Today was our first field trip with the Puget Sound Mycological Society. About 50 people were there, too many to actually find mushrooms. And it was really too cold to find the Verpas (early morels). BUT we (Kate and I) got some great information about morels, the season this year, and where to go.
We did walk around the park it was held at in Monroe, Washington, but it was too muddy, too cold and not quite right for finding mushrooms. However, as I was walking and staring at the ground, I realized that there were plants that were just starting to sprout, and they looked remarkably like stinging nettles. When Kate caught up, I mentioned that they looked like nettles, so what does she do? She stuck her hand right in them! Sure enough, she was in pain from the stings, but she continued to harvest the nettles bare handed! Yikes, I used a pair of scissors on my swiss army knife to cut the stems and then used the scissors like tongs to carefully pick up the nettles and put them in my basket.
I am off to the store for the rest of the ingredients to make Stinging Nettle Soup. Will post the recipe I end up using and how it comes out.
I have had this before at a class I took on Wild Edibles in the PNW. So I am pretty sure I am going to really love it.
Caroline
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