Editor’s Note: To read Part 1 of this series, click here.
May 9 – 22, 2015
“When we stopped eating locally grown produce and abandoned our home gardens, we lost at least half the protective properties of our fruits and vegetables.” — Jo Robinson, Eating on the Wild Side*
Mt. Washington — A stream of yellow flowers flows through the wet meadow, radiant regardless of the grey days and persistent showers. Marsh marigolds are a part of the fabric of early spring in the Northeast. I step from one grassy hummock to another, determined to keep my feet above water as I approach the plants for a close-up look at the charming, five-petaled blossoms and heart shaped foliage. On the way I am surprised to see spikey green leaves of wild iris, and anticipate their blossoms.
I had just paid a visit to a red-berried elder. Here on the Taconic Plateau, at an elevation of 1,700 feet, the shrub’s bodacious purple flower buds are slowly swelling in the unseasonably cool weather. Amidst its lush growth are branches with buds that were frostbitten during the wintry period in April. Nearby, Juneberry flower buds are in various stages of lengthening; a few having burst into bloom.
Juneberry (Amelanchier species), American elder (Sambucus canadensis), marsh marigold (Caltha palustrus), and red-berried elder (Sambucus pubens) – all of which are rather common in the Berkshire landscape – are described in the wild food literature, the first two enthusiastically and the latter two cautiously. Juneberries and the flowers and fruits of the American elder have nourished generations of pioneers and foragers. They are prominent in our nation’s lore, as they are palatable without any or very little preparation.
In her most recent book, “Eating on the Wild Side,” health writer and food activist Jo Robinson points out that qualities vital to our well-being have been bred out of our food plants. Robinson states, “Starting with the very first gardens, our farming ancestors chose…plants…low in bitterness and astringency and high in sugar, starch, or oil.” That is not to say that wholesome foods cannot be sweet, rather to highlight a reckless pursuit of a few qualities we crave. Even in our organic gardens we have been growing varieties that are less nutritious than we will choose now that information about the groundbreaking work of dedicated plant scientists and breeders is easily accessible.
The immensely popular Sungold tomato is a prime example of the allure of sugar above the complex of nutrients that carry out the work of building, rebuilding, and strengthening our bodies. This season I’ll be looking for Matt’s Wild Cherry and Indigo Rose tomatoes, alternatives described in “Jo Robinson’s List of Recommended Varieties of Phytonutrient-Rich Fruits and Veggies for Your Garden.” This list includes varieties like Purple Passion asparagus, All Purple carrot, Graffiti cauliflower, and French Fingerling potato (see Resources section below).
One of my own discoveries is Painted Mountain corn, found when searching for an ideal variety of corn to plant with students in school gardens. For the adventurous educator, gardener, chef, and palate, Painted Mountain can be a sweet corn when young and a parch, flour, and decorative corn when dried. It boasts 13 percent protein and a raft of phytonutrients, and even tolerates frost. Read the story of Dave Christensen, the high-elevation Montana farmer behind this most adaptable variety.
Resources:
*Robinson, Jo, Eating on the Wild Side, The Missing Link to Optimum Health. Little, Brown and Company, New York, 2013. Quotes are from pages 16 and 9.
“Vegetable Varieties for the 21st Century Garden, Part 1:” https://berk.wxp.io/natures-turn/
Story of Painted Mountain corn: https://www.seedweneed.com/index-1.html
Details about ‘Indigo Rose’ tomato: https://www.plant-world-seeds.com
Wild food initiatives: https://foraging.com/#books
