Instagram story viewer> @mallorylodonnell> Posts

Mallory O'Donnell

@mallorylodonnell

11.7K

followers

2294

following

Growin and gatherin, lookin and cookin
All pronouns accepted.
Residing on W8banaki Lands.
Booking classes & events for 2024/5.
DM to setup.

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Monarda bradburiana (Bradbury’s Monarda)
—
Sadly not named for the Bradbury of October Country (he’d be two seasons off anyway), this short but stout-leaved Monarda stays small and blooms early. I had never heard of it before this spring, when suddenly it was at a couple of small nursery/farm spots. A Southeastern native, named for someone who visited the Midwest and may have seen some bee balms. Hmm.
—
All Monarda species are Mint Family flora endemic to North America, and all have a spicy, intense flavor and aroma akin to oregano but deeper and with a wide range of complex notes. They dry insanely well, and often (like our other native genus Mountain Mint) reveal more difference in taste when dried than fresh.
—
They are also, again like Pycanthemum, absolute pollinator magnets. Apart from Milkweed, few plants are as adored by the buggins and bees as these two genera of incredible native herbs. That both aren’t more widely planted is a shame, further evidence we are doing almost everything wrong.
—
I’m happy to do my part to better that , and am gradually populating the former hayfield with several species of Monardas and Mountain Mints (Pycanthemum). Small steps, big beautiful flowers. It’s something. Stay safe y’all and plant a (native) mint this year.
—
#monardabradburiana #monarda #wildfood #nativeplantsofturtleisland #nativeplantsofnorthamerica #lamiaceae by @mallorylodonnell

89

4

a year ago

A Tale of Two Mustards
—
Wintercresses (Barbarea species) are a common site in disturbed ground near agricultural sites, especially active ones. These are members of the forager’s beloved Brassicaceae family, which brings us so many edible plants, a number of which are introduced in North America and can be eaten with impunity.
—
Brassicas are edible root to seed, but always create some varying levels of mustard oils, which have a bitter flavor. This will always grow more pronounced as the plant moves forward in its life cycle, so the leaves of a plant creating flowers will be more bitter than the flowers. Follow the energy of the plant to find the tastiest part!
—
Wintercresses have a bit of renown for just how bitter they tend to be. The most mild I have tasted is Barbarea verna (not pictured here), which grows further south than me. The strongest and most common is Barbarea vulgaris, which was the only one I’d worked much with prior to moving to the NEK.
—
I began noticing a strange variation of wintercress when I first moved up here, slightly lighter in color and with fuller, more delicate leaves. Noticing it at the end of autumn, when it was preparing to overwinter, it took until spring to confirm that it was indeed a different species, with a schedule slightly behind that of B. vulgaris.
—
Barbarea stricta (Small-flowered Wintercress) has a milder flavor in its larger foliage, and will be in the fullness of its rosette growth as B. vulgaris begins to produce florets. Both are strong mustards, so I typically blanch them before eating or combining with other greens.
—
1, 3, 4 - B. vulgaris
2 - B. stricta
5/6 - B. stricta on left, B. vulgaris on right
—
#brassicaceae #barbarea #barbareastricta #barbareavulgaris #wildfood #edibleplants #invasivore #howtocookaweed by @mallorylodonnell

144

9

a year ago

Things are finally beginning to emerge and rise up here in the snowy northlands, and when they do get going there’s no stopping them. The long, suspended spring makes for very little surface activity, but the rain keeps coming and then those erratic hot days explode with vibrant growth.
—
Nettles are among the first of the less bitter, more earthy greens to become available. I always greet them with eager excitement, not only for their own taste and healthiness but for how fundamentally they balance out the other abundant greens of spring. Fiesty dandelion, the fierce wild mustards and the sour docks all create more complex, satisfying greens-based meals when anchored with nettle.
—
The most basic way to cook nettle tops for maximum flexibility is to soak and wash them thoroughly, as you should with almost any wild green, then drain them into a colander. Using a heavy, wide pan with a tight fitting lid, I bring the pan to heat, add the nettles alongside the water still clinging to them, cover and heat until wilted and bright green. This usually only takes a minute or so, but you can cook them more if you like, or simply season and serve. Generally, though I will chop these up and add them to other dishes. This first steaming mainly serves to wilt the needles and soften the stems.
—
Speaking of stems, theres no compelling reason to take more than the tender tops of nettles, as they will simply keep growth coming throughout the season. Like a mint family plant, one can basically just pinch off the top growth until they move into flowering mode. A small nettle patch managed in this way can provide many meals for you and yours.
—
#wildfood #stingingnettle #urticadioica #edibleplants #wildplants #wildkitchen #howtocookaweed by @mallorylodonnell

113

3

a year ago

Northeast Kingdom ASMR
—
#maplesugaring #nek #maplesyrup #asmr by @mallorylodonnell

27

0

2 years ago

Wild Baharat
—
Another one of those little spice mixes that we end up making in the winter, when there is time and when the flavors and aromas seem especially reinvigorating and healing. This is based off a Tunisian baharat, which eschews the “everything but the kitchen sink” approach of a lot of traditional baharats. Spicebush (leaf, and both green and red berry), magnolia bud and wild rose petal. Basically even proportions by weight, with a little wriggle here and there depending on vibe.
—
While this is often used to season meats such as lamb, in our home we use it for winter vegetables like squash or sweet potatoes, or added into coffee or a chai mix for tea. It also makes an interesting spice to incorporate into chopped salads heavy on the chickpeas, or a deep stew made with root vegetables and couscous.
—
This year we will be sharing more of our spice mixes and other wild pantry items with the world, please stay tuned for exciting news on that front!
—
#wildspice #wildfood #wildpantry #wildbaharat #baharat #spicemixes by @mallorylodonnell

69

1

2 years ago

Here in the Northeast Kingdom, spring is still a long ways away, nonetheless we plot and sift and delve deep into the pantry with the greening in mind.
—
Fiddleheads of the ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) are an ingredient that I scarcely used before coming to this land, where they lie in unfathomable abundance along the bottomland of our many rivers and streams. This exciting wild food is one that is often used in restaurants or seen in farmers markets (and even some supermarkets), and thus are more accessible than many other wild ingredients.
Whenever possible, the potential wild food enthusiast should look for opportunities such as these to become familiar with not just eating or cooking a wild food, but also the look and feel of the ingredient itself.
—
Those characteristics are hugely important when it comes to the task of correctly identifying plants in the field, and really cannot be recommended enough when it comes to ostrich fern. Handling and touching these fiddles will enable you to understand how rather different they are from the very many non-edible and toxic ferns that also produce coiled up fronds. The way in which the papery sheaths feel and rub off, for instance, is quite unique.
—
Of course, these fiddleheads are rather different when they have been dried for storage, and the most indicative way in which they change is in their aroma. The funky, almost briney character of fiddleheads is most pronounced, with a strong nature that is somewhat reminiscent of seaweed. Accordingly, these are being incorporated into a “land furikake.”
—
Furikake is a Japanese condiment, most often made with seaweed and sesame seeds, with a bit of salt and sugar to round out the seasonings. I have made a number of wild and conventional furikakes over the years, and seen quite a number of variations available for sale. In other words, riffing on this theme is a go.
—
#wildfood #wildspice #wildfurikake #fiddleheads #matteucciastruthiopteris #wildpantry #howtocookaweed #furikake #fiddleheadferns by @mallorylodonnell

288

18

2 years ago

they return to their earth
—
david keith lynch, 1.20.1946 - 1.16.2025 by @mallorylodonnell

214

7

2 years ago

Back on the wild spice grind, winter has an arc.
—
Pushki seed season was made a non-event for us up here by an incursion of carrot moth, but luckily some green seeds were salvaged before things got too out of control. I’m happy to devote these to our wild-ish khmeli suneli, based on the Georgian “kitchen sink” spice mix but heavily drawing on native herbs and spices.
—
Like ras el hanout further west, khmeli suneli is a mix that changes depending on the individual chef or blender, sometimes sweeter, spicier, etc as household tastes dictate. I like mine strong on fennel (usually bronze and wild fennel pollen make an appearance in addition to fennel seed), with lots of herbs (savory, spicebush leaf, various mountain mints) and plenty of marigold flowers from our fields. I try to plant marigolds as widely as possible, they make for great vegetable companion plants, the bloom era is long and I can constantly snip and dry for this mix and others. Tagetes marigolds are used as a saffron-like coloring and seasoning in Caucasus cooking, and has a flavor somewhere between that spice and turmeric, with a more earthy note but quite mellow depth.
—
These wild and semi-wild mixes, batches of preserved citrus, sumac molasses and more will be emerging from the kitchen during these frigid months until such a time as the first maples can be tapped and the long, slooooooow rollout to spring begins.
—
#wildfood #wildkitchen #wildspice #khmelisuneli #pushki #howtocookaweed #spicemixes by @mallorylodonnell

209

5

2 years ago

Autumn/winter oyster mushrooms are beginning to appear with the return of the rains. Around me, they absolutely love the mature sugar maples along the roads and woodsedge.
—
Becoming more commonly available in specialty grocers as well as big supermarkets, these mushrooms are a popular one for homegrowers and small mushroom farms as well, often coming in lovely shades of blue, pink and yellow. For those unfamiliar with oysters, this is a great place to start- not only to see if you enjoy their flavor, but also to get a grip on how they look, feel and smell. All extremely important skills for both gathering and cooking.
—
The texture of wild oysters is a bit firmer than many people prefer. Their cultivated counterparts tend to be drier and more fragile, while these are quite dense and chewy. My favorite way to cook them is in a hot cast iron skillet, sliced somewhat thin but not too thin, with a small amount of oil and a smaller pan lid weighing them down. When the water in the mushrooms is mostly cooked off, I add a bit of aminos (such as shoyu) and a splash of seasoned vinegar, then flip the oyster pieces, sprinkling with a little salt and covering again. If both sides get nicely seared and they are cooked through, they will be plesantly chewy a bit like a jerky or (vegan) bacon. You can make them crispy as well, but I like them to be toothsome.
—
There are of course many other great uses for wild oysters that use their dense fleshiness to advantage, such as oyster mushroom “meatballs” or patties, and deeply flavorful soups glistening with a seasoned oil and extra thin slices of oyster mushroom. Whether or not you celebrate the chew, understanding it is key to making this abundant and flavorful mushroom a pleasure to eat.
—
#wildfood #wildmushrooms #howtocookaweed #ediblemushrooms #oystermushrooms #pleurotusostreatus #wildoystermushrooms by @mallorylodonnell

124

1

2 years ago

I’m feeling that old familiar ache again…
—
Acorns have been a staple food for many peoples and cultures throughout the long and winding road of our evolution, but they have fallen on hard times in the (relatively) recent past. Relegated to folkloric custom and dubious emergency food in times of famine, many have forgotten their long history and complex, earthy flavor. Indeed, many seem to be under the misapprehension that acorns are toxic to humans.
—
Much of this is for inescapable reasons of dietary change- the diet of post-industrial cultures prizes haste and ease at meal time. More time-consuming and labor-intensive foods are easy to avoid when agricultural staples are so readily available and inexpensive. But even food foresters and neo foragers alike also often disregard acorns as an edible, and it is all too common to see an eager attempt to process and eat acorns resulting in something that looks only as disappointing as it tastes.
—
This is a long and complicated topic, but one of the main stumbling blocks with acorns is the extensive tannin content, which must be stripped from acorns before they are fit for eating. Directions for processing the acorns are often vague and subjective, and a whole lot will leave you so obsessed with removing the tannins that you boil or soak out all the flavor along the way.
—
The precious virtues of acorns as food lie in the oil content and the deep well of complex nuttiness inside these bitter walls. Keeping those intact while taming the tannins and making them not just fit but enjoyable eating is tricky, but its also intuitive. Over the years I have tried explaining this, and have mostly failed. But it can be felt- I will try once again to make this clearer with my meagre collection of parkside red oak acorns. For now, if you have prepared acorns in the past and the results have been a resounding meh, I encourage you to try again, only do it a bit less this time. Rather than trying to make processed acorns or meal that are completely without bitterness, focus on the underlying flavor beneath that bitterness. It is not what you are taking out, it is what you are keeping in.
—
#wildfood #balanophagy #acorns by @mallorylodonnell

250

6

2 years ago

Yellowfoot chanterelles will always be special to me, as the first time I came across them was in our own backwoods, nestling among the moss and hemlocks. These delicate, delicious mushrooms look a bit drab and wee when viewed from the top, but underneath the greyish-brown floppy hat something really lovely is going on. Both this species (Craterellus tubaeformis) and a few related species in the same genus can be considered yellowfoot chanterelles, and their presence will vary depending on what location and habitat you are in.
—
Craterellus are part of the large “chanterelle and chanterelle-type” mushroom grouping, and have similar dried fruit aromas, false gills, and excellent flavor. I ate yellowfeets purchased dried in Italy before I ever saw them here, like black trumpets they dry much better than true chants. The flavor tips more savory, too, they have a meatier essence somewhere closer to hedgehog mushrooms, which they often can be found beside.
—
For such a delicious mushroom, prized in other parts of the temperate northern hemisphere, they seem a little overlooked round here, perhaps due to their small size and drabness from above. As always, you gotta look down and you gotta look closely!
—
Craterellus tubaeformis, Northern Vermont, October 2, 2024. Mixed woods dominated by hemlock & white pine.
—
#wildfood #yellowfootchanterelles #craterellustubaeformis #wildmushrooms #ediblemushrooms #foraging by @mallorylodonnell

197

5

2 years ago

Sunflowers are on the wane as the nights in the Northeast Kingdom dip below the 50s, but what a delight they have been and continue to be.
—
Our long row of packed sunflowers was a very special thing to me this year at Kit Farm North. My partner is even more obsessed with sunflowers than I am, and last year in the chaos of the move I failed to provide. This year we sowed a long, lightly tilled strip along the driveway and stepped them in together, and even though we were a bit late, and even though Debbie came through and knocked a third of em over, they were a sight to behold.
—
In addition to the obvious beauty, impressive size and pollinator frenzy, sunflowers are thoroughly edible. Shoots, immature heads, stalk tops, roots, flowers, seeds, you name it. They are truly one of the great food plants of Turtle Island, and should be celebrated as such.
—
So where are my people at, with domestic sunflower oil (unrefined please), locally-grown sunflower seeds, delicious sunflower “artichoke” dishes, vegan cheeses, sunflower misos and tahinis and so on? Feel like we’re all missing out on what could be thing here. And I know you’re out there, so let’s bring it.
—
For my part, I love using sunflower and pumpkin seeds as native substitutes for sesame seeds in spice mixes like za’atar and furikake , as a core ingredient in dukkahs and gomasios, misos, pestos, etc. I want to dig even more into using it as a vegetable and green, and make sure my partner gets even more sunnies next year.
—
Lovely seeds from @americanmeadows by @mallorylodonnell

113

4

2 years ago