THE BEST
OF YOUR LIFE
GATHERING
Elderberry trees are
common along creeks and
roadsides all over the country.
COOKING
To be digestible,
the berries must
be simmered.
EATING WELL
Wild Times
In the woods, hunting up
dinner takes luck and pluck
BY CONNIE GREEN PHOTOGRAPH BY KATE SEARS
Last autumn I left my
Napa Valley, California, home and headed
for Pinegri-La, an old
logging camp high in
the Trinity Mountains.
My friend Bethie and
her husband, John,
bought Pinegri-La
nearly 40 years before
and now operate it as
a wedding retreat. But
that weekend a gang of
old friends converged
on the camp for an
adventure of our own.
Bethie and I hoped
to find wild edibles—
specifically porcini
mushrooms, known
to inhabit the area;
the men readied
HUNTRESS Green’s new
book is The Wild Table.
fishing poles for an
expedition to put
trout on the table.
Once the fishermen
left, we women set out
to explore the Sapphire
Sunday Mine. The
mine had a curious
story: Prospectors
searching for cinnabar
had staggered instead
into a vein of gold.
After meandering
for miles, we discovered the mine. But we
found, rather than a
mushroom paradise,
only rusty old cans.
Sighing, I looked up
at a disheartened
Bethie—and spied
behind her an ancient
elderberry tree bursting with berries.
Back at the camp,
the fish-frustrated
boys had retrieved a
venison haunch from
the freezer, and it was
roasting nicely. Our
trout-and-porcini dinner plan vanished, replaced by elderberries
simmered into a sauce
as good as gold. ;
Recipe
Serves 8
ELDERBERRY
SYRAH SAUCE
2 medium shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
§ cup Syrah or dry red wine
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1 cup elderberries, cleaned
6 ounces veal demi-glace
§ teaspoon kosher salt
» teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter,
cut into 4 pieces
§ teaspoon fresh thyme,
chopped
Place the shallots, garlic, Syrah,
red-wine vinegar, and ½ cup of
elderberries in a small saucepan
over medium-high heat. Bring
to a boil, then turn to low and
simmer, reducing the liquid to ß
cup, about 5 to 6 minutes. Place
a fine-mesh strainer over a small
bowl and pour the reduction
through. Discard the solids and
return the liquid to the saucepan.
CALLING ALL
FOOD LOVERS
For a tempting medley of recipes and tips
for entertaining, go to aarp.org/food.
