JrHomesteader

🥞Pollen Pancakes🌾 Disclaimer: This is a slightly revamped draft post from 2021, so I apologize for the less-than-great content. I will be posting last year's attempt soon. Cattail pollen came into season recently, inspiring me to create a unique twist on our traditional pancake recipe. Here's how I did it: I collected cattail pollen by shaking the heads into a bottle and later sifting it to ensure a smooth pancake texture, removing any unwanted bits. I incorporated the cattail pollen into our standard pancake batter, replacing a portion of the flour. This infusion added a distinctive and earthy flavor to the pancakes. To enhance the taste and introduce vibrant colors, I included honeyberries from our garden. These berries perfectly complemented the cattail pollen, creating a delicious and visually appealing combination. For an extra layer of flavor, I cooked the pancakes on a griddle with bacon grease. This resulted in a perfect balance between a golden, crispy exterior and a...

🌿 Another Edible Weed Lambs Quarters is an edible weed found around the world. It is known by many names including the following: Melde, Goosefoot, Wild Spinach, and Pigweed. It can grow over 3 feet tall in the right conditions but the younger leaves near the top of the plant taste better as they are more tender and less bitter. The leaf looks similar to a water bird's webbed foot, hence the name Goosefoot. There is a pinkish/white powdery substance on the underside of the leaves/stems with makes it not so desirable for consumption straight from the ground. Using my brilliant sister's suggestions( The Skilled Chef ), I made a tasty Asian dish with them😋. I first cut the leaves off the plant(you can use your fingers if you want) and dunked them in a bowl of tap water to remove the powder and any dirt that had collected on the leaves. These were than blanched for about 30-50 seconds in a pot of boiling water. I added chopped peanuts, peanut butter, sesame seeds, chili paste, ga...

🌿 An edible surprise under our honeyberries Sheep sorrel is an edible weed similar to garden sorrel in both description and flavor. It tastes slightly lemony and is great raw. I have not tried cooking it yet but I will probably do that soon. I have come across sheep sorrel in the past around our property but just recently found a patch of it hidden under one of our many honeyberry(haskap) bushes. The young plants look slightly different but still have a similar plant structure. Unlike wild leeks, which I talked about in this post , sheep sorrel is most likely found in your area. I suggest you try to find some and taste it for yourself. For more about our delicious honeyberries, check out my sister's post here .

🌿 "Leek" of the woods I recently went🍄Morel mushroom hunting with my neighbor, and though we did not find any Morels, we collected a bounty of wild leeks (aka ramps) that grow in the woods by my house. After harvesting from many small patches, we accumulated a bag full of delicious leeks. I try to only harvest plants with at least 1 1/2' wide leaves and more plants in the immediate area. Once you properly identify the plant, it is easy to harvest. Using a shovel, stick, or your hands, carefully dig around the base(bulb) of the plant until it lifts out without snapping. If leeks grow anywhere near you, I would suggest trying to find some before they wither away and go dormant for the rest of the year. They taste similar to a green onion and are delicious raw or cooked. For some delicious wild leek fritters with dandelion flowers, check out my sister's recipe. https://theskilledchef.blogspot.com/2020/05/wild-leek-fritters.html Green on...