Freshly foraged mussels and a bow-and-arrow coot simmer over a wood fire
After bottling up our
hard apple cider Alex, Jesse and I headed out to the coast for our annual
little low tide foraging and open fire feast. We found that our go-to spot was
teaming with mussels as usual, and in a matter of 20 minutes we had plenty to go
around.
Alex with an "I'm Crazy!" look on his face as he harvests mussels with Jesse.
There were plenty to go around
Settling in at Coyote
Ridge we got a coyote brush fire going in no time with a fire-steel and some
thistle down for kindling. Then, Alex cut a few pieces while I whittled them
down and we constructed a spit for the coot I had taken with a stone pointed
arrow the day before. The bird had been marinating all night in Indian spices
and it smelled great as it began to cook over the coals. We also sauteed up the
last of the mushrooms we had gathered the week before, grilled the mussels for
an abundant and delicious appetizer, and Jesse made some exquisite roti (Indian
flat bread) over the open flames. Then, we ate to our heart’s content.
The Mussels were delicious!
Smiles all around!
The setting sun gave
way to an astounding star lit sky and a chorus of coyotes calling all around in
the distance. “Coyote Ridge!” Alex said with a smile. We spent the next few
hours sitting around the fire talking of past foraging fun, the current
drought, future forays, and everything in between. It was a heck of a good
Saturday night!
Coyote brush cooking fire at coyote ride
The next day I cooked
up the rest of the mussels I had gathered into a truly exquisite chowder using herbs I foraged as well! Wow,
it was good!
Mussels ready to boil
Foraged fennel, bay leaf, and rosemary
Unbeatable chowder!
A few days later I got a second coot from my kayak with stone-tipped arrows. That was an awesome trip as well! I also got to watch a bobcat
leap from a ledge out into the water in an attempt to pounce on a coot of his
own. He missed, but it was still great to see. I cooked the bird I shot in a
coot tikka masala…not too bad at all!
Coot tikka masala...so good!
Keep the old ways
alive!
