Just come back to my favorite thread. i learned all about mushrooms in my homeland where EVERYONE goes hunting for them.there alre also enough books on the market.
Stinging nettle makes a lovely spinach. Comfrey leaves deep fried in batter are good violet flowers as garnish on cakes and best of all - nasturtiums flowers and leaves in salads
oh_hunnihunni,
Feb 16, 12:27pm
Pickle the seeds of nasturtiums and use as a milder substitute for capers. Watch the comfrey - don't overdo it. Rose petals dried make a good addition to tea leaves - pick the bitter white base of red ones off before drying. And don't forget seaweeds - we have some very tasty varieties.
lilyfield,
Feb 16, 12:55pm
Pickle the seeds of nasturtiums and use as a milder substitute for capers(quote) yes have done that, they are good, but you need a lot of plants
oh_hunnihunni,
Feb 16, 1:12pm
They colonise waste ground in Auckland - always a ready supply. Chokos are another waste ground colonising food plant, as are banana passionfruit. Easiest to locate in the older suburbs, where older houses are falling down while developers wait for building approvals.
lythande1,
Feb 16, 1:14pm
England and NZ are totally different as far as plants go, we have a few of the same but watch it. Nightshade - sure because tobacco, tomato, potato, eggplant and so on are all members, but no way should you eat nightshade berries. Nor potato fruit, nor tomato leaves. For instance.
If you don't know what is what then you have an excellent chance of poisoning yourself, Mr River Cottage isn't going to show you NZ plants.
Poisoning isn't always going to kill you, it can just do things like trash your liver or kidneys. If that's an only.
I know someone who ended up with liver problems from eating weeds.got the wrong thing one day.
Besides, we, in most of NZ, have a better growing climate than they do, why bother, grow your own food, all year.
kateley,
Feb 16, 1:48pm
our council has planted fruit trees along a popular walking track close to my place.It's a wonderful idea, but no use as a food source.School kids use the track to get to and from school and the fruit is all used as missiles long before it's ripe enough to pick.
figjamto,
Feb 16, 3:45pm
I often look at mushrooms, thinking shall I pick them or not.my partner and I stand around debating, while the dog gets restless.I dont think we have picked one yet.we are never sure so leave them.but i am convinced that they are the OK sort.its just that little doubt.somehow they look different in an open paddock to the supermarket packs.or is this just us !
lilyfield,
Feb 16, 4:07pm
of course they look different- they are field mushrooms, and there you get a few different varieties, all edible. Have a look at his website http://www.hiddenforest.co.nz/fungi/
lilyfield,
Feb 16, 4:10pm
study the first ones on the list--Agaricus
punkinthefirst,
Feb 16, 5:26pm
GRRRRR! That happens in my town, too.also, the nonrespectful amongst us tend tobreak branches off the trees, leaving them open to diseases. (The same people, no doubt, who front up regularly at various places with their hands out). How does anyone help people like that!
oh_hunnihunni,
Feb 16, 5:51pm
Education.
smoocherpete,
Feb 17, 12:38am
But, if you see purple blotches on the stem it is not Fennell, but Hemlock, which is poisonous.
mybooks,
Feb 24, 5:36pm
Interesting thread. will check out urban foraging too, thanks.
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