AT HOME IN THE WILDERNESS PART V: EDIBLE PLANTS

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Miner's Lettuce. The Montia species (which belong to the same family—Portulacaceae—as purslane, another popular edible green) are available during much of the year, and these typically small, low-growing residents of damp places make a good cooked vegetable. It's also possible to eat them raw or add them to soup and stew. (The new, small leaves have the best flavor.)

Sumac. All of the Rhus species are edible, with the exception of poison sumac, which can be distinguished from the others by its loose clusters of white berries and the absence of teeth on the leaves. To make a good tea or cold drink from the bright red stag-horn, smooth, and winged sumac berries, just bruise the clusters in cold water ... let the brew sit for ten minutes . . . strain it ... and drink the beverage hot or cold. You can also make a fine soup with a fruity flavor by heating the berry clusters and then straining them out before eating the broth.

Violets. The new, green leaves of the Viola species can be cooked as a green, added to soup as a thickener, or eaten raw in a salad. The dried leaves, on the other hand, make excellent tea that's high in vitamin A. The violet's taste, however, is very bland, and the leaves will be most appealing when mixed with other greens.

Dandelions. You can eat the tender leaves of Taraxacum officinale raw or cook them like a potherb . . . if they're gathered before the plants bloom. The mature flower itself is tasty when dipped in a batter made from wild-grain flour and fried like a fritter, while ground dried roots make an excellent hot drink.

Chicory. When dried, roasted, and ground, chicory ( Cichorium intybus ) roots will brew up into a coffeelike hot drink, and the new green leaves can be cooked as a potherb or simply added to stew. Also, the blanched white part of the new leaves at the plant's base are tasty when eaten raw . . . alone or in a salad.

Greenbriers. The new green leaves, sprouts, or shoots—as well as the young tendrils—of the Smilax species can be eaten raw or cooked. In many parts of the country, greenbriers have edible parts from spring through the middle of autumn.

Stinging Nettles. The stinging nettle ( Urtica species) is a very good survival plant, since it can be found in many areas of the country. Steam or boil the young shoots or leaves to produce a great cooked green. Or boil the older leaves for ten minutes, then strain out the fibers, to make a tea. Be careful, however, when handling this plant: Its "bite" is very painful, but fortunately, the stinging capability is destroyed by cooking. (The plant's stem fibers, by the way, make good cordage.)

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