NEWS FROM THE HILLS
Dear Cousin,
Last week, we awakened to a powdered sugar snow sprinkled all over the landscape. Heavy snow showers swirled through the air, blotting out familiar landmarks and creating an ‘all white world’.
It didn’t last long; by afternoon it disappeared almost as quickly as it came. It hasn’t been a bad winter when measured against record low temperatures and measurable snowfalls—it seems that it has lasted so long. I think we are all ready for spring.
Borne on the wings of a soft southerly breeze, spring has arrived with the “cheeter-cheeter” of the cardinal announcing it at the dawn of the day. Cheery patches of yellow coltsfoot flowers have sprung up along the road banks, and the warming sun is coaxing the daffodils and hyacinths into full bloom.
Swollen buds on the lilac bush are showing deep purple tips, ready to burst out at the slightest provocation. Twigs on the maple trees show their red faces, and the weeping willow tree is draped in chartreuse gauze. A welcoming committee of spring peepers announced her impending arrival days ago, and the benevolent rays of the sun are a special blessing.
Tiny spring cress has sprung up in miniature clumps, dotting the lawn with their wee white blossoms.
It is an adventure every day to poke around in the woods and discover new plant life. Wild spearmint leaves are peeping through the ground, bright green and fragrant. There is no sign yet of the pink spring beauties, called “tanglefoot” by some and relished as tasty greens. It is too early for asparagus, but it won’t be long before these delicious spears will emerge.
There are a lot of wild foods just waiting for the right time to come forth and be grabbed by eager hands. Wild mushrooms, especially the morels, are probably the most popular wild food in the spring. Pheasant back (or dryad’s saddle) mushrooms appear almost as early, and are quite tasty. Spring season in the hills is satisfying to the soul.
Our (native wild leek) ‘ramp’ is showing. I think they are best when there are three or four inches of green blades on the tender little fellows. Ramps and spring camping season go hand in hand. They can be gathered right in the mountains and cooked over an open campfire, where the wind blows the unmistakable odor of ramps up and down the river.
A person either loves ramps or hates them; I don’t think there is a middle ground. The flavor is actually mild and delicate — it’s the after effects that merit their bad reputation. It is better to eat them as a group, preferably out in the open, as on a camping trip. Ramps and sassafras tea are spring staples.
March has left our hills in a wet lion-like manner. Last week was sunny in nature, with delightful, warm days that shouted, “Spring!” Now the land is soaked again, with foggy mist on the hilltops proclaiming more rain to come. The old adage of “Fog on the hill brings water to the mill” never fails.
All about us, the earth is waking up from the long sleep of winter. The maple trees are blooming, their twigs red-tipped and glowing from a distance. Daffodils and hyacinths defy the chilly rain, and bloom bravely from flowerbeds and lawns. Almost overnight the modest little violets have popped through the ground and shine bluely through the green grass.
When the sunshine returns after this rain, we can expect to start finding morel mushrooms. Morels are not limited to our hills, but the yellow and black ones can be found throughout much of North America. The half-free morel is limited mostly to the eastern half of the continent and the Pacific Northwest. We consider the yellow morels the pick of the crop, and most mushroom fanciers will agree.
The warm days last week have coaxed the dandelion greens out, and they are tender and tasty right now. Later they will become tough and bitter. Harvest them now by cutting the plants just an inch or so below the surface of the ground, leaving about a quarter of an inch of root attached. Cut off any old leaves that may be too strongly flavored, then wash the crowns well.
Spread the leaves apart to get out all the sand and dirt that may be lurking there and then steam lightly until just tender. Toss with an oil and vinegar dressing, or hot bacon grease and vinegar with a dab of sugar added. Dandelion greens will always remind me of my late Aunt Addie, who watched eagerly each spring for the first tender sprigs.
Just the thought of these early greens makes my taste buds tingle and my mouth water. Cultivated greens cannot begin to match the flavor of wild greens. They seem to satisfy something elemental in our nature, just to be able to go out in the fields and gather food that God has so generously provided.
Hug everyone for me,
Love,
Cousin Alyce Faye
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