Saturday, October 26, 2013

Saturday Hiking In Tandy Hills Bastard Cabbage With Indian Princesses, Fashion Models And A Baby

On this final Saturday of October I was back on the Tandy Hills walking in a field of what Fort Worth's renowned horticulturist, CatsPaw, has identified as Bastard Cabbage.

CatsPaw did not tell me if Bastard Cabbage was suitable for Cole Slaw, so  rather than be experimental I got a couple heads of regular cabbage at my regular Saturday Town Talk Treasure Hunt.

There were more than the norm number of people enjoying the pleasant late October weather, pre the predicted incoming thunderstorm.

The first group I came upon was a mom and dad with two kids, one a baby, being photographed by two photographers who looked like fashion models in hot pants.

Then I came up a pair who looked to be of Indian descent, as in Native American, in what sort of looked like a modern take on native garb, looking like a pair of Indian Princesses.

And then there was a guy who said he was lost. I came upon him in the grove where the Tandy Bamboo Tepee used to stand. The guy asked me if I had a map of the trails. I asked him if he'd seen the trail markers. He had. I told him he was at the heart of the hills and pointed him on the right way back to civilization.

I am very much enjoying being back doing a lot of hill hiking. I've not gotten around to fixing my bike's flat,  so mountain biking at Gateway Park is currently not doable.

For the past couple months I have been on the Elsie Hotpepper Extreme Diet & Fitness Routine. I did not realize the extent to which Elsie Hotpepper regimen had altered me til I discovered I can stride up the Tandy Hills much faster than before I subjected myself to the Elsie Hotpepper Extreme Diet & Fitness Routine.

Going swimming in the morning is not part of the Elsie Hotpepper regimen, but I do so anyway, creature of habit that I be. This morning's swimming went well. The temperature average of the past 24 hours has been well over 50 degrees, which renders the pool about the same temperature as a Western Washington lake in Summer.

Speaking of Western Washington, I almost forgot to add my Saturday Town Talk details for Fort Worth native, MLK, currently suffering an extended exile in Western Washington.

Today, at Town Talk, in addition to the aforementioned cabbage, I got myself my usual rabbit feed in the form of various types of lettuce, plus carrots. I also got a big chunk of jalapeno jack cheese, chorizo, chicken fried steak, big flour tortillas, a case  of Noosa mango yogurt and other stuff I am not remembering right now.

5 comments:

MLK said...

Thank you for my vicarious TT adventure. How I miss it.

We just purchased 2.56 acres in Eatonville, WA. Bought and paid for. Paid $34,500 and is valued at $77,000. Husband has single wide mobile almost completely removed. Two more trips to landfill dump and it's gone. Then he works on the double wide mobile. We will build next year or perhaps the year after.

But, should he pass before me, I will make two calls. The funeral director and to a realtor.

I will return to my homeland and purchase a condo at the T&P building, a new car and most importantly season tickets to the Bass Hall and the Mavs.

And it looks like my exile will be for a long time. My husband is 67 and in very good health.

Tsk tsk
mlk

CatsPaw said...

Disclaimer: Naturally (hah!), I suggest you run a sample of what I "identified" past a real horticulturist before adding to your rabbit food regimen.

Hee! Malicious But Delicious!
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/texas/bastard-cabbage-recipe-card.pdf

-and-

"One man's invasive bastard cabbage is another man's dinner (Or, if you can't beat it, eat it.)

• One of Central Texas' most despised weeds ­- bastard cabbage - might not be the most palatable member of the cabbage family, but in a pinch, it can be harvested and eaten. The plant seems to prefer popping up in roadsides rather than urban yards or gardens, but should the dreaded scourge reach your yard, try this: Pick a big handful of the youngest, most tender leaves. Wash them well and drain. To a hot skillet, add 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Then add wild cabbage leaves, along with a generous pinch of salt, freshly grated black pepper, a small sprinkle of cayenne pepper and a clove of garlic, crushed and chopped. Stir and cook greens for just a few seconds, then turn off heat and cover pan. When greens are wilted (only takes a minute or less), serve immediately topped with crisp bacon crumbles and a splash of white wine vinegar. Note: Don't harvest the wild cabbage that grows along roadsides unless you know for sure that it hasn't been treated with herbicides or pesticides."

From -
http://www.austin360.com/news/lifestyles/food-cooking/be-a-weed-eater-straight-from-your-backyard-2/nRYjH/

Durango said...

MLK, is Eatonville one of the towns in the shadow of Mount Rainier? Or am I thinking of Enumclaw. I would not want you retiring to a place that might get hit by a volcano eruption mudflow. Retiring in Texas you would have no possibility of that happening. Have you pointed that out to that young husband of yours?

CatsPaw, thanks for the recipe. I shall go harvest me some Bastard Cabbage tomorrow, weather permitting. I am almost 100% nothing has been sprayed with anything dire on the Tandy Hills. Would you like to come for a tasty lunch of Bastard Cabbage?

CatsPaw said...

I shall wait to see if you survive the experience.

Then, absolutely!

Anonymous said...

Don't eat the aster family member, Prairie Broomweed (Amphiachyris dracunculoides) which dominates the fall landscape at Tandy Hills. You can however use it as a poultice for skin problems as the Comanches did.
Bastard cabbage is a Mediterranean invasive. It would not be tolerated by the human keepers of pristine native flora at Tandy.
A close up photo would help with a positive identification.