IT'S HARVEST TIME FOR WILD GREENS

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The best things in life are free . . . and that applies to some of the tastiest, most nutritious vegetables and herbs in the entire plant world, as Ferris Weddle points out below.

A few years ago, the outdoor editor of our local (Kamiah, Idaho) daily newspaper approached me with a story idea. "Why don't you put together a complete meal-salad, main course, side dishes, dessert, everything —comprised entirely of wild plants . . . and write it up for our next `outdoor recreation' supplement? "

Being a natural foods forager from way back, all I could think of as an answer was: "Sure! "

The editor's response: "OK. Have the story on my desk in four days."

Holy mackerel! What had I done There I was in early May and many—if not most —of the wild edibles I normally foraged (things like lamb's-quarters, green amaranth, purslane, mustards, and other frost-sensitive fare) weren't out yet! Even such hardy volunteer plants as the docks and sorrels weren't far enough along to eat.

But I had committed myself, so—accompanied by my sister, Nita-I took to the countryside fully expecting to find few—or no—wild vegetables worth eating (let alone writing about). Imagine our surprise, then, when we ran up against copious quantities of miner's lettuce, watercress, yellow monkey flower, spearmint, dog-tooth violet, wild hyacinth, plantain, salsify, burdock, and other delicious "free eats"! Even in early spring, we had learned, foraged fare was out in abundance . . . and, as a result, I got my story.

From this experience I learned that it is possible to gather wild foods (whole sack-loads of 'em, in fact) even as far north as Idaho and as early as spring or late winter. . . IF you know which plants to look for.

WATERLEAF: AN UNCOMMONLY GOOD "FIND"

One of the more abundant springtime "volunteer vegetables" here in Idaho is waterleaf (Hydrophyllum capitatum), a delicate, leafy herb that grows in moist, rich, shaded soils—at elevations ranging from sea level to 9,000 feet-throughout the West. (Two related species— H. canadense and H. virginianum —thrive in the northeastern U.S., where the plants are sometimes called "John's cabbage".)

The nice thing about waterleaf is that all parts of it—roots, stems, blossoms (when young), and leaves—are edible. (The stems-in particular-are delightful in salads, or pickled.) Even after the plant's purplish flowers—each of which resembles a cat's paw—have appeared and the leaves are old, there's no bitter taste . . . at least, not in the species I've been eating.