Garlic Mustard seems to be everywhere in Michigan. It spreads profusely, so if you find it, please pull it and dispose of it! All mustard plants have "cruciform" (4-petal) flowers -- these ones are white.
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| Garlic Mustard |
As you can see below, Garlic Mustard tends to take over an area, crowding out native wildflowers, so devoted naturalists always pull it out. Nature centers will even hold events where people come to take out Garlic Mustard. So if you're in the woods and feel the urge to kill and destroy, feel free to pick on Garlic Mustard. Here's what it looks like en mass:
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| Garlic Mustard taking over |
The great thing is that you can use it in salad or on sandwiches instead of lettuce. It tastes savory with a strong peppery/garlic aftertaste...kind of like Caesar salad dressing. I think it's best when picked at night -- this is probably true with many leaves. This is because during the day, some plants pump a sort of sunscreen into their leaves, which tastes bitter. My daughter is an organic farmer and this is why she gets up before the sun to pick lettuce.
I couldn't believe it, but as I was walking along I looked down and right next to the path were two morels...just sitting there in plain sight. I have never found morels and I got so excited I picked them right away. I did take a picture when I got home though.
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| Morels! |
There are not a wildflower but I adore them nonetheless. I soaked them in saltwater (to make sure any bugs were out) and then ate them raw. Delicious!
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