New to foraging? Learn more about ethical and safe foraging (plus how to get started) here!

What is your personal mythology? What stories fill your bones, are carried in your blood? Which settle in your heart or lurk at the back of your mind? As the Nigerian novelist Ben Okri puts it: “A people are as healthy and confident as the stories they tell themselves. Sick storytellers can make nations sick. Without stories we would go mad. Life would lose its moorings or orientation. Even in silence we are living our stories.” 

I think about the stories that permeate our country today. Stories about how we are destroying the planet. Stories about humans being cruel to others. Stories about how we are controlling the natural world, as if we were no longer a part of it. Stories that hurt. I don’t mean to say that any of these aren’t real issues and it is of vital importance that we all do our best to be responsible and respectful parts of the Earth’s ecosystem. But these stories make us feel separate, distant, guilty, maybe even angry. They make us feel too removed to care. In order to dedicate time and energy to helping something, you have to love it. In order to love it, you have to know it. Our stories today are ripping us away from our place on the Earth, making us feel alien and cold towards the many beautiful things that surround us. Only by stepping into a different narrative can we once again listen to the stories of the landscape, which will move us to change our stories and thereby our relationships with wilderness. 

As Terri Wilding beautifully articulates: “Words can be strong medicine. Stories can touch our hearts and souls; they can point the way to healing and transformation. Our own lives are stories that we write from day to day; they are journeys through the dark of the fairy tale woods. The tales of previous travellers through the woods are passed down to us in the poetic, symbolic language of folklore and myth; where we step, someone has stepped before, and their stories can help light the way.” The part we play in our own stories can drastically shape how we feel about ourselves and others. You can choose between telling yourself the story of “I am alone and nobody understands me” or “I am unique, with many gifts to share.” 

As a society, we can choose between “Humans are ruining the world and we’ll never fix it” or “Humans are part of a vast web of life and we need to find our way back to that place of understanding and respect.” Stories are mercurial, ever-shifting and changing with each new telling. Sometimes stories can inspire and heal, other times they can warn or frighten. But all over the world, stories have long been used to pass on vital values or information to future generations. Once again, Terri Wilding reminds us of another kind of storytelling: “...the stories told by Siberian shamans weren't always meant for human ears but for the various plant, animal, and supernatural spirits who aided in their rites of healing.” 

Storytelling is about community and history. It is about connection and perspective. It is about healing - by changing the stories we tell ourselves, by shifting the stories that we consume through the news, by telling old stories to new generations and listening to what the earth passes on to us, too. 

Now that you know the true power of storytelling, do you want to change your own life’s narrative? Do you want to tell others of the power we all hold within us to write ourselves into a better plot?

 Rainbow Veggie Skewers with Purslane Coconut Yogurt

Ah, Purslane. Now THAT is a plant that needs a new story! Usually considered to be an annoying garden weed, purslane is an incredible source of wild nourishment and flavor! It’s delightfully crunchy, refreshingly tart, and full of nutrients (including a rare plant-based source of Omega 3’s.) It is an herb of survival (you’ll often find it growing in compacted, dry soil during the hottest part of the summer) and resilience. 

Rainbows, too, have gotten a new narrative in the last 50 years or so. The natural phenomenon of a rainbow has always been linked to magic and the divine. Now, it’s also a symbol for the LGBTQIA+ Community, full of many, many individuals who have had to re-write the stories about themselves, sometimes many times over. Changing your narrative can change your life.

So this delicious dish of homemade vegan yogurt filled with purslane and wild mint and these gorgeous rainbow skewers slathered in foraged middle-eastern inspired flavors are a celebration of our environment, our stories, and the power we have to change the narrative when the old one doesn’t fit anymore. Happy Pride Month! 

Yogurt Dip: 

Yes! You can make your own vegan yogurt, and it’s actually super easy! You can customize it as desired; I particularly love this coconut milk version full of mint and purslane. 

Ingredients: 

1 (14oz ) can of full-fat coconut milk (look for one without other additives other than guar gum.) 

2 Probiotic capsules (don’t use any that contain extra enzymes or prebiotics!) 

Add in later: 

1 c. chopped fresh purslane

¼ c. chopped fresh mint

Directions: 

1. Clean and sterilize a glass jar big enough to hold the can of coconut milk. 

2. Open the coconut milk and mix well if separated. If it’s really separated, you may need to heat it in a small saucepan on the stove and whisk until it is evenly mixed, then let cool to room temperature again. 

3. Pour the coconut milk into the sterilized jar and open two probiotic capsules on top. Stir with a clean wooden spoon, then top the jar with several layers of cheesecloth and leave out on the counter. Test a little after 24 hours; if it is tangy enough, cover it and place it in the fridge to chill and thicken. If it’s still lacking that satisfying sourness, let it go for up to another 24 hours, checking on it every 6 hours or so. 

4. The yogurt will thicken in the fridge, but if you want it to be thicker, you can place it in a colander lined with several layers of cheesecloth to drain out some extra liquid. (Do this in the fridge, covered.) 

5. Once your yogurt is finished, just stir in the purslane, mint, and salt to taste. 

*Tip: trust your senses when making fermented products. The yogurt should smell pleasantly tart. If you see any mold or if the smell is off-putting, the yogurt is bad and not safe to eat. 

Rainbow Veggie Skewers: 

The tasty spice rub on these skewers is inspired by middle-eastern flavors, but I made my own blend by combining foraged sumac, foraged bee balm, and wild thyme. Delicious! 

Ingredients: 

Cherry tomatoes

Orange bell pepper, cut into 1” pieces

Yellow bell pepper, cut into 1” pieces OR pieces of pineapple

Zucchini, cut into ½” slices

Small blue potatoes, cut into ½” slices

Red onions, cut into 1” pieces

Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least an hour

⅓  c. olive oil

3 minced garlic cloves

2 Tbs. homemade za-atar seasoning 

½ tsp. Dried bee balm or oregano 

1 tsp. Sea salt 

Purple bee balm flowers, optional (for decorating.) 

Directions: 

1. Cut and prep your veggies, keeping in mind that you’ll want an even amount of each for complete rainbow skewers

2. Mix together the olive oil, minced garlic, za-atar seasoning, dried bee balm, and salt. Toss the vegetables in it. 

3. Push the vegetables onto a skewer in the order they are listed above. Meanwhile, heat your grill to medium-high. 

4. Grill the kabob vegetables until they are tender and lightly charred, flipping halfway through, about 8 minutes.

5. Serve warm with chilled yogurt dip. Add some hot sauce if you’d like a little more spice!

Love what you’ve read here? Don’t forget to Subscribe to get frequent updates of new posts!

Huge thanks to my Patrons that make sharing all of these lovely posts with you possible (without all of the pop-ups and ads that make browsing other blogs so annoying). If you’re feeling generous, you too can support the wonder with a monthly contribution of your choice. Even $1 helps a lot! Your donation will help to fund this blog as well as my surprise free events and gifts for strangers. Learn more about this program at the link below: