Learn how to make dandelion and cat ear tempura with wildlife filmmaker Nim Pontecorvo as she forages through her backyard for edible wonders.
TRANSCRIPT
- Hi, I'm Nim.
When I'm not on location filming with my husband, this is my favorite place to be.
It's my backyard, here, in Washington State.
In spring, the grass is explosion of new growth and surprising sorts of food.
And this, one of my favorites.
The stinking nettles.
Before you pick it you need to put the thick gloves on.
One of my favorites, fiddleheads, and bracken fern.
Bracken fern can be bitter, so I blanche them in salt water and soak them overnight.
Bigleaf maples are common in Washington.
In spring, the flowers and new shoot are tender and sweet.
They can be eaten right of the tree or used as a side of green.
When the flower is not open, it's kind of bitter but now it's open.
You can just eat like this.
By late May, false dandelions replace the real one.
They look very similar, but the stocks can sprout more than one flower and the leaves are fuzzy like cat's ears.
Every part of the plants is edible, from the roots to the flowers.
I have only begun to discover just how many edibles are right here in my own backyard.
I used to make dandelion tempura It was so good, but this is my first time to make cat ears tempura.
(sizzling) It's looking good.
It's pretty.
Ooh, la la.
And the sauce is just soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil.
(crunching) Mmm!
Well, tempura, you know the taste, it's just like tempura.
It's good.
There's a surprising amount of food growing all around us.
But make sure you browse responsibly, pick the right plant.
Stay away from pesticides and be cautious if you have any allergies.
But most of all, remember to get outside whenever you can.