Surrounded by farmland, I’m still preagricultural.
In my previous life, I slew Dolly Vardens.
About the author
I’m Kate Golden, a reporter who left Juneau, Alaska, just when the cohos started to come in. I’m on the hunt for wild berries, mushrooms, nuts, fish and critters in urban Madison, Wisconsin. Plus transcendental dumplings, or whatever else is out there.Foraging and fermenting
Morels
Ramps
Watercress
Saint-Maure-
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Madison Forager 
Great idea, your blog! Has anyone written a book called “Wild Cuisine” yet? If not, you should. I starte a travel blog called the Sojournalist but haven;t launched it yet. Maybe by Christmas…
Sounds like you’re having fun. Keep those posts coming!
Love, LP
Honestly, I should probably figure out which mushrooms are poisonous before I write that book. I can’t wait to see where the Sojournalista goes …
Love your blog. It was one of the first for my rss reader. I also forage here in Idaho. I pursue several mushroom species, wild berries and fruits. The occasional wild grouse too.
Kate — Do you freelance on Alaska stories? If so, you might be interested in following this one: the federal Office of Special Counsel has re-opened its Glen Ith investigations to determine who retaliated against Glen. That list is potentially long and reaches high up.
Andy Stahl
I forage in Madison, Wisconsin too. I have a weakness for winter-soft crabapples, half fermented on the boughs. Where do you forage without passer-bys wanting to put you in an asylum? I also confess to a liking for big black carpenter ants. 🙂
Hello. Are you part of any Madison-area forager’s group? Do you know of any such groups in this area? I’m trying to find one. Thanks.
Mike
Hi Mike – check out Madison Fruits and Nuts, at http://www.madisonfruitsandnuts.org. They are into gleaning fruit from city trees, and getting our city to grow more such trees. Get on their mailing list.
Oh, I’m happy I found your blog! I’m a Juneau girl looking for highbush cranberry recipes 🙂
Kate –
I’ve been foraging for two years now. Started with collecting from volunteer choke cherries and black cherries in my neighborhood park. Wild grapes from roadsides, and this year, a cornucopia of wild mushrooms. I got my chanterelles in June when there were no bugs. Really just an amazing mushroom year. There really should be a Madison group that isn’t afraid to go further afield.
Nice web site and I’ve enjoyed learning about a few new local wild edibles. You should consider burdock root this time of year. We recently cooked up a batch of kinpira gobo with locally foraged burdock roots and really enjoyed it.
Thanks, Steve. What does it taste like? We have an infestation of it at our community garden plot, but the roots I sampled were kind of gluey. When they were raw. I asked some folks at the farmer’s market who were selling it; they said the stuff they cultivate is very different from the wild, but didn’t say how.
Kate
Forgot I posted about those burdock roots before today, ooops. They’re crunchy and somewhat earthy in flavor, maybe like a cross between salsify and artichokes with a different texture. We peeled the thicker roots, but just sliced through the thin ones … only tried them stir fried though.
Also been enjoying tossing lambs quarters into salads (raw) or adding them to steamed greens and even making a so-so cream based bisque with a big clump of picked leaves. Lambs quarters is another one that typically invades gardens and rough areas where mostly weeds grow, but very nutritious and yummy.