Edible Plants & Outdoor Cooking

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Front Yard Foraging

Front-yard Foraging — An Introduction to Common Edibles

There are sooooo many plants out there that the idea of "Foraging" can become overwhelming. So take a day to begin your education with a few tasty choices that can be found right outside your own front door.
Believe it or not, every year people spend thousands of dollars spraying poisons on their lawns to get rid of healthy, delicious, nutritionally-packed edible plants for the simple reason that they are not grass. But with the rising cost of grocery bills and the more and more common news stories on salmonella and e. coli in our "fresh" food system, perhaps the time has come to learn what our grandparents always knew — the best food comes from our own front yards.
This workshop will focus on common and easily identifiable edible plants, many of which are no doubt growing in your own yard or local park. You will learn how to identify and harvest these tasty edibles, as well as several different ways to prepare each one. Some, like dandelions, you may already know without having an understanding that these "unsightly weeds" actually have more nutritional content that anything you can pay top dollar for in at Organic Foods market!
A fun, educational and delicious day, this is another great workshop for teachers, parents, Scout leaders and others who work with kids.
Learn to view the landscape from an entirely new perspective and develop an appreciation for the power and variety of all you will find when you learn to "Go Slow and Look Low".

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Student Comments:  Read what past students of this workshop have to say

July 18 Toms River, NJ $85 Register Now!

 

Spring Violet

Spring Foraging

The Spring Green-up is one of the most exciting times of the year! Winter stores are all but gone, root vegetable are soft and woody, and even the most highly acidic of acorns have disappeared from the ground. When those first green shoots begin to appear it is cause for celebration in the two- and four-legged foraging communities alike!
Come spend the day learning to find and identify those tiny, flowerless bits of green that come with the opening weeks of spring. Discover the world of chickweed, the wonders of violets, how to eat pokeweed safely, and just how delicious a dandelion can be.
(And the perfect day to break in your new Gathering Basket!)

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The Photos:  We held our first Spring Foraging workshop in April '09 at our main location in New Jersey — here are just some of the photos from that beautiful spring day!

May 9 Toms River, NJ $85 ››The date for this workshop has passed,
   but we'll let you know next time it's offered.
   In the mean time, come join us for
    Front-yard Foraging on July 18!‹‹

 

Coal-cooked feast

››NEW!  Black & White Cooking: The Art of Cooking on Coals and Ash

Where did we get the idea that primitive cooking is all about bug soup and grasshopper-kabobs? Come join us for a proper primitive feast, and discover how delicious and easy it can be to cook over (and on) an open fire!
Learn how to build the most effective fire structures for creating the perfect bed of coals and/or ashes, and get your hands dirty as we prepare a full-on multi-course meal, including coal-roasted meats and vegetables, spit-cooked fish, kabobs and delicious ash cake deserts. This is a real experience, and the hands-on knowledge you take home will make you the hit of your next family camping trip or backyard Bar-B-Q!!

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Skill of the Month:  One of our favorite campfire treats is Ash Cakes, and we shared the recipe and step-by-step instructions as our December '07 Skill of the Month. We hope you'll enjoy them too!

March 21 Toms River, NJ $95 ››The dates for this workshop have passed,
   but we'll let you know next time it's offered ‹‹

 

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››NEW!  Cooking With Clay

Clay is virtually everywhere, and when you are cooking on and in an open fire, clay can be your best friend! In this workshop you'll learn how to prepare meat, fowl, fish and veggies using the fool-proof Clay Bake technique to create some of the tastiest, tenderest, most fall-off-the-bone delicious dinners you've ever had. You will also learn how to both cook and bake in a clay pot, use a dakota hole, and make yummy desert treats. A fun and delicious day, so come on out and get your hands dirty and your belly full!

May 23 Toms River, NJ $95 Register Now!

 

Pumpkin stew

››NEW!  Beyond Stone Soup: Hot Rock Cooking

While that is where we will start, with "stone soup" or stew, the food in this workshop will quickly move beyond these basics to very delectable new levels! Learn to use the rock grill, rock oven, steam pit, and other techniques to become a true "Outdoor Gourmet"! This workshop (as with our other cooking workshops) is a fun time and great feast.

›› This workshop is not currently on the schedule, but we'll let you know the next time it's offered.‹‹

 

››NEW!  Campground Cookery: Dutch Ovens, Skillets, Griddles & More

If coals, ashes, clay and rocks are just not your thing, perhaps a more traditional approach to camp cookery is. In this workshop we will use traditional campground cooking implements like dutch ovens, skillets, fire-top grills and more to prepare everything from breakfast specialties to soups, sandwiches and steaks, all the way through to cakes and cobblers for desert. Learn the subtleties involved in using these "old favorites" of the campout experience which will take your outdoor cooking to a fine art. Nothing ever tastes as good as food prepared on and enjoyed around, a camp fire! So join us for a relaxing day of food and frivolity... and bring your appetite!

›› This workshop is not currently on the schedule, but we'll let you know the next time it's offered.‹‹

 

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