The Feisty Forager: Trout Lily
March Madness — Day 20
Trout lily (Erythronium americanum)is one of the early spring ephemerals to wake up the woodland floor, offering a bonus crunch to spring salads and garnishes. Aptly named for their troutlike mottling, the leaves of the trout lily are slightly succulent and also slightly sweet. The flower, when it emerges is yellow, and shaped somewhat like a Turk’s cap.
Also known as dogtooth violet, due to the tooth-like quality of the root, or corm (also edible, as is the flower), the trout lily is a gentle addition to the table (eat in modest quantities, as excessive quantities — as with almost any ingredient — might be less gentle).
Look for wood anemones and hepaticas to appear almost at the same time (spring beauties will already be apparent).
This article is one of a month-long series of foraged treasures. For more recipes from the field and forest, check out Appalachian Appetite: Recipes from the Heart of America.
