Living Off the Land

of the Appalachian Mountains, barefoot and running free through valleys and hollers for most of my childhood. The rural customs of canning and preserving were a part of my daily existence, and the annual planting of and tending to a large garden ensured we had the most delicious, nutritious, and economically prudent diet. It was commonplace to find wild foods, in particular game meats and seasonal greens, at the table. I’d often see one of my uncles drag home a curious carcass of some sort, and my grandmother sighing in anticipation of the work ahead. Wild mushrooms regularly found their way into Thanksgiving dressings, mud turtle soup or barbequed squirrel occasionally made an exotic appearance at dinner, and to this day, poke salad and eggs are my favorite way to enjoy the persistent common pokeweed (). I now