Wild green New York

Strange fruit indeed. And they ain't hanging from the cotton trees. OK, bad comparsion.. Bad song. Good song, very bad subject.

Where was I?

Oh. Wild green things. Came back from the dunelands of the Rockaways and the wonderful sound of actually pounding surf (a subway and bus ride and walk away), with a bag filled with goodies. Tomorrow I shall test. Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca and no other, please) pods, Yucca filamentosa pods, and bayberry, again. I thought: the bayberry fruit, why not use the little round fruits before they turn hard? They have a strongly herbal taste and scent, and may as well be used in the same way as the leaves. Tune in later for the results.

A few weeks ago I picked some milkweed flowers near Dead Horse Bay, leaving plenty for the butterflies and bees, and this week found the small pods developing already. After blanching them to remove the milky sap, I may pan roast them dry with ground (imported) sumac and a little cumin.

The big mystery. Yucca fruit, or seedpods. I suspect a lot of labour for little reward. But I may be happily surprised. Hmm. Perhaps the seeds, deepfried, the way Prune serves chickpeas as a little amuse bouche?

For now, here are some bayberry-rubbed back ribs.