Prospect Park
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Prospect Park is a great place for wild foods, and the summer is an especially rich season. This is a great park for summer mushrooms. These include gourmet the two-color bolete, which grows on hillsides south of the Picnic House, along with the equally good chestnut bolete; brittle russulas, prized chanterelles, earthy meadow mushrooms, and gigantic chicken mushrooms. There may even be some deadly amanitas on hand, in case the boss drops over for dinner. The wild fruit far surpassing anything available commercially also fills the park. Thickets will be lined with tart, juicy blackberries and savory elderberries. The latter are renowned in Europe, but ignored here, probably because in this country nobody has respect for their elders. Dense clusters of sweet-sour grapefruit-flavored black cherries droop from trees along the edges of fields throughout the park. Exotic carnelian cherry, a sour-flavored member of the dogwood family, prized in Turkey, grow near Grand Army Plaza and elsewhere. |
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This flavorful, tart Turkish fruit is the only wild berry growing in America that continues to ripen after you pick it. Watercolor pencil painting by "Wildman" |
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Wild greens also thrive in fields and along trail edges. We'll look for lamb’s-quarters (a wild spinach), wood sorrel, sheep sorrel, poor man’s pepper, lady’s thumb, purslane, and Asiatic dayflower. In addition, there will be culinary and medicinal herbs such as sassafras roots and spicebush leaves.
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The 4-hour walking tour begins at 11:45 AM, Sunday, August 3, at Prospect Park's Grand Army Plaza Entrance.
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Call (914) 835-2153 at least 24 hours in advance to reserve a place.
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