Hunting and Gathering

Back in early October, my friend Erin and I toured the Corylus collection at the National Clonal Germplasm Repository (NCGR) in Corvallis, Oregon, and basically we were like kids in a candy store. Once again, my friend and neighbor Joseph Postman, a plant pathologist at the facility, welcomed us, provided us with some literature about […]

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Over the winter, I blended up a batch of za’atar (this recipe from 101 Cookbooks) for the first time, and both Henry and I loved it. The bright, lemony flavor of sumac is a perfect match for the earthy, herby flavor of dried thyme. We sprinkled the heck out of everything with it: eggs, buttered […]

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Maple Syrup Season 2014

January 29, 2014 · 13 comments

We made our own maple syrup from bigleaf maple sap for the first time last winter. You can read more about our experiences and thoughts here and here. Freezing nights and warmer days in the 40s are ideal for maple sap flow. As I understand it, the wider the day/night temperature gradient, the more pressure […]

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You might find the above photo disturbing. Yeah, so do I, but that’s just what horseneck (gaper) clams look like. It’s unfortunate. On Sunday night, we met up with friends (seen previously on the blog here) and stayed over in a beach house near Seal Rock. The supermoon produced some super low tides, perfect for […]

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By myself, I could probably make it to the pond and back in maybe 20 minutes if I really hurried, but since Henry left for California, the kids and I have being collecting sap together each morning. With my sap-collecting buddies, the same trip takes at least hour. There are always banana slugs to examine, rock […]

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First off, we don’t know what we’re doing. Secondly, THIS IS SO MUCH FUN! A few weeks back, Henry and I were standing around the kitchen, and maybe it was because I’d been reading too much Little House in the Big Woods to the kids or admiring archived posts on Amanda’s blog, but for some […]

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Pine Nuts

December 28, 2011 · 12 comments

Pine nuts come from pine trees. Maybe that’s so basic that it goes without saying, but somehow I managed to grow to adulthood before I realized that simple fact. (Forgive me if I seem a little slow.) There are a couple dozen species of pine growing around the world that produce the edible pine seeds […]

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Henry goes elk hunting a few days every year, and though he hasn’t yet shot an elk, he always brings home collections of mushrooms, seeds, and other flora of interest. For him, elk hunting is just a good excuse to hike around new territory, exploring sites and foraging. He does bring a gun along, but […]

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                          My little man turned four years old last week, and we had quite the celebration. Somehow we never seem to have enough dinner parties or play dates with our busy schedules, so we’ve started a tradition of inviting all our friends, family, […]

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Wapato

October 16, 2011 · 5 comments

                          I have to admit that I’d never heard of wapato until recently. I was completely unaware of its cultural significance as a major food source of Northwest native people. I also didn’t know of its deliciousness. Wapato (Sagittaria latifolia), an herbaceous plant […]

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