Taste of the park: Foraging for food in downtown Whitehorse

Did you ever eat dandelion flowers as a kid? Or pick raspberries off a wild bush and pop them into your mouth?

Some of us may have lost that notion to nibble the wild plants on a walk in the park, but Michele Genest hasn't. She's one of Whitehorse's experts on foraging for foods in the woods and even in downtown parks.

"When I first started learning about all these wonderful edible things, I was just blown away," said Genest. "It was kind of magical when I first realized you could just walk into a forest and pick spruce tips and pop them into your mouth, or pick a rose and eat that."

Ingredients for salads, pies, braises and rubs can behiding anywhere in the cityin cracks in the sidewalks, in back alleys and on the sides of walking trails. You maypass them every day without even realizing what they are.

"A lot of the fun thing about discovering these flavours in the woods and in the parks is figuring out how to use them," said Genest.

Here are some of her favourites, found around Whitehorseand some tips on how to enjoy them.

Wild Chamomile

Genest describes wild chamomileas hardy, and able to growwheremost plants wouldn't dare.

It's ideal for making tea, which can then be used for other things, like camomile tea ice cream. Genestalso suggests making shortbread cookies with the wild chamomile.

"Wild chamomile a very subtle flavour," said Genest, "so it's best in foods that will highlight the flavour."

Plantain

No, not the banana-like fruitthat grow in the tropicsthis plantain hugs the sides of park paths and school playgrounds.

As Genest describes it, it'sa plant most people in Whitehorse would walk by every day, not knowing how it could be used.

It's good for salads, she says, especially when it's young and the leaves are fresh and tender. Once the plant becomes more mature, it's better to cook.

Dandelions

"The flowers are edible and delicious, the leaves are edible and delicious, but they're bitter," said Genest.

Similar to plantain, when the plant is young and hasn't blossomed yet, the leaves are good to chop up into a salad.

Once the flowers bloom, the leaves become even more bitter so are best cooked. Genest suggests quickly blanching the leaves, then sauteing them with oil, garlic and lemon.

The flowers can be nibbled on raw, or turned into fritters.

Yesdandelion flower fritters. Use abeer batter and shallow frythem until they're crispy, add a drizzle of honey and there you it: a simple, wild breakfast or light dessert.

Fireweed

Genest was told that fireweed has four gifts: its greenery and fiery stem, its flowers, the leaves in the fall, and the seeds it sends out on gossamer wings. Afifth gift is its flavour.

It has a taste similar to asparagus, but with a bitter bite at the end. When the plant is youngaround 15 to 20 centimetres highit can be added to a salad for some extra flavour in a bowl of sweeter greens.

Juniper

Juniper is one of the botanicals that produces gin. But it isn't just good for making alcoholGenest says she uses the berries almost every day in her cooking.

She uses them for rubs and braises for wild game like a moose roast. She will crush them and put them in a soup stock or make them into tea. She also toasts them and adds them to scones with cheddar cheese and wild sage.

Juniper ripens all year round, so the ripe blue berries can be harvested even in the winter.

Bluebells / Lungwort

There's debate overwhat the leaves taste like. Lots of people taste cucumber in its fuzzy leaves. Others taste oysters.

Crunching on a Bluebell leaf, Genest began planning what she would experiment with next, using the leavesasoup, perhaps, or tzatziki.

"You won't end up with something like cucumber soup, but you will end up with a very northern cold soup treat," said Genest. "The challenge is always figuring out what to do, how to use them."

Rose petals

If you've been on a walk in Whitehorse recently, you've likely noticed (and smelled) that wild roses are in full bloom. That means it's the time to harvest some of those velvet petals.

"They taste like a rose smells," said Genest. And the flavouronly gets stronger when dried.

Genest uses rose petals for other delicate food items like meringues, sauces for fish, jellies and ice cream.

A wordofcaution

Since some of these foods may be new to you, Genest suggests trying small bits first to ensure there's no allergic reaction or sensitivity.

She also advises you to decide whetheryou actually enjoy the flavour before filling a basket with your harvest.

Speaking of which don't pick bushes, flowers or patches clean. The bears, birds and bees need food too. Leave some petals on the flowers, some berries on the bush and some leaves on the plant for others to enjoy.

"It really takes on a different aspect of beauty when you know what it is and you know what you can do with it," said Genest.

"All of these plants and trees and bushes are beautiful to look at, but they kind of deepen in dimension when you know what they are and how to cook with them."