Loosestrife, New Jersey Tea and Pipsissewa

Not akin to the invasive purple loose strife which is threatening our native cattail (and other wetland plant) population, this Whorled Loose Strife is quite a pretty native wild flower.

Whorled LooseStrife has tranquilizing properties as well as being an emetic (can induce vomiting)

New Jersey Tea

Both Whorled Loosestrife and New Jersey Tea provide an alternative to Chinese Tea leaves if you are looking for a delicious and N.A. native brew.  I have not tried loosestrife, but I will tell you that New Jersey Tea is delicious and hits the pallet somewhere between green and black tea.  It has a fantastic bitter quality which you find in actual Tea and which is quite impressive.  

New Jersey Tea brewing

Shin leaf is a relative of the wintergreen family. As are most wintergreen varieties it is traditionally used for indigestion and as a poultice.  It is may also be used for "sore eyes"  

Not to mention that it is a really beautiful plant.  But then, I tend to nerd out on plants so I suppose it's beauty is relative.  

Turkey Tail Fungus

Turkey Tails come in several colors and are quite aesthetic (camera strap = sorry)

Dried and made into tea, turkey tail fungus are touted as and effective anti-cancer medicine    

I wish I knew what sort of caterpillar this was... anyway it is quite exquisite 

Pipsissewa is a type of wintergreen which is beautiful and somewhat hard to find.  Once you learn what the leaves look like and where they are located (I tend to find them in red pine/white pine mixed with oak forests)  you can find the flowers in late June.  

Pipsissewa is, from my understanding, an Abenaki name.    

It is clearly used as an antiseptic and rubefacient (irritates the skin causing a dilation in capillaries and increased blood flow) and given these properties is used as a poultice.  

Pipsissewa has commonly been used for dropsy and rheumatism. Pipsissewa is also commonly cited for it's use in treating ulcers and 'cancer of the stomach'.

Abenaki uses include pain relief, chest colds and a sweat inducer.  The Leni Lenape used it for fever reduction. 

This little mushroom seemed to be gilded and studded with diamonds

Feasting on Fungus

"There are old mushroom hunters and bold mushroom hunters, but there are no old, bold mushroom hunters"  

This is the well known mantra of many wild mushroom eaters, and as cheesy as it may sound it is a good thing to keep in mind if ever you are considering eating a mushroom you have found anywhere but the grocery store.  

With this understanding I have ventured this fall into the world of delicious and intriguing edible mushrooms.   The following is a synopsis of the mushrooms which I have picked and eaten in the last month or so.   There are not many but they have been delicious and I have learned a lot about mushrooms which has been extremely satisfying.  

These are Common Oyster Mushrooms.  Notice that the Gills (the deep furrows which hold the spores) extend down the stem of the mushroom.   Also, the stems are slightly off-center which is very typical of Oysters.  The mushroom it's self is delicate and smells appealing.   This specimen was growing on a standing hardwood tree - although I found several other nice Oysters nearby which were growing on a dead and horizontal hardwood.   These particular mushrooms had little black beetles infesting some of them which was actually a welcome thing as they are another identifying factor.   There are many species of Oyster mushrooms and none are poisonous, though some are less palatable.  There are no poisonous lookalikes therefore this is a fairly safe mushroom to eat without concern.

Following a recipe that I found I battered them and breaded them with cracker crumbs and then fried them in butter.   I only ate two - it is always good to start with a small portion as some people have allergies, or may react negatively even to non-poisonous wild mushrooms.  The flavor was delicious although the texture was a bit slimy and not my favorite.   None the less, the experience was great and I will not hesitate to eat them again, perhaps trying another way of preparing them.  

 

It's a strange thing, I know, but I dreamed about these mushrooms the night before I happened upon them as I was running on a trail near my house.  I was actually not expecting to find these brilliantly orange Chanterelles, called Cinnabar Chanterelles.  You can be sure that I was extremely happy to find them and they were one of the reasons I became so fascinated with mushrooms this fall.  They are small but found in abundance.  In fact, I have found so many of them that I no longer always stop to pick them when I am out running (although I am always ridiculously delighted to see them)

Cinnabar Chanterelles have a fantastic flavor - this Quiche was one of the best I have ever made, deriving it's flavor from the sauteed Cinnabars.

A bit later in the season I started finding regular Chanterelles.   They are amazing.   Take a look at the "false gills" that these mushrooms have.  They are shallow ridges that extend a ways down the stem rather than the more severe and "sharp" gills of many mushrooms.   Chanterelles are brilliantly colored and these, unlike the Cinnabar variety, are not extremely delicate.  

Chanterelles have an flavor that you have to experience in order to understand.   They have a richness which is awesome and addicting.  I can see why people look forward to Chanterelle season all year long.   These "Chanterelle Puffs" were amazing!

Chanterelles, however, can be a bit trickier than Oysters to identify correctly.   These are some sort of "Gomphus" mushroom - they do not have true gills and could easily be mistaken for Chanterelles - however, the gills are deeper than Chanterelles' gills are and the velvety dark patch on the top of the mushroom cap is a give-away that they are not Chanterelles.   

These "Vase Chanterelles" also can be deceiving - but once you know what to look for they are easily avoided.   They are vase shaped - even holding water (sorry about the picture on the left, I took it with my phone on a day I realized that my sd card was at home).   They are quite impressive mushrooms.   Unlike the above mentioned Gomphus species, the "gills" on these Vases are very shallow and extend down the entire length of the mushroom.

Once you can identify a Chanterelle they are very hard to mistake - but don't think that anything resembling a "Chant" goes.

These Black Trumpets I did not cook, which I highly regret.  I hope that I find some more as these were my favorite find this year.   They smell absolutely amazing - like fresh fruit.  I had been searching for them without success when I stumbled upon them at the farm as I was out cutting some ash poles.   They have a very short season and turn into to a slimy mess quite quickly.   A week after I found these I came upon a huge patch of expired Black Trumpets which was a sad day for me.    But, there is still time this year and I hope to find some to eat.  If not, I will have a fun challenge for the next mushroom season.  

I have many more mushroom pictures and much more information to post - yet this concludes my feasting for this year.   Let me leave you with a few photos of  Destroying Angels, a beautiful pure white mushroom which is amazing to look at but will try to kill you if you venture a bite:

Here is a link to Cornell University's Mushroom Blog which outlines a fascinating story about mistaken mushroom identity and near death:

http://blog.mycology.cornell.edu/?p=68

Mayapples

American Mandrake, also known as Mayapples, Wild or Ground Lemon, Racoon Berry, Indian Apple, Wild Jalap, Maracocks, Citron and doubtlessly by many other names is deadly poisonous yet it also produces some of the most delicious wild fruits you will ever taste.  

These are Mayapples in early April.   Like many poisonous plants Mayapples are also extremely valuable medicinally.   The Phodophyllin which is lethal in too strong a dose, blocks cell division and has been used widely and successfully in treating cancer.  

(Mayapples in early May)

American Indians used (and I would imagine still use) Mayapples for a variety of purposes.   The roots are used as a potent Cathartic (purging drug/laxative).  It has also been used to treat ear infections, warts, skin eruptions, syphilis and worms.  

Mayapple plant in mid-late May

Mayapples were cultivated by the Algonquins and probably by other Native people as well.

A good patch is hard to miss as they are very distinct in shape and are really quite lovely.

Here in upstate New York Mayapples flower in late May or early June.  The flowers droop underneath the umbrella-like leaves. 

Mayapples are mentioned by both Samuel de Champlain in Canada and John Smith in Virginia in the early 17th century.   Many accounts of Mayapple refers to it's use as a suicide drug or as a poison.   If you accidentally eat a Mayapple root, or too much of the leaf or stalk, inducing vomiting can save you - but if you do not do so death can occur in a matter of hours. 

Mayapple fruits have an indescribable taste.   All I can say is that you should look for them in August and try them out.  You will understand why I wait expectantly all summer to harvest them.

I prefer to spit out the seeds, although I have never heard of them making someone sick.

DELICIOUS!

Oswegatchie part 2 (mid June)

The moon rising over Hitchins Pond

The sun rising on Low's Lake

Early morning grey Low's Lake

This Indian Cucumber Root was almost three inches long and the plant was around three feet tall.   After subsisting on dried food for a few days these roots are amazing.   Sweet, crispy, cool and cucumberey.

A closer view of an Indian Cucumber Root flower

Eaten in large amounts this root can serve as a diuretic.  The berries and leaves were once used to treat convulsions in babies.   Also, the chewed up roots, placed on a hook, should make the fish bite.

A beautiful Loon sitting on her nest at Big Deer Pond

Orange Hawkweed 

Clintonia, or Bluebead Lillies.  These lilies are past prime for eating the leaves as salad greens however they still maintain a pleasant cucumber-like aroma.

Tamarack Trees have a wide variety of uses.   The roots can be used to make twined or woven bags and also as rope for stitching materials together.   Young Tamarack shoots can be boiled and eaten as food and the Phloem can be made into flour.  Medicinally Tamarack is good for bruises, swelling and inflammation.  Leaves and bark can be burned and the fumes inhaled to treat headaches.  Tamarack also produces a pitch which can be used to patch leaking vessels and can be chewed as gum or candy.  

I won't pretend to be an expert fisherwoman but I will say that portaging 3.5 miles through beaver meadows in the rain was completely worth the trip down the Brook Trout laden river. There is nothing like fresh, pink Trout fried in butter after a long paddle.  

Fishing at High Falls

I can happily sit and stare for a very long time at the concussion of waters in a wild stream

Fishing the pool at the top of High Falls

The Black Waters reflecting the sky, brush and shadows

High Rock.  The last leg.

Laurels are very pretty to look at lining the marshy banks of the river

These plants are extremely poisonous.  Some cases of Laurel Poisoning have been blamed on eating honey made from these flowers.  They do have value when combined with fat and used as a poultice for headaches.   The only other uses I have seen consistently referenced for Sheep or Bog Laurel are for treating Syphilis and Mange (scabies).  Cases of accidental poisoning when using Laurels for treatments are frequently found.    Yikes.     

Oswegatchie at dusk

None of the berries, including these Serviceberries, were ripe for eating in mid-June

Tiny Wintergreen berries beginning to grow

Another week or so until these lowbush Blueberries are ready

The seeds of this Yellow Pond Lily or Bullhead Lily can be parched and eaten or ground into flour.   The root stock can be boiled and eaten.