giving up that right for the chance that they will have someone available to take care of a threat and respond in a timely manner if and when the time comes. I am willing to take that responsibility onto myself. But as a result I am committing myself to handling a gun responsibly and safely, as all gun owners should. For the record, I have defended my property using one of my shotguns in 2003.

A gun is a tool that deserves respect and requires proper handling in its usage. Guns have a very specific purpose. They are used to cause mortal trauma to something at a distance. Simply put, guns are tools that kills things. Thus they require that level of respect and correct handling due a tool that can take life away. I am trying to not get into the politics of gun ownership with this blog, so I apologize in advance if I cross over a little.

Hunting is different than gun ownership in that Hunting is a privilege and gun ownership is a right. Hunting can be infringed on with federal, state, and local restrictions. In my view, gun ownership cannot be infringed on (even though it currently is). So, it is every hunter’s responsibility to act respectfully and ethically so that hunting can continue. But I digress, Hunting is a whole other subject I will cover in another post!

If you are interested in learning more about gun safety in a practical setting, I would highly recommend taking a Hunter Safety Course. Not only do you learn about hunting, the course covers gun handing and safety. I taught CA Hunter Safety, or “Hunter Education” for 2 years before I moved to Oregon, and the course material is much better now that it was when I took it in 1990.

Guns are also called firearms. A firearm is a mechanical device that uses pressure from a burning powder to force a projectile through and out of a metal tube. Contrast this with airguns, that use compressed air, CO2, or springs. All guns have 3 parts: an action, a stock, and a barrel.
Flash video of how a gun works

An action loads, fires, and ejects the ammunition. There are several different types of actions.
A stock is the handle for the action.
A barrel is the tube that the projectile travels down and out of on its way to the target.

All firearms use ammunition (ammo for short). Ammunition is made up of the case, powder, primer, and projectile (which varies depending on what kind of firearm you are using).

There are 3 different kinds of guns. Shotguns, rifles, and handguns. Both shotguns and rifles are used for hunting. Handguns can be used for hunting, however they are not as prevalent as the first two. The reason being is because the range and accuracy of handguns is limited by its size. Handguns are much smaller and therefore do not offer the advantages of increased range and accuracy that shotguns and rifles do. I do not own a handgun, but I am in the market. For me, a handgun is for personal protection. I am going to buy one because I want to have the ability to defend myself in the field from 2-legged creatures (read other people) in addition to 4-legged creatures like cougars or bears when I am hunting or fishing, or camping etc.

Rifles: Rifles are used to hit a far-off point (max effective range is under a mile, depending on ammo). They use a large amount of powder to fire a single, small projectile (the bullet). Rifle sizes are measured in caliber, that is the diameter of the barrel in tenths of an inch or in millimeters. This is also the measurement used for handguns. Rifles are mainly used in the taking of larger game, such as deer, elk, and bear, however smaller caliber rifles are used by more skilled people to take smaller game such as squirrels, rabbits, and birds. There are 5 main actions for rifles (bolt, pump, lever, semi-auto, and break or hinge). The most common rifle used for hunting is the 30-06 bold action.
Interactive rifle with parts labeled

Shotguns: Are used to hit an area not too far away (max effective range is 40-60 yards). They use a smaller amount of powder to fire a bunch of little metal balls called ‘shot’ or ‘pellets’ that spread out as they travel through the air and cover an area about 1/2 yard square. Shotgun sizes are measured in gauge, which is an old method of dividing a pound of lead into equally-sized balls and the balls would be the same diameter as the barrel. Funny yeah? So a 12-gauge shotgun would have 12 equally-sized lead balls and each ball would be the diameter of the barrel. There is one shotgun size that is measured in tenths of an inch, and that is the .410, which is a very small gauge and used by people that shoot A LOT. Shotguns are used to take smaller game, most commonly birds, both waterfowl and upland birds, but also smaller game such as squirrels and rabbits. Shotguns can be used for deer, but they use a much larger sized shot or a slug. Not all shotguns can use this different ammo though. Shotguns have 6 common actions (pump, break or hinge with single, side-by-side barrels or over & under barrels, semi-auto, and bolt-action repeater). The most common shotgun is the 12-gauge pump action.
Interactive pump-action shotgun with labels

Handguns: Handguns are used to shoot a point not too far away. Handgun ammo is a smaller version of rifle ammo. Again, handguns can be used for hunting but general are not. They are used for personal defense and as a quick ‘backup’ gun in the case of larger game like bear where one shot may not instantly kill an animal. There are four actions for handguns, revolver, double cocking revolver, break or hinge, and semi-automatic.
Gun Safety
The key to using guns is to use them safely. I like to follow the 10 Commandments of Gun Safety, however I have one concrete rule of my own that I will share with you. I never, ever ever point a gun, loaded or unloaded, at something I don’t intend to shoot. Period. I also never put my finger on the trigger until I am just about to shoot the gun. Guns are not toys, they are a function-specific tool. My cousin forgot this rule and shot himself in the head, and he grew up with guns. The only time I point a gun at something I don’t intend to shoot is when I’m having a gun fitted for me, which requires you to point the gun at the gunsmith while he looks down the barrel at you. Needless to say I don’t like it, but as long as you practice proper gun safety there are no problems.

The 10 Commandments of Gun Safety Link to list with pictures
The first four are the Cardinal Rules of Gun Safety.
1. Watch that muzzle. Keep it pointed in a safe direction.
2. Treat every firearm the respect due a loaded gun.
3. Be sure of the target and what is in front of and beyond it.
4. Keep your finger outside of the trigger guard until ready to shoot.
5. Check your barrel and ammunition.
6. Unload firearms when not in use.
7. Point a firearm only at something you intend to shoot.
8. Don’t run jump or climb with a loaded firearm.
9. Store firearms and ammunition separately and safely.
10. Avoid alcoholic beverages before and during shooting.

Pew Research Center “Gun Control Splits America”

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Filed Under: Foraging & Hunting Tagged With: guns

Zone 6 or Zone 1?? Late Season Pheasant, AHHH!

Posted on March 9, 2010 · Leave a Comment

The question came up this weekend. A friend of mine swears she’s heard from old-timers, friends, her mom who worked at our local nursery for a number of years, that we are Zone 1 (see the smack-dab middle of Oregon). If that is true, it’s a big bummer. But isn’t like, ALASKA Zone 1?? This isn’t Alaska… Both my friend and I have heard the local adage “You don’t plant your seeds in the ground until all the snow is gone from Black Butte”. As in Black Butte Porter a la Deschutes Brewery. Well, that is fine and dandy because I don’t plan on doing that until… May?!? Oh how I miss coastal weather sometimes. But the problem is when I looked up the USDA zones, we are in Zone 6. I am aware that if I want to start anything I need a greenhouse. Costco carport frame, CHECK! I’m also a firm believer that if you mulch it, it will grow. And, as my new best friend the Winter Harvest Handbook tells me, cold frames and row covers in greenhouses can allow me to grow year-round in harsher climates, like Maine.

< ----------------LOOK! Not pink, it's light blue!!

But the question arose as I was trying, ever so hard, to finish the joint seed order I’m doing with my friend. I know, March and I don’t have the seeds ordered, what is wrong with me? Well for one, when you have a big space, and you are going to try to preserve some of your harvest, you want to plant EVERYTHING! It is very hard to resist ordering fruit trees. And more berries. Yes, I am going to try berries out here. But not blackberries, marionberries, huckleberries, or elderberries, those are going to be gathered. So, when selecting seeds, one of my key phrases has been “does well in cool climates”. That’s all well and good as long as I’m not ordering vegetables that are for Zone 6, not Zone 1. I am trying to not be intimidated by the fact that we had frost last year in July! And I’ve heard stories of it SNOWING on Fourth of July. What madness have I gotten myself into? I am used to growing peas and greens year round. Granted, I am excited about not having to coddle my tomatoes, and peppers are a reality not just a dream anymore! And I’m going to try eggplant. But still… should I plant asparagus? What about artichokes? Rhubarb? My mantra is becoming “if it’s mulched, it will be fine”. Well, only time will tell right?

On Sunday I went pheasant hunting with my new boss to see how our two brittanys would get along. Tango is 8 months and an alpha female. Gunny is 4 years old and way more mellow. Since it was our first time out together it was more about training the dogs than actually getting birds, however we ended up with a total of 7. The country was beautiful, up by Bear Creek. That’s all I know, since I am still getting to know the area. But just beautiful high desert juniper and sagebrush hills punctuated by lava rimrock. And it was a warm day too! Pheasant are my all-time favorite game bird to hunt. They are the perfect species for beginner hunters. Unlike waterfowl hunting that requires a huge amount of gear, pheasant hunting just requires a gun, a good pair of boots, and a dog. No special calls, no back-breaking load of decoys, it is the quintessential connection between man and dog. When I go out with Gunny, WE are hunting, not just me. He finds the birds for me, and I bring them down. It’s a partnership in every sense of the word, and the fact that he knows it makes it just that much more special. I love my dog, as my companion, my buddy, but in normal situations we are not equals. When we hunt together, we are.