Wild + Whole

If you’ve ever come across a wild lion’s mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus), it might strike you as something that came from the deep ocean. The beautiful, cascading spines appear more fit for life on a coral reef than the terrestrial home by which they abide. Fittingly, the texture and flavor of...

One of the greatest rewards of gardening is getting to eat delicious parts of the plant that are not commonly found at the grocery store. The golden blossoms from a squash plant are a seasonal treasure. These delicate flowers have a subtle floral aroma and mild squash flavor that makes them a...

There is no better complement to a meal of wild game than fresh herbs and veggies from your own garden. Our hillside home in East Tennessee isn’t very conducive to traditional gardening, so I build raised beds as a practical, productive solution. I use plastic barrels to make beds that require...

I don't eat burgers very often, so when I do, I like to splurge. Don't get me wrong—I enjoy the simplicity of Jimmy Buffett's cheeseburger in paradise, but sometimes my taste buds want more. Burgers are one of the best ways to incorporate a variety of flavors and textures, and I can't help but...

If you want a golden-brown crust on a thick fillet of fish, pan roasting is the best way to achieve it. Pan roasting fish is a simple technique. As the name implies, it combines two cooking methods: pan searing and oven roasting. By combining these two techniques you can create an evenly cooked...

The arrival of spring comes with a long list of to-dos in order to get garden beds in shape for the upcoming growing season. One of those tasks is pruning herbs to stimulate growth and cut out anything dead. This annual cutting yields an abundance of herbs that can’t possibly be used fresh before...

When I first became interested in composting, I was uninterested in learning how to do things correctly and more interested in just doing them. I grabbed an old 5-gallon bucket with a lid, dumped all of my kitchen scraps and garden waste in it, and put the lid on top. A month later, I opened the lid...

Crab boils are always a great time to sit down with friends and family. Knocking out the meat from a tough crab shell can be work, but it pays off when you get to dip that tender piece of crab into freshly melted butter. Cooking crab legs is not a daunting thing—it’s actually rather easy. If you are...

“Let your food be your medicine,” I proudly remarked as I poured black bean seeds into a weekly pill organizer. My wife rolled her eyes and then popped the container into our refrigerator’s crisper drawer. We’ve been storing seeds like this for years, and in some cases, we’re even starting to...

Chanterelles are one of nature's most delicious gifts, especially when sautéed with garlic and butter. They fruit from the ground following a good rain in warm weather, and often that rain will kick lots of dirt up under those delicate frilled edges. While cleaning chanterelles off without damaging...

Radishes might be my favorite vegetable because they’re so versatile in the kitchen. The first year I grew radishes I easily planted about fifty, and to my delight (and, let’s be honest, surprise), all of them germinated and grew to full size. But when I bit into one, it was disheartening to...