Comments on: The Gardens Edge

By: Angela

Angela — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 05:06:18 +0000

Hi Geoff,
As far as I understand, Mesquite pods can be turned into flour and used to make bread. Yucca or Spanish needle blossoms they say taste excellent in scrambled eggs, and very young tumbleweed actually tastes good in a stir fry…I’ve yet to try any of these things.
Acacia does well in the desert, creating a micro-irrigation that draws water up to the surface of the land, which can raise a whole other field of possibilities when it comes to what will grow in the high desert.
I’m just learning myself about all that can be eaten in the high desert, and as I see all the wild vegetation that pops up six inches in one day, I always wonder to myself “I wonder how that tastes?”…and then I take a bite. LOL I have to taste everything that grows in the ground. I know that can be dangerous sometimes, but I’m always looking for that one ingredient that will taste fabulous in our food. We just never know what will spring up and serve us well at meal time.
I also know what you mean by the small animals out here. Hint…prairie dogs?! I have always wondered what they taste like. LOL I don’t think I’d have the guts to actually take one down (well if it was killing my garden I might have to) and roast it over a spit, but I tell you what, if I was hungry, you bet a prairie dog would look mighty tasty…and maybe even taste like chicken!
Here are some prairie dog recipes for your viewing pleasure:
http://www.lovelandnet.com/toms-place/writing/pdf/recipes.htm

By: Geoff Goldsborough

Geoff Goldsborough — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 02:36:02 +0000

Hey Angela, thanks for this post. It caught my eye as I am researching foods that are either native or thrive in the high desert. I am intrigued by the idea of working with nature vs against. I look around and see lots of small animals that culturaly we are not accustomed to eating, but would provide and abundant and sustainable food source. As far as plants I would like to believe that other than cacti, and Pine nuts, there has got to be cultivated or native plants that will do well here with little effort. If you come across any high desert food cultivation information please let me know. Thanks. Geoff

By: Katherine Moore

Katherine Moore — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 05:05:38 +0000

My Dad liven in Guatemala and loved Macuy. I’d like to plant it and feed it to him. Where can I purchase the seeds?