Queens County
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The Queens County Farm Museum is one of the best places for foragers to search for wild foods in mid-summer. Weedy plants, a.k.a. the best mid-spring greens, love the sunny, fertile soil of farmlands, as do some fabulous wild berries, and that's just what we have here. And the farmers are more than happy to have us remove them. Here are a few of the most despised (for farmers) and most delicious (for us) species we may find.
Dense clusters of sweet-sour grapefruit-flavored black cherries will be drooping from trees along the edges of fields throughout the farm. This is one of the best places anywhere for this little-known native wild summer fruit. Thickets will also be lined with delectable, sweet, juicy blackberries, and an especially flavorful Asian species of red raspberry called the wineberry. |
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Most roots are out of season, but burdock, an expensive detoxifying herb sold in health food stores, is an exception, and it abounds in human-disturbed areas throughout the farm. Instead of brewing it as a tea, it's so abundant, you cook the root like a potato. We'll also be finding Asiatic dayflower, common mallow, lady's thumb, lamb's-quarters, and goutweed, all great for salads, sandwiches, and soups. Sassafras root, the original source of root beer, stays in season all year. You use it for tea, for making root beer, and as a cinnamon-like seasoning. It grows in the woods, and in thickets. Another tree we'll look for in the woods is the black birch tree. You can steep the twigs in hot water to make a fabulous tea, with anti-inflammatory properties similar to aspirin. Or thicken the tea with agar, season and sweeten it, and make black birch Jello! We'll also hunt for the seeds of garlic mustard, which taste like garlic, and jewelweed, a panacea for skin irritations that cures mosquito bites and prevents poison ivy rash. |
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The 2-hour walking tour begins at 11:45 AM, Saturday, August 6, at the Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park.
Please call (914) 835-2153 at least 24 hours in advance to reserve a place. |
