Another round of winter weather will greet Western New Yorkers on Wednesday morning as a warm front collides with cold air in Central New York. Freezing rain and snow is likely in the early morning hours, creating a dangerous morning commute to work and school. Cold air will linger through Thursday but a return to spring weather for the weekend is forecasted.
For readers who are not ‘cannabis savvy’, today is the holiday celebrating the culture surrounding one of the most popular and powerful plants on the planet. The reference to 420 was born in Northern California by a group of local bohemian high school kids nicknamed, “The Waldos”. These four pals have claimed responsibility for creating the 420 catchphrase and dispelled rumors that the Grateful Dead coined the term or that is was a law enforcement code for arresting cannabis users. Happy 420 to all of our New York cannabis lovers who are no longer engaging in criminal activity!!! For the full story visit “The Waldos” website: https://420waldos.com/
Foragers and wild food lovers!! This weekend should be great for a few delicious gifts from mother nature. Perhaps the most popular and commonly foraged food in Allegany County are leeks, or also called ramps. These members of the lily family are the perfect mix of onion and garlic with a little edge when eaten raw, kind of like horseradish. Ham and leek dinners are a popular celebratory meal at local Legion halls or Rod and Gun clubs. Leek dip, usually made with soft sharp cheeses, is something many hold dear. If we only could get the old Hallsport General Store recipe!!
Its not just leeks on the menu if you are on the wilder side: Wild garlic is just coming up, stinging nettles are emerging and best very small, and marsh marigolds are just about to start producing their “capers”. The highly prized morel mushroom is being found in WNY but closer to Lake Erie this week. This savory gourmet mushroom can sell for over $20 per pound!! Look for them to start pinning up through the leaf litter about May 1st, or when the oak leaves are the size of a mouse’s ear.
