Surprise, surprise! Here I was, walking through the woods, which I haven't had much chance to do these past months, when what did I find.... a wonderous patch of chickweed. Now I know I spoke of this before but I thought you all would be happy to know that even if its November.... there are treasures to be found.
That wasn't the only thing. How about Curly Dock. There it was, growing on the edge of the field. Lovely curly leaves just waiting to be picked. This is one of my favorite "weeds". As I understand it, dock was the original spinach before farmers got their hands on it and started to plant the hybid spinach. It used to be you could collect this to your hearts content and be filled with good food. Today, it is more difficult to find what with all the construction and grooming that goes on. Nevertheless, there is nothing like a plate of Curly Dock to make a happy dinner.
This evening I prepared some with its brother, the spinach. I washed the dock and the spinach and coursely chopped it. In a saute pan I melted a nice knob of butter and, when it was completely melted I threw in the, still damp, mix of greens. Immediately I put a lid on the mix and cooked it on low for about 5 minutes...just enough to wilt all the greens. Let's say that this was one of the finest fall meals I've enjoyed. Hopefully, you will try it in the days ahead.
Lastly, mushrooms are in short supply. There has been the occassional Hen of the Woods but, for the most part there is a shortage due to the lack of water. Here's hoping that spring is better in the fungus family.
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