Wild About - Dock

You would think that by November, foraging would be finished here in the Rocky Mountain region. Not so. Mind you, it's been an unseasonably warm autumn. But this is still a place that has four season, which I had thought meant my foraging fun would be finished by mid-September.

But, as is so often the case with foraging, you just have to keep your eyes open to the possibilities. Most plants around here froze to a nice crispy brown quite a while back. But, here's the thing. There are protected little pockets, micro climates, where plants are still growing.


This means that I'm still eating wild leafy greens in November! Mostly, I'm harvesting curly dock (Rumex crispus). Dock is related to buckwheat, and at this time of year, it's very easy to spot because it's sporting tall rust-colored seed stalks. The leaves are no longer growing tall; instead, they are nestled down low to the ground, and are still quite tender and mild.

If you've never tasted dock, it tastes quite similar to spinach or collards, deep and rich and satisfyingly green. I had thought about spinning up some fancy recipes for you, but I almost always eat my greens the same way. If they're tough, I stew them with a bit of pig ankle. If they're tender, I pan steam/saute them in bacon grease and garlic. Sometimes I throw shreds of leaves into my skillet dinners or soup. Nothing fancy, but always good. So instead of whipping up a gourmet recipe, I'd just like to encourage you to take advantage of your local wild greens, whether dock, amaranth, pig weed, or lambs quarters. There's a whole lot of delicious leaves out there, even this late in the year.

I'm sharing this post with my favorite, the Hearth and Soul hop, and also Real Food Deals, and Real Food Wednesday. Follow the links for more real food love.