3 minute read
WINTER FORAGING
A sweet bite of the winter forest
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RECIPE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEXANDRA HUDSON
Winter rains bring scores of cone-tipped redwood branches, usnea lichen bundles and madrone berries to the forager’s collection basket. The bright flavors of these forest gems are bound to enchant the epicurious and leave holiday guests intrigued about your mysterious ingredients. With this recipe we take a journey through the magestic redwood ecosystem for our inspiration and ingredients to prepare a panna cotta that is unique to our bioregion.
The citrus-like flavor and immune-boosting properties of redwood needles infuse easily into heavy cream. To make redwood-infused panna cotta, we employ an herbal medicine technique, mixing shredded needles with a bit of high proof alcohol before infusing them into the cream; for those short on time, this step can be omitted.
Huckleberries can be harvested in late summer, then frozen and prepared as compote for bursts of brilliance in the winter. Huckleberries resemble their relative, the blueberry, (which can be substitued when wild huckleberries are not available) and fruit prolifically in sundrenched spots.
Redwood Panna Cotta with Huckleberry Compote
75 grams (about 3 cups) young redwood needles; pine needles or fi r tips can be substituted ¾ teaspoon high proof alcohol 3 cups heavy whipping cream ½ cup whole milk ½ cup honey ¼ teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons water 3 teaspoons gelatin powder 1 tablespoon coconut oil
For 1 cup huckleberry compote
1 cup huckleberries, frozen or fresh, well- cleaned of stems and leaves 1/3 cup honey ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch of salt
Snip redwood tips straight into a blender. Add alcohol and blend until fi nely chopped. Cover and let sit for 1 hour. Mixing an herb with a little splash of alcohol before oil extraction (which happens in the fat of the cream) helps intensify the fl avor.
Heat cream and milk to a simmer and pour over the redwood tips. In a variable speed blender, blend fi rst on low and slowly increase to high and let whir for about 20 seconds. Notice how the infusion becomes more vibrantly green as you blend. Let it cool a bit. Once it is at a manageable yet still warm temperature, strain through a fi ne fi lter—like a nut milk bag—into a bowl and set aside. Note: If your blender has only a high and low function, wait till the cream cools a a bit to blend to avoid bursts of hot liquid from the blender and subsequent burns; if cream is too cool, it might separate into milk and butter as you are blending, at which point you will need to gently heat the mash again to melt the butter back into the cream. Pour water into a small bowl and bloom gelatin by sprinkling it slowly over the top. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes as the gelatin swells. Mix the bloomed gelatin into the warm cream until smooth. Stir in the honey and salt until well-combined. If there are still clumps in the mixture, blend it on low until homogeneous.
Prepare 12 muffi n tins with a very thin smear of oil. Divide panna cotta mixture into the tins. Refrigerate and chill for 6 hours until fi rm.
While the panna cotta are setting, prepare the huckleberry compote. Place the huckleberries in a pot with a splash of water and salt and bring to a simmer. Let cook on low 10 to 20 minutes till the mixture reduces slightly. Turn off heat and add honey to taste.
To extract the panna cotta, pour boiling water into a heat proof container large enough to fi t the muffi n tin. Lower the tin into the boiling water just long enough to melt the very outside of the panna cotta so that it disengages, about 3 to 4 seconds. Run a little knife around the sides of the tin and fl ip it onto a plate.
Serve with a dollop of huckleberry compote and garnish with a leaf from one of your favorite wild plants. Makes 12 muffi n cup-sized panna cotta.
Alexandra Hudson is a California-born clinical herbalist, wild foods chef and holistic educator. She lives with her family out in the Day Valley redwoods, where she tends to her land and offers classes and sessions to clients. For more information on Hudson’s practice and classes, visit alchemistress.world. creating community through food
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