• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Classes
  • Blogs
  • Jesus
    • The Most Important Message You Will Ever Hear
    • My Foraging Prayer
    • Meditating on Scripture
    • Holding Up a Light
    • The Hands of the Carpenter
    • The Star Of Bethlehem
  • Contact
Wild Blessings
Wild Blessings

Wild Blessings

A learning resource that can help you get outside and connect with nature.

  • Home
  • About
  • Classes
  • Blogs
  • Jesus
    • The Most Important Message You Will Ever Hear
    • My Foraging Prayer
    • Meditating on Scripture
    • Holding Up a Light
    • The Hands of the Carpenter
    • The Star Of Bethlehem
  • Contact

Milkweed Shoots & Violets

May 10, 2011

Hiking up above Peaceful Acres with my collies in search of Morels…. again.ย  Seemed like a reasonable place to look… many trees were felled years ago left to rot. No luck.

Yet my wild shopping basket still filled up with early Spring shoots and leaves from wild edibles.

Milkweed shoots are quite tasty when harvested young and cooked right. Similar to asparagus in texture and taste. I collected a basketful which I will pickle, blanch to freeze for later use, and eat fresh in a stir fry or casserole. Tonight they are going into Spring Rolls for an oriental menu.

Early Milkweed shoots shooting up like arrows
Milkweed shoots parboiled and ready to smother with butter

There is a wild patch of Catnip growing amongst the Milkweed stand. I gave it a haircut, knowing that it will grow back several times this Summer for more harvesting. Though Catnip is edible, I don’t like it’s taste or it’s smell, but it does make great medicine.

Bee Balm, grows wild and abundant in several of my wild shops. Today was my first harvest of it’s bounty. My favorite use for it is as a delicious tea, hot or cold. I plan on making Bee Balm pesto with today’s harvest!

Violets, May 9 is a bit late for their abundant flowers. I did get a small basketful to make at least one batch of Violet scones to celebrate Spring! Inspired with Heather’s Violet fetish and recipes that she shared with us I had to try and get more. Next year I’ll enlist some of my young friends to help me collect them. Children never tire of the collection process though my back surely does!

Violets in early Spring
Violet Blueberry pancakes

Daisy Fleabane almost floats above the forest floor at Peaceful Acres. I’ve never used this plant but it is so abundant right now I harvested some to capture it at the height of it’s energy to have on hand to learn about when I get a chance.

Spring has rolled out it’s leaves and is in full swing (finally) at my altitude but I can still see the mountains above me with naked branches and only tinges of green unfurling. Hopefully soon I can climb higher and find the Morels and Violets still offering their gifts to this grateful forager.

Happy foraging everyone!

Previous PostEating Wild ALL the Time
Next PostLearning from One of the Best!

About the Author

Holly Drake

My name is Holly Drake and I love to study, teach, and talk about wild foods. I live in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina with my husband Jason and my dog Max where I explore the beauty of God's creation to learn as much as I can about wild foods that are available to us for free. [READ ALL ARTICLES]

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Helpful comments include feedback on the recipe or changes you made.

Comments

  1. Anna nimus says

    May 5, 2017 at 1:42 pm

    Do you leave some of the milkweed to grow so the butterflies have something to lay their eggs on?

    Reply
    • holly says

      January 12, 2021 at 7:50 pm

      Hah! Of course! BUT I am also planting Milkweed everywhere I go (just about) I carry the Ascplepia seeds in my backpack and spread the life. We have to protect the Monarchs, so tragic! The sustainable harvest is the only way to forage.

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

About Wild Blessings

Welcome to my website. My name is Holly Drake and I love to study, teach, and talk about wild foods. I live in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina with my husband Jason and my dog Max where I explore the beauty of God’s creation to learn as much as I can about wild foods that are available to us for free.

Latest Blogs

Chickweed Recipes

April 24, 2023

Befriending Knotweed

April 14, 2023

Hiking Habit

January 26, 2023

2022 Year in Review

January 4, 2023

Archive

Chickweed Recipes

April 24, 2023

Befriending Knotweed

April 14, 2023

Hiking Habit

January 26, 2023

2022 Year in Review

January 4, 2023

An Eye for Wild Blessings in 2023

January 3, 2023

Wild Preparedness – Water

December 3, 2022

Befriending Jerusalem Artichokes

December 3, 2022

Sharing the Magic

June 2, 2022

Asian Cuisine Forage to Feast

July 27, 2021

Asian Forage to Feast – Saturday

July 21, 2021

Wild Fiesta Forage to Feast

July 11, 2021

The Wildly Preserved

March 11, 2021

Support Wild Blessings

PATREON – Support me on Patreon.com. Go to the site and search for Wild Blessings and sign up for any amount to be a regular contributor.

Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram
  • Home
  • About
  • Classes – hold
  • Jesus
  • Blog
  • Contact

A learning resource that can help you get outside and connect with nature.
© 2023 ยท Wild Blessings