Learning to forage, to survive on wild edibles, gives you a connection to the world, and to your ability to survive in it, that buying plastic wrapped grocery items, simply can not provide. We think that's a good thing! Here is a sample of our Rocky Mountain Foraging Guide. Below you will find information about the following plants (More to come):
- Cat's Ear: False Dandelion, Flatweed, Hypochaeris radicata
- Currants/Wax Currants: Ribes cerem
- Great Mullein: Common Mullein, Velvet Dock, Verbascum Thapsus
- Raspberry: Wild Raspberry, American Red Raspberry, Rubus idaeus
- Juniper/Rocky Mountain Juniper: Juniperus scopulorum
- King Bolete: Porcini, Boletus edulis
Cat’s Ear (False Dandelion, Flatweed)
Hypochaeris radicata
Growing up, I remember always seeing this dandelion look alike, and wondering what it was. Turns out it was cat’s ear, an Old World green that is tasty in many dishes. Because they are so frequently confused with dandelion, specific range and historical data on cat’s ear is somewhat lacking. Cat’s ear is a bitter green and the flowers share this attribute, but all parts are somewhat less bitter than the dandelion.
Cat’s ear is sometimes called flatweed because the low growing rosettes can escape the teeth of a lawn mower, furthering this edible’s ability to take over your lawn. Even the upright flower stalks can be pushed down by the mower and then bounce back up. In the event that flower stalks are cut down, the plant will begin sending up shorter flowers that mature much more quickly. The good news is that because of their tendency to grow in lawns, cat’s ear makes for easy and healthy foraging right out of your back door.
Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers, Buds, Bud Stems, Roots.
Range: Has naturalized throughout the US from its native Eurasia, and is found in a wide variety of habitats. Especially prolific in lawns, roadsides and fields. Requires stable soil to germinate and germinates in spring and fall about a month after dandelions. Flourishes in rich, moist soil and in full sun. Elevation: Found throughout the US in USDA Zones 3-11.
Identification: Cat’s ear is a perennial in the Aster family that begins producing flowers in the first year. Its leaves grow in upright or flat rosette formation around a central tap root and the plant sends up multiple flowering stalks each year. Stalks are branched with about 2-3 branches per stalk, each of which produce one composite yellow, dandelion-looking flower, that seeds into a white puff ball. In contrast, dandelion stalks are not branched. Flower stalks are about 6-12 inches tall and leaves can also be up to 12 inches. A burst of blooms appears in spring about a month after dandelions and a month after the leaves begin to grow, but will continue to bloom through mid-fall. Unlike dandelions, when the flowers open, they are not yet fully formed, taking a few days to reach their full size, which is about 40-75% the size of a dandelion flower.
Cat’s ear also differs from dandelion in that the leaves are hairy on both sides. A single plant’s leaf cluster can adapt from upright to flat if needed to escape the lawn mower. Like dandelion leaves, cat’s ear comes in a variety if shapes. The leaves are long and thin and can be slightly jagged or deeply lobed.
Caution: Milky sap from leaves and bud stems (stalks) can stain clothes. Older leaves and stalks are tough.
Preparation: Leaves, flowers, buds and stalks can be eaten raw or cooked and are delicious sautéed, steamed, boiled or in baked casseroles. Place raw leaves and stalks in water after harvesting if they are not going to be eaten immediately. Roots can be roasted and used for coffee substitute. Flowers will wilt soon after picking so best to pick just before eating if serving raw.
Trail Recipe: Sautéed Cat’s Ear Leaves and Bud Stalks with Sea Salt
Heat olive oil in skillet. Add the bud and 4 inches of the bud stem and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add the chopped young leaves (those found towards the center of the rosette) of Cat’s Ear and sauté for 2-4 minutes or until bright green and just tender. Remove from heat, add coarse sea salt, and enjoy. Variation: Sprinkle truffle oil and frizzled onions on top.
Home Recipe: Fresh Cat’s Ear Salad
Most foragers will agree that one of the best things about spring, summer and fall are the fresh salads! Leaves, buds, stems and flowers can all be tossed into a salad. Combine equal parts lettuce, cat’s ear leaves, spinach, and arugula. Toss with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, a dash of soy sauce, salt and freshly grated pepper. Toss well and sprinkle on flax seeds and sesame seeds. Top with cat’s ear flowers, either whole or separated petals. Variation: Add fresh raw corn, thinly sliced raw beets, candied pecans, or other fresh vegetables.
Cat’s ear is sometimes called flatweed because the low growing rosettes can escape the teeth of a lawn mower, furthering this edible’s ability to take over your lawn. Even the upright flower stalks can be pushed down by the mower and then bounce back up. In the event that flower stalks are cut down, the plant will begin sending up shorter flowers that mature much more quickly. The good news is that because of their tendency to grow in lawns, cat’s ear makes for easy and healthy foraging right out of your back door.
Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers, Buds, Bud Stems, Roots.
Range: Has naturalized throughout the US from its native Eurasia, and is found in a wide variety of habitats. Especially prolific in lawns, roadsides and fields. Requires stable soil to germinate and germinates in spring and fall about a month after dandelions. Flourishes in rich, moist soil and in full sun. Elevation: Found throughout the US in USDA Zones 3-11.
Identification: Cat’s ear is a perennial in the Aster family that begins producing flowers in the first year. Its leaves grow in upright or flat rosette formation around a central tap root and the plant sends up multiple flowering stalks each year. Stalks are branched with about 2-3 branches per stalk, each of which produce one composite yellow, dandelion-looking flower, that seeds into a white puff ball. In contrast, dandelion stalks are not branched. Flower stalks are about 6-12 inches tall and leaves can also be up to 12 inches. A burst of blooms appears in spring about a month after dandelions and a month after the leaves begin to grow, but will continue to bloom through mid-fall. Unlike dandelions, when the flowers open, they are not yet fully formed, taking a few days to reach their full size, which is about 40-75% the size of a dandelion flower.
Cat’s ear also differs from dandelion in that the leaves are hairy on both sides. A single plant’s leaf cluster can adapt from upright to flat if needed to escape the lawn mower. Like dandelion leaves, cat’s ear comes in a variety if shapes. The leaves are long and thin and can be slightly jagged or deeply lobed.
Caution: Milky sap from leaves and bud stems (stalks) can stain clothes. Older leaves and stalks are tough.
Preparation: Leaves, flowers, buds and stalks can be eaten raw or cooked and are delicious sautéed, steamed, boiled or in baked casseroles. Place raw leaves and stalks in water after harvesting if they are not going to be eaten immediately. Roots can be roasted and used for coffee substitute. Flowers will wilt soon after picking so best to pick just before eating if serving raw.
Trail Recipe: Sautéed Cat’s Ear Leaves and Bud Stalks with Sea Salt
Heat olive oil in skillet. Add the bud and 4 inches of the bud stem and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add the chopped young leaves (those found towards the center of the rosette) of Cat’s Ear and sauté for 2-4 minutes or until bright green and just tender. Remove from heat, add coarse sea salt, and enjoy. Variation: Sprinkle truffle oil and frizzled onions on top.
Home Recipe: Fresh Cat’s Ear Salad
Most foragers will agree that one of the best things about spring, summer and fall are the fresh salads! Leaves, buds, stems and flowers can all be tossed into a salad. Combine equal parts lettuce, cat’s ear leaves, spinach, and arugula. Toss with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, a dash of soy sauce, salt and freshly grated pepper. Toss well and sprinkle on flax seeds and sesame seeds. Top with cat’s ear flowers, either whole or separated petals. Variation: Add fresh raw corn, thinly sliced raw beets, candied pecans, or other fresh vegetables.
Currants/Wax Currants
Ribes cerem
Standing on a high ridge in the foothills outside of Boulder, Colorado, I am surrounded by a rolling field dotted with 4-foot high currant bushes, all filled with bright reddish-orange berries. The aspens are turning yellow and I can see for miles in all directions and up to the Continental Divide where snow has recently dusted the high peaks. I smell a whiff of sage and realize that Fall is settling into the Rocky Mountains. This is currant season! I am picking wax currants and thinking about how many of these delicate little berries the local Bears must pick to nourish their massive bodies in preparation for the long winter slumber. This is slow going work, but I get a sense that this has been done before, right here in this very field, and not just by human hands.
Wax currants are bright red or red-orange and somewhat translucent. They epitomize foraging in the Rocky Mountains because these hardy bushes are so prolific and they literally grow out of rocks. They can be found thriving in dry soil throughout the region. Wax currants are related to Black Currants (R. hudsonianum) which are also edible.
Edible Parts: Berries, Young Leaves.
Range: Dry sunny hillsides, forest edges, ridges, sagebrush fields and disturbed areas from British Columbia to northern New Mexico. Elevation: About 5,000 to 13,000 feet.
Identification: Wax currant is a native, deciduous smooth barked shrub ranging from 1-5 feet tall. Small tubular white, pinkish or greenish, elongated, 5-sepaled clusters of 2-8 flowers give way to clusters of mild flavored berries in late summer or fall. Leaves are fan-shaped and often lobed like a maple leaf. Berries and leaves have resin glands which can make the berries appear dusty. Reproduction: Scarred seeds spread by birds and mammals.
Caution: It is said that large quantities can cause nausea and even vomiting.
Preparation: Berries can be eaten raw or cooked. Young leaves are also edible. My favorite way to eat currents is after some physical exertion, like riding my bicycle along a rural mountain road, or climbing to the top of a rock cliff. As my friends are opening their sports bars, I can be found standing next to a currant bush and appreciating nature’s juicy little bounty.
Trail Recipe: Hearty Wild Currant Pancakes
Combine the following: Your favorite organic multi grain pancake mix. The type that only needs water is best. Add 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground cinnamon. Add Water as directed. Heat skillet to medium/high. Add generous amounts of butter, coconut oil or bacon grease. Spoon pancake batter onto skillet and immediately add a scoop of Currants to each pancake. Flip when bubbles begin to pop. Serve with real maple syrup or unbleached fair trade sugar. Variation: Add chopped almonds and flax seeds.
Home Recipe: Lemon Meringue Pudding with Fresh Wild Currants
Sift together 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar. Whisk in 2 cups boiling water until mixture becomes smooth. Heat double boiler until water in bottom level is simmering then add the flour-water mixture and cook for five minutes stirring occasionally.
In a separate bowl while the mixture is simmering, beat 4 egg yolks. Stir several tablespoons of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks (to temper), then slowly add the beaten egg yolks to the hot mixture and continue simmering in the double boiler. Stir in grated rind of 2 lemons, 1 tablespoon butter, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ cup lemon juice. Stir constantly, and cook until the mixture becomes smooth and thick. Spoon into bowls and top with fresh currants. Serve at any temperature. Variation: Add a dollop of meringue or whipped cream.
Wax currants are bright red or red-orange and somewhat translucent. They epitomize foraging in the Rocky Mountains because these hardy bushes are so prolific and they literally grow out of rocks. They can be found thriving in dry soil throughout the region. Wax currants are related to Black Currants (R. hudsonianum) which are also edible.
Edible Parts: Berries, Young Leaves.
Range: Dry sunny hillsides, forest edges, ridges, sagebrush fields and disturbed areas from British Columbia to northern New Mexico. Elevation: About 5,000 to 13,000 feet.
Identification: Wax currant is a native, deciduous smooth barked shrub ranging from 1-5 feet tall. Small tubular white, pinkish or greenish, elongated, 5-sepaled clusters of 2-8 flowers give way to clusters of mild flavored berries in late summer or fall. Leaves are fan-shaped and often lobed like a maple leaf. Berries and leaves have resin glands which can make the berries appear dusty. Reproduction: Scarred seeds spread by birds and mammals.
Caution: It is said that large quantities can cause nausea and even vomiting.
Preparation: Berries can be eaten raw or cooked. Young leaves are also edible. My favorite way to eat currents is after some physical exertion, like riding my bicycle along a rural mountain road, or climbing to the top of a rock cliff. As my friends are opening their sports bars, I can be found standing next to a currant bush and appreciating nature’s juicy little bounty.
Trail Recipe: Hearty Wild Currant Pancakes
Combine the following: Your favorite organic multi grain pancake mix. The type that only needs water is best. Add 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground cinnamon. Add Water as directed. Heat skillet to medium/high. Add generous amounts of butter, coconut oil or bacon grease. Spoon pancake batter onto skillet and immediately add a scoop of Currants to each pancake. Flip when bubbles begin to pop. Serve with real maple syrup or unbleached fair trade sugar. Variation: Add chopped almonds and flax seeds.
Home Recipe: Lemon Meringue Pudding with Fresh Wild Currants
Sift together 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar. Whisk in 2 cups boiling water until mixture becomes smooth. Heat double boiler until water in bottom level is simmering then add the flour-water mixture and cook for five minutes stirring occasionally.
In a separate bowl while the mixture is simmering, beat 4 egg yolks. Stir several tablespoons of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks (to temper), then slowly add the beaten egg yolks to the hot mixture and continue simmering in the double boiler. Stir in grated rind of 2 lemons, 1 tablespoon butter, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ cup lemon juice. Stir constantly, and cook until the mixture becomes smooth and thick. Spoon into bowls and top with fresh currants. Serve at any temperature. Variation: Add a dollop of meringue or whipped cream.
Great Mullein (Common Mullein, Velvet Dock)
Verbascum Thapsus
If you like to identify your plants from 100 feet away or while driving 60 miles per hour, Mullein is the edible for you. Not only are the leaves and flowers nourishing and medicinal, it is said that Native Americans laid the soft, thick, velvety leaves inside of their moccasins as a comforting insole. This European transplant is similar to Evening Primrose in that it is a tall stalked biennial that flowers in its second year. Both have a low growing basal rosette leaf cluster that sits close to the ground in the first year, only sending up the tall flowering stalk in the second year. Great mullein is non-native but is not an aggressive plant so is not considered invasive.
Edible Parts: Leaves, flowers.
Range: Mullein grows in sunny disturbed areas along roadsides, vacant lots and in open fields. Originally from Europe, it has now naturalized throughout the United States including Alaska and Hawaii. Elevation: From sea level totree line.
Identification: In the first year, the Mullein leaf rosette is comprised of large, gray-green rounded leaves that that are thick and covered in soft fine hairs giving it the look and feel of velvet, similar to Lamb’s Ears. In the second year, the plant sends up a large straight stalk that produces densely packed yellow flowers along the stalk. Mullein grows from about 1-8 feet tall but is usually around 4-6 feet.
Nutrition: Mullein is also called Lungwort because of its medicinal properties. The leaves and fresh flowers can be steeped as a tea and are said to alleviate coughs, lung disorders, nasal congestion and sore throat. Smoking dried leaves is said to alleviate the symptoms of asthma. The plant also provides Vitamins B2, B5, B12, and D, choline, hesperidin, para amino benzoic acid, magnesium, and sulfur.
Caution: The seeds are toxic and should not be eaten. They are also toxic to fish. The hairs on the leaves are a rubefacient which can be irritating to the skin, although some people claim it makes a good natural toilet paper when in need. Tea made with the flowers can be a sedative so be sure to experiment with small amounts first. When making tea, be sure to strain it well to remove the fine hairs which can cause significant irritation.
Preparation: Mullein can be used as a poultice to reduce swelling and help heal sprains, as a tea, an expectorant, and for the nutritional benefits. Also has antibacterial properties.
Trail Recipe: Mullein Flower and Rose Hip Tea
There’s nothing more annoying that carrying extra weight on a backpacking trip, and whenever I bring tea bags, they simply don’t get used. I am far more inclined to hydrate myself with tea when the ingredients are foraged, and in the dry Rocky Mountains, hydration is essential. The yellow flowers and fresh leaves can be steeped as tea for a nutritious trail drink.
Boil hot water and steep a heaping spoonful of leaves and/or flowers for 10 minutes. If your tea is made with leaves, strain well with a fine sieve to remove the irritating hairs. Variation: If you can find them, add some fresh rose hips for a punch of vitamin C, or earlier in the season, wild rose petals to keep you healthy on your journey. Add a little honey to this bright yellow tea and your Gatorade drinking friends will be dragging in comparison.
Home Recipe: Great Mullein Torch
Great mullein can be dipped in suet or wax and used as a torch. Melt candle wax and dip several times to create multiple wax layers. Let dry in between layers. Take care with open flame and NEVER leave unattended or burning where there is risk of starting a fire.
Edible Parts: Leaves, flowers.
Range: Mullein grows in sunny disturbed areas along roadsides, vacant lots and in open fields. Originally from Europe, it has now naturalized throughout the United States including Alaska and Hawaii. Elevation: From sea level totree line.
Identification: In the first year, the Mullein leaf rosette is comprised of large, gray-green rounded leaves that that are thick and covered in soft fine hairs giving it the look and feel of velvet, similar to Lamb’s Ears. In the second year, the plant sends up a large straight stalk that produces densely packed yellow flowers along the stalk. Mullein grows from about 1-8 feet tall but is usually around 4-6 feet.
Nutrition: Mullein is also called Lungwort because of its medicinal properties. The leaves and fresh flowers can be steeped as a tea and are said to alleviate coughs, lung disorders, nasal congestion and sore throat. Smoking dried leaves is said to alleviate the symptoms of asthma. The plant also provides Vitamins B2, B5, B12, and D, choline, hesperidin, para amino benzoic acid, magnesium, and sulfur.
Caution: The seeds are toxic and should not be eaten. They are also toxic to fish. The hairs on the leaves are a rubefacient which can be irritating to the skin, although some people claim it makes a good natural toilet paper when in need. Tea made with the flowers can be a sedative so be sure to experiment with small amounts first. When making tea, be sure to strain it well to remove the fine hairs which can cause significant irritation.
Preparation: Mullein can be used as a poultice to reduce swelling and help heal sprains, as a tea, an expectorant, and for the nutritional benefits. Also has antibacterial properties.
Trail Recipe: Mullein Flower and Rose Hip Tea
There’s nothing more annoying that carrying extra weight on a backpacking trip, and whenever I bring tea bags, they simply don’t get used. I am far more inclined to hydrate myself with tea when the ingredients are foraged, and in the dry Rocky Mountains, hydration is essential. The yellow flowers and fresh leaves can be steeped as tea for a nutritious trail drink.
Boil hot water and steep a heaping spoonful of leaves and/or flowers for 10 minutes. If your tea is made with leaves, strain well with a fine sieve to remove the irritating hairs. Variation: If you can find them, add some fresh rose hips for a punch of vitamin C, or earlier in the season, wild rose petals to keep you healthy on your journey. Add a little honey to this bright yellow tea and your Gatorade drinking friends will be dragging in comparison.
Home Recipe: Great Mullein Torch
Great mullein can be dipped in suet or wax and used as a torch. Melt candle wax and dip several times to create multiple wax layers. Let dry in between layers. Take care with open flame and NEVER leave unattended or burning where there is risk of starting a fire.
Raspberry (Wild Raspberry, American Red Raspberry)
Rubus idaeus
The psychological aspect of foraging cannot be understated. Most people in the U.S. have no experience with picking and eating wild plants and have a huge mental barrier to doing so. Part of the hesitance is the fear of eating something poisonous. This is rational but must be overcome in order to break into the wonderful world of foraging! For this reason, raspberries are a beginning forager’s dream and a great gateway wild edible. Almost everyone already knows what raspberries look like, they can’t reasonably be mistaken for anything poisonous, and they are incredibly prevalent throughout the Rocky Mountain Region. In fact, they grow along trails (sunny disturbed areas especially) throughout the entire U.S. so the beginner has access to wild raspberries even on easy hiking trails. Primarily pollinated by bees.
Edible Parts: Berries, leaves, roots.
Range: Widespread throughout the US except in the very southern states. Found in disturbed areas, sun-dappled openings in forests, and along roadways and woodland borders.Also found on steep slopes but usually smaller here.Does well in full sun and partial shade. Can tolerate both dry and moist conditions. Elevation: Hardy to Zone 3.
Identification: A deciduous shrub with a perennial root system that sends up biennial stalks from which small 5-petaled flowers produce prolific red raspberries in late summer or fall. The shrubs can grow 1.6 to 9.8 feet high but are usually seen throughout the Rockies closer to 3-4 feet in height. Sharply pointed leaves are alternate and pinnately compound in leaflets of 3-5. Raspberry is in the Rose family (Rosaceae) and like the rose, are also covered in thorns, so take care when picking. Fruits are actually aggregates of drupelets that are commonly referred to as a "berry."
Caution: None.
Preparation: Berries can be eaten raw or cooked. Leaves can be used as tea fresh or dried. Leaves are known to be useful for the female reproductive tract and in alleviating menstrual cramps.
Trail Recipe: Hot Cereal and Fresh Raspberries
An excellent addition to oatmeal or cream of wheat! With some crushed almonds or walnuts, and local honey, you will be ready for the next adventure!
Home Recipe: Grandma Buddy’s Homemade Raspberry Pie
I loved my Grandma Buddy for many reasons and her homemade raspberry pie very well might be reason #1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Filling:
Measure proper amount of raspberries by filling your empty pie dish to overflowing. Transfer berries to large bowl. Add 3/4 cup sugar, grated rind of one lemon, and 3-4 tablespoons tapioca. Stir gently to combine and set aside.
Crust:
Combine 2 cups All Purpose Flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Cut in 3/4 cup coconut oil or butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some small pea sized pieces. Sprinkle in 2-4 tablespoons of the chilled water and mix gently, crushing remaining balls of flour. If needed, add 2-4 additional tablespoons of the water and combine. Shape dough into 2 even balls. Roll dough on a lightly floured work surface into circles 2-inches wider than the pie plate. Transfer one section to pie plate and gently press along the plate.
Fill unbaked pie crust with the raspberry mixture. Add a few slices of butter to the top of the heap if desired. Place the top crust on top of the berries and fold and pinch edges to secure top crust to bottom crust. Using a fork, poke a few holes in the top crust. Place pie in preheated 400 degree oven. After 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for about 45 minutes to an hour or until juice is actively bubbling out of the crust and the crust is just beginning to brown.
Edible Parts: Berries, leaves, roots.
Range: Widespread throughout the US except in the very southern states. Found in disturbed areas, sun-dappled openings in forests, and along roadways and woodland borders.Also found on steep slopes but usually smaller here.Does well in full sun and partial shade. Can tolerate both dry and moist conditions. Elevation: Hardy to Zone 3.
Identification: A deciduous shrub with a perennial root system that sends up biennial stalks from which small 5-petaled flowers produce prolific red raspberries in late summer or fall. The shrubs can grow 1.6 to 9.8 feet high but are usually seen throughout the Rockies closer to 3-4 feet in height. Sharply pointed leaves are alternate and pinnately compound in leaflets of 3-5. Raspberry is in the Rose family (Rosaceae) and like the rose, are also covered in thorns, so take care when picking. Fruits are actually aggregates of drupelets that are commonly referred to as a "berry."
Caution: None.
Preparation: Berries can be eaten raw or cooked. Leaves can be used as tea fresh or dried. Leaves are known to be useful for the female reproductive tract and in alleviating menstrual cramps.
Trail Recipe: Hot Cereal and Fresh Raspberries
An excellent addition to oatmeal or cream of wheat! With some crushed almonds or walnuts, and local honey, you will be ready for the next adventure!
Home Recipe: Grandma Buddy’s Homemade Raspberry Pie
I loved my Grandma Buddy for many reasons and her homemade raspberry pie very well might be reason #1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Filling:
Measure proper amount of raspberries by filling your empty pie dish to overflowing. Transfer berries to large bowl. Add 3/4 cup sugar, grated rind of one lemon, and 3-4 tablespoons tapioca. Stir gently to combine and set aside.
Crust:
Combine 2 cups All Purpose Flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Cut in 3/4 cup coconut oil or butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some small pea sized pieces. Sprinkle in 2-4 tablespoons of the chilled water and mix gently, crushing remaining balls of flour. If needed, add 2-4 additional tablespoons of the water and combine. Shape dough into 2 even balls. Roll dough on a lightly floured work surface into circles 2-inches wider than the pie plate. Transfer one section to pie plate and gently press along the plate.
Fill unbaked pie crust with the raspberry mixture. Add a few slices of butter to the top of the heap if desired. Place the top crust on top of the berries and fold and pinch edges to secure top crust to bottom crust. Using a fork, poke a few holes in the top crust. Place pie in preheated 400 degree oven. After 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for about 45 minutes to an hour or until juice is actively bubbling out of the crust and the crust is just beginning to brown.
Juniper/Rocky Mountain Juniper
Juniperus scopulorum
As an Anthropology major in college, I used to daydream about what our prehistoric ancestors ate. I wondered what it really meant to be a hunter-gatherer, how they made it through the dry spells of the arid American West or the brutal winters of the Rocky Mountains. Juniper shrubs and their powdery blue berries are prolific throughout the West, and are known to have been a staple, both fresh and dried, for native dwellers. Dried they were ground into flour and eaten as mush or shaped into cakes for winter use. It is also possible to harvest juniper berries year round as they take 2-3 years to fully mature, making them part of nature’s year-round pantry.
Edible Parts: Berries are edible as mush or cakes, roasted as coffee, and to flavor gin, meats and vegetables. Leaves and stems used for tea.
Range: Rocky Mountain Juniper lives in dry, rocky slopes from British Columbia and Alberta to New Mexico. Can be used for screens or hedges. Elevation: Hardy to USDA Zone 3.
Identification: An erect shrub, that appears more like a small tree, forms a dense conical or pyramidal shape that grows from 3 feet to 33 feet tall and when mature is usually about 20-30 feet. Leaves begin as needle-like and when mature are covered in small scales. The Rocky Mountain Juniper also has prolific array of small, hard, powdery blue or purplish cones that most people refer to as berries about ¼ to 3/8 inches. The Common Juniper (about 3.5 feet tall) and the Creeping Juniper (low shrub) have similar blue or purple berries that are also edible although there are variations in flavor.
Caution: Can cause kidney failure, convulsions and irritated digestive tract with overdoses. Pregnant women, children under 12, people with cancer and people with kidney disease should NOT ingest.
Preparation: Fruits take 2-3 years to mature. They are green in the first year and turn deep blue or purple when mature. They are sweetest in the Fall of the 2nd year and in the 3rd year. Can be harvested year round. Used as a spice like pepper or rosemary, cooked with meats or fish or as medicinal tea. When cooking with meat, use 6 berries per pound of meat. Berries are now best known as a flavoring for gin. Use fresh or dried.
Trail Recipe:
Tea can be made by steeping about 20 berries in hot water for 8 minutes. Do not consume more than 2 cups a day. Mush can also be made by crushing mature berries and adding hot water. Cover and let sit for a few minutes. Mush can also be added to rice and eaten with soy sauce or syrup.
Home Recipe: Simple Lamb or Venison Stew with Crushed Juniper Berries
Combine in a crock pot: 2 pounds lamb or venison with bones, 12 crushed fresh or dried juniper berries, 4 carrots chopped, 4 stalks celery chopped, 3 potatoes cubed, half cup black eyed peas, half teaspoon turmeric, 5 bay leaves, 1 jalapeño (or less to taste) and fill crock pot with water. Cook on high for several hours. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook at least another hour. Add additional water during cooking if needed.
Edible Parts: Berries are edible as mush or cakes, roasted as coffee, and to flavor gin, meats and vegetables. Leaves and stems used for tea.
Range: Rocky Mountain Juniper lives in dry, rocky slopes from British Columbia and Alberta to New Mexico. Can be used for screens or hedges. Elevation: Hardy to USDA Zone 3.
Identification: An erect shrub, that appears more like a small tree, forms a dense conical or pyramidal shape that grows from 3 feet to 33 feet tall and when mature is usually about 20-30 feet. Leaves begin as needle-like and when mature are covered in small scales. The Rocky Mountain Juniper also has prolific array of small, hard, powdery blue or purplish cones that most people refer to as berries about ¼ to 3/8 inches. The Common Juniper (about 3.5 feet tall) and the Creeping Juniper (low shrub) have similar blue or purple berries that are also edible although there are variations in flavor.
Caution: Can cause kidney failure, convulsions and irritated digestive tract with overdoses. Pregnant women, children under 12, people with cancer and people with kidney disease should NOT ingest.
Preparation: Fruits take 2-3 years to mature. They are green in the first year and turn deep blue or purple when mature. They are sweetest in the Fall of the 2nd year and in the 3rd year. Can be harvested year round. Used as a spice like pepper or rosemary, cooked with meats or fish or as medicinal tea. When cooking with meat, use 6 berries per pound of meat. Berries are now best known as a flavoring for gin. Use fresh or dried.
Trail Recipe:
Tea can be made by steeping about 20 berries in hot water for 8 minutes. Do not consume more than 2 cups a day. Mush can also be made by crushing mature berries and adding hot water. Cover and let sit for a few minutes. Mush can also be added to rice and eaten with soy sauce or syrup.
Home Recipe: Simple Lamb or Venison Stew with Crushed Juniper Berries
Combine in a crock pot: 2 pounds lamb or venison with bones, 12 crushed fresh or dried juniper berries, 4 carrots chopped, 4 stalks celery chopped, 3 potatoes cubed, half cup black eyed peas, half teaspoon turmeric, 5 bay leaves, 1 jalapeño (or less to taste) and fill crock pot with water. Cook on high for several hours. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook at least another hour. Add additional water during cooking if needed.
King Bolete (Porcini)
Boletus edulis
CAUTION: A word of caution: Do not eat any foraged mushroom until you are very experienced and are an expert at identifying mushrooms. Many mushrooms are poisonous and can cause severe gastrointestinal distress or even death. Beginners should look, take photos, but never eat. There can be many look-a-likes for the untrained eye.
The king bolete, a spectacular looking, fat, brown to red mushroom, with a thick white to brown stock, appears in mid to late summer or early fall in the high Rockies. This sought after, hearty mushroom has a mild or nutty taste and can be collected and eaten fresh, or dried for later use. After late summer rains, these giants will appear almost overnight growing straight out of the ground or on fallen wood, and are a delight to find while backpacking. King boletes can also be found along roadsides, and in remote areas.
The size of these mushrooms is impressive, and the taste is even more impressive. I was amazed the first time I came upon these while backpacking in the James Peak Wilderness area near the continental divide in Colorado. Fresh and frequent rains in mid August brought them to life, and we noticed them near the high altitude ponds. On our drive home from the trailhead, along the road to Rollinsville, we happened upon a French couple on a motorcycle with a large paper bag collecting this traditional European treat. We were elated that we had this hearty food source in the mountains so close to home.
Edible Parts: Entire mushroom, including stalk. Spongy tubes on underside of cap can be removed since they are watery, but can be cooked separately or added to soups and other dishes.
Range: Rocky Mountains in higher elevations from New Mexico north to Wyoming and Montana. Favors coniferous forests. Elevation: Up to 11,500 feet.
Identification: A medium sized to large mushroom with a white to brown (never yellow) club-shaped stalk that is at least 1 inch thick, and a brown, yellow brown, or reddish cap. This type of mushroom has tubes and pores on the underside of the cap, instead of gills, and the underside area does NOT stain blue or brown when bruised (unlike other mushrooms in the bolete family). There is always some reticulation on the stalk beneath the cap. Should have a mild or nutty taste, and never bitter.
Caution: Beware of poisonous members of the bolete family, such as Satan’s bolete. Satan’s bolete has a whitish to grey cap with a red underside. This poisonous mushroom stains blue when cut or bruised, making it easy to know that this is not the king bolete. No person should attempt to eat any wild mushroom unless they are experienced in mushroom identification and foraging.
Preparation: Tubes/pores on underside can be removed to avoid excess water. Can be sliced and dry sautéed fresh, or dried and stored in jars for later use. Dry sautéing is a method used for mushrooms with high water content, and starts using no oil or butter. The moisture is cooked out for several minutes and poured off. Then oil or butter is used to finish the sauté.
Trail Recipe: Sautéed Fresh Boletes with Sea Salt
After rubbing off any dirt, slice freshly harvested king bolete. Heat skillet over medium heat and dry sauté the mushroom slices for five to ten minutes, stirring frequently. Pour off moisture and add a few teaspoons of olive oil. Sauté for five minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve alone or with fresh bread or pasta.
Home Recipe: Vegetarian Porcini and Parmesan Soup
Clean 4 large fresh porcini mushrooms by dry rubbing surface. Roughly chop the porcini into medium sized pieces. Heat soup pot on medium-high heat and add 4 tablespoons olive oil and 3 tablespoons unsalted butter. When hot, add the porcini and mix into the oil. Stir occasionally for 3 minutes. Add 1 sprig nepitella, or equal parts fresh mint and oregano. Add a splash of vegetable stock, salt and pepper, and stir gently to combine. The porcini will soften and create a thick sauce. Add 5 cups vegetable stock to cover the porcini. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer partially covered 30 minutes.
When soup has been simmering about 25 minutes, in a small bowl, beat together 2 eggs and 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese. Drizzle mixture into the simmering broth. Stir it in and serve immediately.
The king bolete, a spectacular looking, fat, brown to red mushroom, with a thick white to brown stock, appears in mid to late summer or early fall in the high Rockies. This sought after, hearty mushroom has a mild or nutty taste and can be collected and eaten fresh, or dried for later use. After late summer rains, these giants will appear almost overnight growing straight out of the ground or on fallen wood, and are a delight to find while backpacking. King boletes can also be found along roadsides, and in remote areas.
The size of these mushrooms is impressive, and the taste is even more impressive. I was amazed the first time I came upon these while backpacking in the James Peak Wilderness area near the continental divide in Colorado. Fresh and frequent rains in mid August brought them to life, and we noticed them near the high altitude ponds. On our drive home from the trailhead, along the road to Rollinsville, we happened upon a French couple on a motorcycle with a large paper bag collecting this traditional European treat. We were elated that we had this hearty food source in the mountains so close to home.
Edible Parts: Entire mushroom, including stalk. Spongy tubes on underside of cap can be removed since they are watery, but can be cooked separately or added to soups and other dishes.
Range: Rocky Mountains in higher elevations from New Mexico north to Wyoming and Montana. Favors coniferous forests. Elevation: Up to 11,500 feet.
Identification: A medium sized to large mushroom with a white to brown (never yellow) club-shaped stalk that is at least 1 inch thick, and a brown, yellow brown, or reddish cap. This type of mushroom has tubes and pores on the underside of the cap, instead of gills, and the underside area does NOT stain blue or brown when bruised (unlike other mushrooms in the bolete family). There is always some reticulation on the stalk beneath the cap. Should have a mild or nutty taste, and never bitter.
Caution: Beware of poisonous members of the bolete family, such as Satan’s bolete. Satan’s bolete has a whitish to grey cap with a red underside. This poisonous mushroom stains blue when cut or bruised, making it easy to know that this is not the king bolete. No person should attempt to eat any wild mushroom unless they are experienced in mushroom identification and foraging.
Preparation: Tubes/pores on underside can be removed to avoid excess water. Can be sliced and dry sautéed fresh, or dried and stored in jars for later use. Dry sautéing is a method used for mushrooms with high water content, and starts using no oil or butter. The moisture is cooked out for several minutes and poured off. Then oil or butter is used to finish the sauté.
Trail Recipe: Sautéed Fresh Boletes with Sea Salt
After rubbing off any dirt, slice freshly harvested king bolete. Heat skillet over medium heat and dry sauté the mushroom slices for five to ten minutes, stirring frequently. Pour off moisture and add a few teaspoons of olive oil. Sauté for five minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve alone or with fresh bread or pasta.
Home Recipe: Vegetarian Porcini and Parmesan Soup
Clean 4 large fresh porcini mushrooms by dry rubbing surface. Roughly chop the porcini into medium sized pieces. Heat soup pot on medium-high heat and add 4 tablespoons olive oil and 3 tablespoons unsalted butter. When hot, add the porcini and mix into the oil. Stir occasionally for 3 minutes. Add 1 sprig nepitella, or equal parts fresh mint and oregano. Add a splash of vegetable stock, salt and pepper, and stir gently to combine. The porcini will soften and create a thick sauce. Add 5 cups vegetable stock to cover the porcini. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer partially covered 30 minutes.
When soup has been simmering about 25 minutes, in a small bowl, beat together 2 eggs and 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese. Drizzle mixture into the simmering broth. Stir it in and serve immediately.
