Wild About - Dock and the Miracle of Spring Sprung
As I sat the crew down for dinner tonight, we had an extra moment of thanksgiving. Tonight was a night of celebration - our first meal of the year made from freshly picked forage. After the long dark months of winter, those little leaves of dock (Rumex crispus) felt like every bit of the miracle that they were, a reminder of the circle of life, of seasons, of renewal, of the joy that always arises from the fertile ground of sorrow. A miracle.
And I really hadn't anticipated how emotional it would be to harvest my first forage of the year. Oh sure, I have been absolutely burning with jealousy at seeing spring arrive in other parts of the world, at pictures of plants and flowers, talk of gardening and farmers markets. And here I sat, in the cold and snow, surrounded by waves of brown. Humpf! I knew that I was excited to get out and pick something green. But the fact that those small leaves of dock made me weep with joy caught me off guard.
So tonight, we enjoyed a delightfully simple meal - pastured pork crumbles, heavy doses of garlic, ginger, chiles, and soy, with wilted dock. The dock was both tender and tangy (like sorrel), and held it's own against the strong flavors of ginger and garlic. Hello Spring!
I also wrote about harvesting dock in the late fall. Check it out here.
This post was made in loving memory of Charles, who passed on April 3 last year. It was a beautiful day, Chuck. I was thinking of you.
I'm sharing with Fight Back Friday, and the Hearth and Soul hop.
