This well-known greenway, with its mix of open sunny stretches, wooded sections, dense thickets, and rich edges, is an outstanding environment for discovering the finest edible wild plants of early spring. This guided tour, led by forager and educator Violet Brill, offers participants a genuine opportunity to learn about, responsibly collect, and taste some of the most common, flavorful, and sustainably harvested wild species in the region.
In the open, sunlit areas of the trail, you will encounter common plantain and long-leaf plantain, garden plants long regarded as weeds that are, in fact, packed with dozens of biologically active compounds useful for soothing a variety of skin irritations. Crushed and applied to a fresh mosquito bite, the leaf can bring relief remarkably quickly. The same leaves can be roasted with chickpeas, white miso, pine nuts, olive oil, and savory herbs for a snack that easily surpasses any kale chip.
Common Plantain
A widely overlooked "weed" that is both a remarkable home remedy and a versatile, nutritious food.
Other sunny-area finds include super-nutritious chickweed (with a flavor reminiscent of fresh corn), lemony curly dock, intensely bitter dock, and common dandelions that taste like a more robust version of salad lettuce. Field garlic, sheep sorrel, and the pungent garlic mustard are also common in these areas.
Young Garlic Mustard
These heart-shaped, deeply veined leaves carry a distinct garlic flavor and aroma, making them a flavorful foraged ingredient for salads and cooked dishes alike.
Burdock root, a staple of Japanese cuisine with a flavor that combines potato and artichoke, is typically in season during this tour, as are the plant's edible stems, prized in Italian cooking.
Burdock
A long, flavorful taproot widely used in East Asian cuisine and enjoyed for its earthy, mildly sweet taste.
If recent rainfall has been adequate, mushrooms may also be findable. Look for mica caps, which reduce beautifully into a rich, savory dip; seafood-flavored oyster mushrooms; and the chewy, textured tree ear fungus.
Mica Caps
When harvested young, these early-season mushrooms are surprisingly delicious when baked down with olive oil, white miso, and savory spices into a rich, spreadable dip.
This tour is a perfect introduction to the abundance hiding in plain sight in early spring!
The 2-hour foraging tour of the Croton Aqueduct, led by Violet Brill, begins at 2 PM at the trail entrance at the intersection of Main St. and Cedar St. in Dobbs Ferry, NY.
Please note:
- Dress for the weather. Please be aware that train schedules may be affected by track maintenance and trains can be subject to cancellation.
- Closed-toe shoes are required, as the trail has mosquitoes, thorns, and patches of poison ivy. Bring plastic bags for vegetables and herbs, paper bags for mushrooms (which spoil quickly in plastic), containers for berries (available from late spring through fall), water, a snack or lunch, and extra layers for cooler days. Digging tools and pocket knives are optional.
- Dogs are welcome. Children are encouraged to attend.
- No smoking is permitted at any time during the tour.
