Financial aid has arrived! That was
a huge relief, emotionally and monetarily. Now, for most avid foragers there
are little supplies in our toolkits worth more than a good knife, nice pair of
boots, a basket, and David Aurora’s mushroom books. But one category of items
that I highly suggest adding to the kit is something I have also been putting
off until my money came in…SPICES!!! Keep in mind that you can buy many of
these in your regular supermarket chain, however, they will charge you an arm
and a leg compared to buying them from your local Indian and Pakistani grocery
stores…and the selection in the latter is usually ten times better! The bottom
line is I am restocking our spices today, but this post is really dedicated to
the exquisite meal we shared last night.
My girl
Chelsea was kind enough to spend a few dollars on Thai basil, cilantro, and a
few other goodies (which I greatly appreciated as I was down to $1.86). I
thawed one of last season’s abalone from our northern adventures and set to
work with the knife. We tried out the new meat grinder Chelsea had given me for
Christmas, and mixed the ground abalone with diced cabbage, carrot, garlic,
etc. and sautéed it up in our trusty cast iron skillet. As Chelsea worked on
her famous Thai peanut sauce, I began assembling the spring rolls. A foraged
lemon for a little tart, cucumber and cabbage for texture, glass noodles for
filler.
They
were a big hit, and we were very content with our meal based around the last
edible sea delicacy in the freezer. Well, this post will be brief because we
have to go spearfishing now! Wish us luck!
And if you’re getting bored with
your standard recipes, just reach out far beyond our continent, and your
interest and taste buds will perk right up. Thai, Japanese, Italian, Vietnamese,
and Indian are all culinary styles that incorporate wild foraged foods easily;
the sky’s the limit. Blending traditionally foraged foods with traditional
dishes from around the world will always keep you and your family loving the
fruits of the harvest. Remember to stay creative, optimistic, enjoy the
adventure, and always strive to keep the old ways alive!
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