eG Foodblog: fifi - Foraging the Texas Gulf Coast

[fifi]

Great blog, and I hope I'm not intruding to answer the question up thread

Woodruff. The leaves make a sort of ruff around the stem.

Use the elderflower syrup recipe above, but infuse the leaves in the hot syrup like making a tea or tisane. Wonderful flavour like fresh hay with vanilla. Makes a great sorbet.

Grape Jam or Jelly?

Jelly is the usual 1lb sugar to a pint of juice; you will need to add acid (lemon juice) and maybe pectin (or apple) if the grapes are ripe.

Jam is the usual 6lbs sugar to 4lbs fruit, but again you may need to add apple or pectin.

Oded Schwartz has a grape jam with slices of lemon, pecans and brandy. Very pretty.

Christine Ferber gives recipes for Muscat grape jams and jellies; she adds 1 3/4 lbs apples to 2 1/4 lbs grapes or uses 7oz of apple jelly. One recipe adds 3 1/2 oz of Honey; another recipe adds 2 cups of wine made from the same grape

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Thanks for the woodruff picture. I am not sure we have that here. What does it taste like.

edit to add: oops you already answered that.

Hmmm . . . brandy in grape jam . . . hmmm . . .

Edited May 22, 2005 by fifi (log)

[Smithy]

Fifi, sorry if I missed this, but are those grapes ripe? They look quite unripe to me, and I've never thought about trying to do something with unripe grapes. Are you going for a tart jelly?

There's some refence over in the Middle Eastern forum about sour grapes. I wonder if your grapes would lend themselves to some Middle-Eastern cookery.

[fifi]

Fifi, sorry if I missed this, but are those grapes ripe?  They look quite unripe to me, and I've never thought about trying to do something with unripe grapes.  Are you going for a tart jelly?

There's some refence over in the Middle Eastern forum about sour grapes.  I wonder if your grapes would lend themselves to some Middle-Eastern cookery.

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Yes, they are green. This all started with a mention of green grape pie on another thread. (I forget which.) I am not very good with pies and such so I thought I would make jam. BTW . . . I understand from my sister that there is no way to improve the color. The acidity does funny things to coloring agents and it just gets worse. So you end up with a funny green jam. Perhaps it should be served with green eggs and ham. (Sorry. I couldn't stop myself.)

[bloviatrix]

Fifi, sorry if I missed this, but are those grapes ripe?  They look quite unripe to me, and I've never thought about trying to do something with unripe grapes.  Are you going for a tart jelly?

There's some refence over in the Middle Eastern forum about sour grapes.  I wonder if your grapes would lend themselves to some Middle-Eastern cookery.

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Yes, they are green. This all started with a mention of green grape pie on another thread. (I forget which.) I am not very good with pies and such so I thought I would make jam. BTW . . . I understand from my sister that there is no way to improve the color. The acidity does funny things to coloring agents and it just gets worse. So you end up with a funny green jam. Perhaps it should be served with green eggs and ham. (Sorry. I couldn't stop myself.)

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Fifi, next time try adding some Ascorbic Acid (vitamin c powder). That might help to set the color.

[fifi]

And now, for Sunday dinner's star attraction. This is a little pork loin roast, about two pounds. The loin was on sale. I usually cut it in half so that I don't have too much in the way of leftovers.

Here is the little bugger sliced for internal seasoning. I took some of the rinds from the salt preserved calamondins, rinsed them and shredded them. Then I sprinkled on some of the dried horsemint. Rolled and tied, it is ready for the oven with a coating of some of the liquid and pulp from the preserved calamondins.

Into the oven on a rack and roasted at 325 degrees F (about 163 C) until the internal temperature reached 140 degrees F (about 60 C). I tented it with foil and let it rest for 15 minutes. The result was outstanding.

When I figure out how this camera works you will be able to see the juices and probably even taste it. The taste combination of the calamondin and the horsemint just works. Astounding. Who knew?

[Wendy DeBord]

When I figure out how this camera works you will be able to see the juices and probably even taste it. /quote]

I'm not sure that I hope that you get your camera figured out. Your photos are fabulous........really! Theres a couple of shots I'd like to see enlarged and framed.

How or who taught you the art of foraging? Have you ever eaten something that made you sick as you learned this?

[emmapeel]

Here is the little bugger sliced for internal seasoning.

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Fifi, that looks downright astounding. I have to buy loin pork this week and try it (but of course I won't have horsemint. No matter.) I've learned so much from you this week that I'll come up with something great. Thanks for the great blogging this week, it was very different and informative and your photographs are spectacular.

Edited May 23, 2005 by emmapeel (log)

[fifi]

. . . . .

I'm not sure that I hope that you get your camera figured out. Your photos are fabulous........really! Theres a couple of shots I'd like to see enlarged and framed.

How or who taught you the art of foraging? Have you ever eaten something that made you sick as you learned this?

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Well, I got the Nikon D70 just before starting this blog. I am an old 35mm photo-geek, a lot of macro. Right now I am using the auto settings so it is just an expensive point and shoot. I need to get more control of depth of field with the macro lens. Anyway, thanks for the encouragement. Going digital is like a whole new world. I did so only a couple of years ago with a Sony Mavica. Throw in new equipment and it is a wonder you can see anything.

No . . . I have never gotten sick but I am really careful. If I am not really sure what it is I leave it alone. I have grown up doing this sort of thing. I can't say that we normally go on excursions for the express purpose of foraging. In fact, this week has been the first time I have ever done that. We just know what is going on in the particular habitats that we might be in, keep our eyes open and if we see an opportunity we sieze it. Learning has come from toddling along with my family, reading books and talking to folks that also know what grows and lives where.

[fifi]

Long day but Galveston Island is a foragers paradise. The day was not without adventure. I got stuck in the loose sand and had to be towed out. It was too darn hot to dig it out myself. Baby Car just never learns. At least the blog will end on an up-note and some pretty pictures. I found the true treasure.

I'll be back later once I have gotten the salt and sweat washed off and the pictures processed.

[fifi]

Here we go with the last trip, for the blog anyway. We have done some inland and bay area treks. Today we go to the beach, Galveston Island to be specific. Galveston Island is a barrier island that lies just off the Texas coast. Texas has a lot of barrier islands, actually along most of the coast. Back to our satellite photos of South Galveston Bay, You can see how a barrier island works. The island is in the bottom portion of the collection. Off to the more upper right, you see Bolivar peninsula. Sometimes the structure is joined to the mainland and you get a peninsula. (There is a TXDOT ferry system that takes you to the peninsula from Galveston. That is a fun ride.) There is a bay on the landward side of the islands and peninsulas, and of course, the beach fronting on the Gulf of Mexico. This is the typical Texas coast set up and it is those bay systems that give us our abundant seafood. Supposedly, Padre Island in south Texas is the longest barrier island in the world.

The island is joined to the mainland by the causeway (I-45) that can be seen in the 4th row, 4th picture to the right. (You can click on the individual pictures to get a larger view.)

Smithy, I never answered your question about the "spits" in the 3rd row, far right picture. Those are the jetties, long heaps of big blocks of Texas pink granite that protect the entrance into the bay. That entrance is the Houston Ship Channel. The jetties are a popular fishing spot, both by walking out on them and from boats. The presence of all of that rock adds another habitat for sea life that wouldn't naturally be there. Our coast doesn't have rocks.

I am heading for the soutwestern tip of the island which is in the very bottom left. That is San Luis Pass and is just a pass from the bay to the Gulf. It can be treacherous when the tide is running. We lose a few wade fishermen a year.

Several have asked about open land. On my way there, I thought I would show you a typical "pasture." This is very common on the coastal plain, mixed grassland with a stray nubbin of a tree here or there. If there is a creek it will have real trees and you might even find a native pecan tree in those little strips of woodland. There is usually a ditch next to the road that gives you a chance for wetland plants like cat tails. There are a few wild rose brambles out there.

Running along Stewart Road along the more bay side of the island there is a lot of open land, some used for grazing, but some just let go. This is where things get nuts. In this one picture, there is wild rose, elderberry, honeysuckle and horsemint. And that is just what I recognize from the car.

The elderberry blossoms are still too tight. I will have to go back next weekend if I want to eat some. (I do so I probably will.) The roses have no smell at all so I am not going to bother. I will either have to get up real early in the morning (unlikely) or just wait until September/October and see about the rose hips. This particular rose has nice hips.

There are also the odd clumps of prickly pear. Later, the pears will be this gorgeous fuschia color. They make a spectacular looking, ok tasting jelly if you really want to do your penance doing that. Horsemint makes another appearance.

Right before you go over the San Luis Pass toll bridge (to Surfside beach and Freeport) you can veer off to the right to get to the beach and bayside. I am going to the bayside first and see what I can find. The back side is typically salt marsh and a rich source of bait fish, shrimp and crabs if you are handy with a cast net. A couple of guys gave it a try while I was there, had little luck in that spot and moved on. They told me that they were fishing on the beach side and had gotten a good bit of shrimp early in the day.

Tromping around I spot an interesting clump of weeds.

Can it be . . . Could I be so lucky? It is! It is samphire! My favorite thing in the whole world. It is the light green stuff at the bottom.

I am munching on some of it as I type this. It is very crisp and succulent, has a salty and very slightly tart flavor. When it is young like this, the fibrous core down the middle of the leaves hasn't formed yet so it is a true delight. Later in the year it will darken in color and get a reddish cast in the fall. I have heard of folks sauteing it but I can't imaging destroying that wonderful texture. When we have a lot of it, we include some of the leaves in a salad. I consider a salad with samphire one of the true luxuries in the world.

Onward to the beach. This is where I got stuck in the "beach access" place. This time of year there are all sorts of interesting wildflowers growing on the back side of the dunes. I should probably put dunes in quotes. They aren't very high at all on this part of the coast. As you head south, the prevailing winds produce much higher dunes. It is a calm day and the water is actually almost pretty. We haven't had much rain, either to flush sediment out of the rivers and muck up the water. I was there to see what the coquina situation is. After I introduced myself to the tow truck driver (Hi! My name is stupid!) I asked him about the coquinas. He said that there were a few here and there but they really don't go looking for the big beds until after June 1st. With my trusty shovel, I confirmed what he said. There is a very few here and there but no great beds yet. I will be back. the line of brown stuff is a batch of sargassum weed that came in with the last high tide.

So now we leave Galveston Island behind us and head off into the sunset and the end of this blog. But on the way out I saw this amazing sight. It is off-topic but I just had to share. There is an old cemetary on Broadway Boulevard (I-45) and it is just covered with Black-eyed Susans. (There were a couple of other photographers there doing the same thing I was.)

I hope you enjoyed this little tour of "my" coast and what it has to offer. Wherever you are, take a look around you. This kind of thing can teach you a lot about your surroundings where ever you are. I credit my family's interest in our environment with leading me to my life long passion for science. Not only did that passion provide for a lucrative career, but more importantly, has given me many hours of sheer joy of discovery. That is not a bad thing to give a kid.

Just remember to respect your sources. Never take more than you need and always leave enough to propogate for next year. Oh . . . And try not to get arrested.

[Smithy]

Fifi, this has been a great blog: a fun read, and terrific tour. I'm sorry it's already over. I haven't really given the Texas coast much thought before now. One thing that strikes me is, I can't believe your wild roses are almost gone! Ours haven't even budded yet! But then, it hasn't hit 60F here yet, either. I'm surprised at the whiteness of your roses. Ours are (that is, will be) quite pink.

You have me looking around for more potential "edibles" as I'm driving around, and I think I'll have to give choke cherries a whirl this year. Berries are no-brainers, but I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for more. Thank you!

Edited May 24, 2005 by Smithy (log)

[Pan]

What a fascinating and unique blog this was! I used to gather wild plants and dig for clams in rural Malaysia, but the flora were very different from what's available in your part of Texas!

One question: I gather the environment in your area is pretty clean. There are no significant problems with oil spills and such in your neck of the woods?

[mizducky]

Thanks, fifi! This wuz fun!

(Heh. Now I need to get my paws on some field guides to the local flora and fauna...)

[fifi]

What a fascinating and unique blog this was! I used to gather wild plants and dig for clams in rural Malaysia, but the flora were very different from what's available in your part of Texas!

One question: I gather the environment in your area is pretty clean. There are no significant problems with oil spills and such in your neck of the woods?

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It was pretty lousy in the northern part of the bay many years ago. These days, the heavy industries along the ship channel do a pretty darn good job of cleaning up any effluent. I have been in a position for many years to get up close and personal with how that works. The goal is to put the water back in better shape than when you got it. I think we have the highest concentration of refining capacity for instance and you can catch trout off the docks. No, it wasn't always that way but a lot of progress has been made. The ship channel is being enlarged and that will make those busy shipping lanes safer. I can't remember any catastrophic spills and any type of spill is rare and limited in any case. There are trained spill teams well equipped and always on call for fast response. Other than containing what is spilled, I think we have learned that doing too much can be a bad thing. Texas A&M has done a lot of work on more natural remediation. The biggest problem, by far, that the bay system faces is run-off from all of the crap that people put on their lawns in urban areas-->bayous-->the bay.

I will digress to this issue of "tar balls" on our beaches. When folks get the nasty black stuff on their feet in the summer time, the reaction is "nasty nasty big tankers and those nasty nasty offshore platforms." WRONG! There are natural tar seeps all over the gulf, particularly around the Bay of Campeche and they have always been there. The currents bring them to our beaches. The Karankawa indians used to use them for fuel and to smear on to keep the mosquitos away. That means that there are also oil eating bacteria in the gulf and bay sediments that are always ready for lunch.

I can only imagine foraging in Maylaysia!

[ludja]

This has to rank right up there with the most informative and charming blogs; thank you very much! I need to scout out if there is any samphire up here in No. California; I"m intriqued!