I believe back in my ancestry, My relatives were hunter-gatherers. Where ever I go I am always looking for fruits and veggies that are growing wild. What better place to look but on the trail as you are enjoying a leisurely ride.

    The Chickasaw plums are plentiful on the trail their beautiful flowers in the spring that produce small plums. These plums are excellent for jelly. The only downfall is they are very sour, so you have to use a lot of sugar when making jelly.

     Muscatine grapes can be found along the trail. The first grapes I saw on the trail were near the 41 overpass, I looked down and saw them squeezed on the trail. I looked up and the vines were full of grapes. Of course they were about a foot out of my reach. I bet they would have made good wine. 

     I know that Pokeweed and Dandalions are also abundant on the trail, but I am not sure there is enough southern blood in me to try to eat them.

     I have seen elderberries. They make good jelly and wine. You will have to spend almost all day collecting them because they are so little and it takes a lot to make a good batch of wine.

       I have saved the best for last. You must use trail access to find the mecca that holds millions of Chantrella mushrooms. Chantrella mushrooms are an orange lacey looking mushroom. They have a different kind of woody taste. They are excellent when used in an omelets or stews. Now donÕt go rushing out to find them if you are not with someone who knows one schroom from another.  If you pick the wrong mushroom it could be deadly.

     Food does taste better if picked in the wild, but be careful what you pick and always watch out for the poison ivy and snakes.

Chris Trangas