Claire Goes Foraging

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Author book event next week

Both Scott and I will be hawking our wares at this book event at the Tulsa Public Library next week. It is an annual event and we are happy that we get to participate this year with both of our books. If you are in Tulsa or the area... please stop in and introduce yourselves.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1687979241438395/

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Sun Chokes

Do you remember where you saw the wild sunflowers blooming in the summer? Well I do! I let them grow in my back yard and transferred some of the tubers to my garden. They grow very tall so they make a good trellis for light weight plants that climb like peas. Now in the winter it is time to treat yourself to the tubers that are right under the ground. They look a little like deformed potatoes and can be fried like potatoes. ( That is the way I like them best) So if you miss having something to eat from the wild during the cold months dig some up! I only dig a few each time as they are best

Friday, November 6, 2015

making persimmon kambucha today

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Persimmon/Crab Apple Latte

When Scott and I went for a hike the other day we noticed there were tons of crab apple trees. We know that they are kind of bitter so we weren't going to pick any but then we saw that there were over ripe ones ( squishy like applesauce in a handy carrying case :-) Anyways, those were DELISH! so we picked a bunch of them, added them to the bag of persimmons and came home. This morning I made a wonderful, spicy persimmon, crab apple latte with cinnamon, cloves, red pepper.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Copies of Claire Goes Foraging will be available at TAC throughout the month of November

The first couple of paintings are hung for our show of poetry and paintings

the TAC Gallery in Tulsa

Monday, November 2, 2015

Book Reading at the Phoenix Book End in Tulsa

Not sure which time slot I will be in at the moment but both Scott and I will be reading from our books, him from "These Stones" and me, from "Claire goes Foraging." November 14th. Check their facebook page for updated times

Scott makes Passion Fruit Curd

We basically combined several recipes for this easy to make pudding

Why a Book?

Ever since I was a little girl I enjoyed exploring the woods and fields, picking wild mint by the creek, gathering dandelions for cooked greens and dandelion wine, and tasting the sweet drops that fell from the honey suckle flower. I learned the names of many wild things and because we had a very large garden that we children helped our mother tend, I also learned how to grow and identify common vegetable garden plants. I liked gathering the vegetables and planting but never quite warmed up to weeding. Weeding always felt like work to me.

Maybe that is why I got interested in finding a good excuse for allowing the weeds to grow. You can let them grow if they are food.

Fast forward many years and now I am an artist and still an avid forager. I am part of a foraging group in my town and continue to learn about the bounty that surrounds us.

I have been disturbed to know that many adults and children in our country go to bed hungry every night while this bounty is right outside their door. My hope is that those children and their parents will have their eyes open to available food even in an urban area and never have to go hungry again.

The food that I talk about in the book is highly nutritious and when properly prepared, delicious. I only mention a few common 'weeds.' There are many others. I encourage children and parents to do like Claire and research on their own using their computer or by visiting the local library.

Never eat a wild plant that you don't know. Learn first and then eat!