Forging for brambles.

WILD FOODS--SUCH AS HERBSI GREENSI flowers, fruits, berries, roots, nuts, seeds, and mushrooms--abound in backyards and local parks throughout the country. Harvest a small fraction of these plants where they're highly abundant, and you'll come home with tastier, more healthful produce than you can buy anywhere, and without spending a cent. Also, most are renewable resources, so foraging for these foods and herbs will strengthen your ties to the earth and make you a better, more 'grounded' environmentalist.

Many wild foods are easy to recognize, an essential requirement before you eat any wild plants since some species are poisonous. One of the best ways to start is by harvesting brambles, plants in the genus Rubus, commonly known as blackberries and raspberries. Brambles are flavorful and nutritious, serving as excellent sources of potassium, manganese, and vitamin C.

Brambles are a large group of common, widespread species that grows in thickets, fields, and partially-shaded areas in the woods or along woodlands' edges throughout North America. Brambles have arching, woody stems called canes. Their canes bear only leaves the first year. Then, they yield leaves and flowers, followed by fruit, during their second year. After this, the canes die to the ground, but the roots live on, allowing the cycle to repeat.

Most bramble species are thorny. The toothed (serrated) leaves are usually divided into three to seven segments originating from one point, like the fingers from the palm of a hand. Clusters of small, five-petaled, short-stalked, radially symmetrical flowers, usually white, attract insect pollinators in the spring. These blossoms are followed by ovoid aggregate fruits, connected clusters of tiny fruits each containing one seed, that ripen from the middle to the end of summer.

Raspberry and blackberry plants have distinctive characteristics that may help you tell them apart, even when their fruit isn't ripe. For example, raspberry species have cylindrical branches, while blackberry branches feature flat surfaces or planes. When the fruit ripens during the summer, raspberries may be red or black, while blackberry species are always black. Also, the receptacle, the enlarged part at the end of the stalk that serves as the berry's base, behaves differently when ripe fruit is picked. The receptacles for all raspberry species remain attached to the stalk when you pick them. If you see a plant with empty receptacles, you can be sure that it yields raspberries. In contrast, the receptacle comes off with the fruit when you pick blackberries. The ends of the stalks will be completely bare.

When you forage for brambles, you should plan to go out in relatively mild weather and avoid polluted areas near highways, railroad rights-of-way, or sprayed areas. To collect these berries most easily, wear long pants and sleeves, plus heavy duty work gloves for protection. Use pinking shears to cut off the fingertips of one glove so you can grasp the berries. Also, tie a container to your belt or a key clip so you have both hands free to pick (and eat) the berries.

After you've stuffed yourself full with raw berries, you can use the remainder in jams, pies, cakes, pastries, cobblers, puddings, sauces, smoothies, and wines. However, brambles contain tiny, hard seeds, which you should strain out of any recipes that involve pureeing the fruit. Brambles don't dehydrate well, but you can first freeze them on cookie sheets so the berries don't stick together. Then, you can pack them into freezer containers and store them for more than a year.

Have fun with your local brambles, and bring kids along to pick whenever possible. It's the best way to nurture future environmentalists.

STEVE'S SMOOTHIE
(Serves 4)

Here's a quick and easy beverage
that you'll love.

  2 cups soymilk or nut milk
  1 cup wild blackberries
  1 ripe banana, peeled and cut into pieces
  1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground allspice
  2 Tablespoons vegetable glycerin
1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia (vegon sweetener)

Place all the ingredients into a
blender and process until smooth.

Pour the mixture through a
fine mesh strainer to remove the
blackberry seeds and serve.

Total calories per serving: 89

Carbohydrates: 14 grams

Sodium: 15 milligrams

Fat: 3 grams

Protein: 4 grams

Fiber: 4 grams

BLACKBERRY PANCAKES
(Makes 12 pancakes)

From The Wild Vegetarian Cookbook
(Harvard Common Press,
2002), these pancakes are unbelievably
delicious, and wild blackberries
make them even better. As in many
of my recipes, flax seeds and lecithin
granules perform superbly in replacing
egg whites and yolks, respectively.

1 3/4 cups oat flour and 1/2 cups buckwheat
      flour, or 31/4 cups any whole groin flour
  1/4 cup lecithin granules
    5 Tablespoons freshly ground flax  seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
3 1/2 cups soymilk or nut milk
  1/4 cup corn oil
    2 teaspoons liquid stevia (vegan sweetener)
  1/2 teaspoon blackberry extract (optional)
    2 cups wild blackberries
  1/2 cup walnuts
Additional corn or vegetable oil for griddle

In a large bowl, mix together the
flour, lecithin, flax seed powder,
cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon,
salt, and nutmeg. Stir in
the soymilk, oil, stevia, and blackberry
extract, being careful not to
overmix. Stir in the blackberries
and walnuts, being careful not to
overmix.

Drop a few Tablespoons of
the batter onto a hot, oiled griddle
and spread the batter into a
circle. Cook each pancake until
it is lightly browned underneath,
flip it over with a metal spatula,
and cook the other side until
browned. Remove to a plate or
serving platter. Repeat until you
have used up all the batter.

Serve pancakes with wild
strawberry sauce, jam, or syrup.

Total calories per pancake: 245

Carbohydrates: 26 grams

Sodium: 211 milligrams

Fat: 25 grams

Protein: 8 grams

Fiber: 6 grams

WILD RASPBERRY
TAPIOCA PUDDING
(Serves. 8)

After decades of popularity, tapioca
finally went out of style when I first
began cooking. But this natural
starchy thickener, made,am the
tropical manioc root, is as tasty as
ever. And tapioca's smoothness and
mildness perfectly offset the wild
raspberry's fruity flavor in this rich
dessert.

One 33.8-ounce container soymilk or nut
milk
    5 Tablespoons tapioca pearls
  1/2 cup natural cherry juice concentrate
      or other fruit juice concentrate
    2 Tablespoons sesame or corn oil
    2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    1 teaspoon lemon juice
  1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia (vegan sweetener)
  1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  1/4 teaspoon raspberry extract (optional)
  1/4 teaspoon salt
    6 cups wild raspberries
1 3/4 cups chopped pecans

Place all the ingredients, except
for the raspberries and the pecans,
in a large saucepan and bring the
pot to a boil over medium heat,
stirring frequently. Reduce heat
to low and simmer, covered, for
10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the raspberries and continue
to simmer for another 5 minutes.

Remove the pot from heat and
add the pecans. Serve hot or cold.

Total calories per serving: 348

Carbohydrates: 29 grams

Sodium: 95 milligrams

Fat: 25 grams

Protein: 7 grams

Fiber: 11 grams

Where to find the ingredients for the4se recipes

* Many gourmet foods stores sell blackberry extract and other types of extracts. You can also purchase them online, for example, from Bickford Flavors at <www.bickfordflavors.com/index.html>.

* Health foods stores sell vegetable glycerin, liquid stevia, lecithin granules, arrowroot, kudzu, and ground flax seeds.

* Winemaking supplies are available from retailers such as Midwest Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies <www.midwestsupplies.com>. Internet search engines will guide you to other retail sites.

BLACKBERRY DUMPLINGS
(Serves 8)

These corn-oat dumplings, cooked
in a wild blackberry sauce, are an
exceptional treat. This unusual
dessert is one of my favorites, and
I'm sure it will become the same
for you.

DUMPLINGS:

1 1/3 cups oat flour, 11/8 cups buckwheat
      flour, and 1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal,
      or approximately 3 2/3 cups any whole
      groin flour
2 1/2 Tablespoons freshly ground flax seeds
    1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon dried mint, finely crumbled
  1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  3/4 cup soymilk or nut milk
    1 Tablespoon corn oil
    1 Tablespoon vegetable glycerin or
    1 teaspoon liquid stevia (optional)
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1 cup cooked brown rice
    1 Tablespoon lecithin granules

In a large bowl, mix together the
flours, flax seed powder, cream of
tartar, baking soda, mint, ginger,
and salt.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix
together the soymilk, oil, glycerin
or stevia, and vanilla. Mix the wet
ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Stir in the brown rice and
lecithin. Shape the dough into
32 balls, each 1 inch in diameter.

SAUCE:

  4 cups unsweetened blackberry juice or
    other fruit juice
1/4 cup kudzu or arrowroot (available
    in natural foods stores and Asian
    markets)
1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia
  1 Tablespoon red wine
1/2 teaspoon amaretto extract (optional)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground doves
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon liquid stevia (optional)
  2 cups wild blackberries

In a large saucepan, mix together
all the sauce ingredients, except
for the blackberries. Bring the
pot to a boil over medium heat,
stirring often.

Add the dumplings, reduce
heat to low, and simmer, covered,
for 15 minutes. Add the blackberries
and simmer, covered, for
another 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Total calories per serving: 327

Carbohydrates: 61 grams

Sodium: 238 milligrams

Fat: 6 grams

Protein: 9 grams

Fiber: 8 grams

WILD BLACKBERRY
FROZEN DESSERT
(Serves 6)

Wild berries, vegan ingredients,
and a natural sweetener more than
replace the conventional animal
products and refined sugar in this
dessert and help to create one of the
best frozen treats you can make.

2 1/2 cups soymilk, nut milk, or out milk
  1/2 cup well-drained silken tofu
  1/2 cup raw cashews
  1/4 cup grope seed or canola oil
  1/4 cup vegetable glycerin
  1/4 cup lecithin granules
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    1 teaspoon blackberry extract (optional)
    2 teaspoon liquid stevia (vegan sweetener)
  1/2 teaspoon salt
    2 cups wild blackberries, divided

Place all the ingredients, except
for 1 cup of the blackberries, in a
blender and process until smooth.
Strain mixture through a fine
mesh strainer to remove the seeds.

Chill the mixture if required
by your ice cream machine. Pour
the mixture into the ice cream
machine and freeze it according
to the manufacturer's instructions.

Serve topped with the remaining
blackberries.

Total calories per serving: 243
Carbohydrates: 12 grams
Sodium: 209 milligrams
Fat: 19 grams
Protein: 6 grams
Fiber: 4 grams

WILD RASPBERRY
LAYER CAKE
(Makes one 2-layer cake, serves 8)

Raspberries are great in this recipe,
but wild blackberries or other wild
berries will also give you excellent
results. This layer cake is tastier
than conventional cakes, and it's
more fun to make, especially if
you've gathered some of the ingredients
yourself.

1/2 cup raisins
    Hot fruit juice to cover raisins
  2 cups plus 1 1/2 Tablespoons sweet' brown
    rice flour end 1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon
    barley flour, or 31/4 cups any whole
    grain flour
  2 Tablespoons kudzu or arrowroot
  2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 Tablespoon finely chopped mint, or
1/2 teaspoon dried mint, finely crumbled
  1 teaspoon baking soda
  1 teaspoon salt
  1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon fleshly ground cardamom
    seeds
  5 ounces unsweetened apple juice
  5 Tablespoons almond or corn oil
  2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1 cup wild raspberries
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Vegetable oil spray for cake pans

Soak the raisins in hot fruit juice
for 30 minutes. Drain and set
aside.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together the
flours, kudzu or arrowroot, cream
of tartar, mint, baking soda, salt,
nutmeg, and cardamom.

In a small bowl, mix together
the apple juice, oil, vinegar, and
vanilla. Mix the wet ingredients
into the dry ingredients, being
careful not to overmix. Mix in
the raisins, berries, and walnuts.

Pour the batter evenly into
two oiled 9" round cake pans.
Bake the cakes for approximately
30 minutes or until a toothpick
inserted into the center emerges
clean. Let the cakes cool on a
wire rack.

FILLING:

    2 Tablespoons unsweetened apple juice
    2 Tablespoons red wine
    1 teaspoon liquid stevia (vegan sweetener)
  1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  1/4 teaspoon orange extract
7 1/2 teaspoons agar powder
    1 cup wild raspberries

In a medium-sized saucepan,
combine all of the ingredients,
except for the raspberries, and
simmer over low heat for 10 minutes,
stirring occasionally. Stir in
the berries, remove the pot from
the heat, and let the filling stand
for 5 minutes.

Test the firmness of the filling
by filling half of a metal spoon
with the filling and placing it in
the freezer for a few minutes until
the filling is chilled. The filling
should be as firm as jam. If not,
add more agar and simmer the
filling for another 10 minutes, or
thin the filling by adding more
apple juice. Test the filling until
the consistency is right.

When the cake layers are cool,
spread half of the filling on one
cake, place the other cake on top
of the frosted one, and spread the
remaining filling onto the top
layer to finish.

Total calories per serving: 385

Carbohydrates: 60 grams

Sodium: 456 milligrams

Fat: 15 grams

Protein: 6 grams

Fiber: 7 grams

WINEBERRY WINE
(Makes 1 gallon or approximately thirty-two
& 4-ounce servings)

Wineberries are red-branched, tart-flavored
Asian red raspberries that
get their name because they're ideal
for winemaking. They grow throughout
eastern North America and have
been spreading throughout the rest
of the country, too. If they don't grow
in your area, other species of wild
raspberries or blackberries are just
as good. Serve this wine as a table
wine, or use it in any recipe that
calls for sweet red wine. It's especially
good in desserts and sweet sauces.

  1 gallon water
  6 cups while sugar (Use your favorite
    vegan variety.)
  6 cups wineberries, other wild raspberries,
    or blackberries
  4 cinnamon sticks, each approximately
    2 inches long
  2 Tablespoons chopped fresh spearmint
    or other mint leaves, or 2 teaspoons
    dried mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon champagne yeast or other
    wine yeast

Bring the water to a boil and stir
in the sugar until it dissolves.
Transfer the water-sugar mixture
to a plastic or ceramic food
container and add the berries,
mashing them slightly with a
hand blender or potato masher.
Add the cinnamon and mint.

When the mixture cools to
lukewarm, stir in the yeast and
cover the container with cheesecloth
or a towel. Allow the mixture
to ferment for 7 to 10 days
at room temperature, stirring it
twice a day.

Strain the mixture through
cheesecloth, transfer the liquid
to a jug, and seal the jug with an
airlock stopper (available from
winemaking suppliers).

When the bubbling stops and
fermentation ends a week or two
later, seal the jug with a cork and
age the wine for 6 weeks to 6
months before serving.

Siphon the wine to get rid
of the sediment, if desired.

Total calories per serving: 150

Carbohydrates: 39 grams

Sodium: 18 milligrams

Fat: <1 gram

Protein: <1 gram

Fiber: 2 grams