Mint Berry Patch

5 scoops vanilla ice cream
1 bunch mint with stems removed
5 sprigs berry leaves
1 T raspberry preserve
Raspberries
Place ice cream in bowl with springs of mint and berry leaves between scoops. Drizzle with raspberry preserve. Place in freezer, making sure leaves are standing up. Berries can be sprinkled on dessert and frozen, or added when served.

Bees and Beehive

1/2 avocado
1/4 lime
1 jalapeno cheese tortilla
l radish
oil
salt
Using hive and bee cookie cutters, cut out both from jalapeno cheese tortilla by pressing hard on a strong surface. Add enough oil to frying pan to cover. Medium heat. Place bees in pan, 3 at a time, and heat until golden and tortilla puffs up. Fry hive separately. Drain on paper towels and salt. Mash avocado with lime juice and salt. Place hive in center of plate. Put avocado mixture around and edge with finely chopped radish. Surround hive with bees, placing extras in avocado mixture.

Spring Green Rocky Ridge Roast with Mushroom Onion Rock Sauce

Roast
2 3/4 lbs tri tip roast
4 small onions
4 brown mushrooms
4 garlic cloves
1 t dandelion leaf
1/2 t shepherd's purse
Remove extra fat from roast.
Cut onions, mushrooms and garlic cloves into small pieces and place in meat that has been slit to form rocky ridges. Put spices on slope. There will be left over onions and mushrooms. Reserve for rock sauce. Bake at 300 degrees for 1/12 hours and 350 degrees for 1/2 hour.

Mushroom Onion Rock Sauce
1/2 c red wine
Remaining chopped mushrooms and onions
1 T rosemary
1/4 t salt
Mix juice from finished roast with some water and wine, adding mushrooms and onions and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3 minutes. Place mushrooms and onions from juice on rocky ridge. Save au jus for serving. Sprinkle slopes with fresh Spring Green.

Spring Green
1 leek
1/2 finely chopped parsley
After chopping parsley, slice thinly lengthwise 4 leek leaves, then chop into small pieces and mix together with parsley. Sprinkle on slopes between boulders and rocks.

Straw Sticks

Thanks to George Lofland for suggestions for the sauce.

Sauce
1 t brown sugar
1 t Worchestershire sauce
1 t instant coffee
1 very small onion, chopped
1 T rosemary lemon vinegar
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t wild chapparal
Mix. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes

1/4 avocado

1 large jalapeno cheese tortilla, cut in long thin strips and fried until golden brown.

Place sauce in bottom of bowl. Add avocado and fill cavity with sauce. Arrange strips of tortilla around edges of bowl.

Series Introduction

This blog is part of a series of trial cook books featuring three areas of Southern California, with emphasis on San Diego County; www.wildmountaincookbook.blogspot.com, www.wildcoastcookbook.blogspot.com, and www.wilddesertcookbook.blogspot.com. It is an often revised learning process in preparation for books about the coast, mountains and deserts with their unique edible wild and native plants, as well as an attempt to translate these environments into food presentations. The blog also contains photos, videos, and art work to further illustrate the character of the region.

Although efforts have been made to use moderate amounts of native and wild commercial ingredients (foraging requires positive identification of species and is not recommended without expert advice), some ingredients may be unfamiliar. Therefore, the following disclaimer is presented.
DISCLAIMER: All blog posts are temporary and subject to change. No health, medicinal or nutritional claims are made. Not responsible for indigestion, allergic reactions or any health problems which may result from the use of these trial recipes or suggestions.

Many of these recipes can be made into vegan interpretations by replacing eggs, butter and milk with egg replacer, butter substitute and soy or rice milk. For more information about the health benefits of an alkaline-forming diet please see http://thrivein30.com

Thanks to all those who have been so helpful in inspiring, developing and contributing to the Wild Mountain Cook Book, especially George Lofland.

It is hoped you will visit and enjoy the blogs often to see what's new and try some of the recipes. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Pine needles-drawing

Walnut Pie

2 bananas
1 large apple
3 T currants
1/4 c brown sugar
2c walnuts, chopped
1/2 t cinnamon
3 T melted butter
1 frozen whole wheat pie shell

Cut banana and apple into small pieces and mash until lumpy. Add remaining ingredients and pour mixture into pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes. Serve with topping of vanilla rice dream or soydelicious.

Corn Wheels

Kids love these. Place half ears of corn in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain. When cool enough to handle, cut each half into about 4 or 5 pieces. Spray frying pan very lightly with oil and brown corn wheels. Serve plain or with your choice of chili powder, paprika, butter, oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, bbq sauce, etc.

Mesa

1 c cooked brown rice
1/2 c finely chopped parsley
3 T chopped pine nuts

1/2 lb center cut boneless pork loin chop
1/4 jalapeno, cut in 5 or 6 narrow strips
1/2 T sage
2 very small whole onions
1 c water

Cook brown rice. Mix with chopped parsley and pine nuts.

Pan fry pork loin that has had small slices of jalapeno and dried sage stuffed in horizontal slits on both sides. Place in pan with two very small whole onions. When pork loin is cooked through add 1 cup of water and the brown rice, parsley and pine nut mixture. Stir to absorb juices. Cook until moisture is absorbed. Remove small onions and place on plate. Top with rice on plate in mesa formation (mounded with flat top) and place pork loin on top. Surround with red chard.

Mountain Fajita Stew

1 package (1 1/2 lbs.) fajita strips
1/4 c acorn flour www.zionmarket.com
2 purple potatoes
5 fingerling potatoes
1 chayote squash
3 very small onions
1 small zucchini
1 can tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno pepper
3 c water

Cover meat strips in acorn flour. Braise. Add chopped vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Arrange with red lettuce leaves. www.jrorganicsfarm.com

Topping:
1/4 tomato
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t dried mustard
1/4 t dried wild chapparal obpeoplesfood.coop
Mix first three ingredients together. Sprinkle with wild chapparal.

Pine Cone-drawing

Snowy Mountain

1/2 cake of Mexican chocolate
1/2 milk, soy milk or rice milk
4 eggs or egg replacer
1/4 c acorn flour
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 t chicory root
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 c soy milk
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 c oil

For topping-
1/2 c finely grated Ibarra Mexican chocolate
1/2 c powdered sugar

Place 1/2 cake of Mexican chocolate (sugar, cinnamon, chocolate mixture) in pan with milk. Slowly melt chocolate mixture in milk, stirring constantly. Add rest of ingredients. Spray cooking oil on side of small stainless steel bowl or mold. Place mixture in bowl and bake for about 45 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Invert bowl on plate. "Frost" very lightly with finely chopped chocolate, sprinkling it and spreading it on the warm cake until it melts. Dust with powdered sugar.

Rocks on Rice

4 or 5 fingerling potatoes of different colors
2 shallots
3/4 c cooked brown rice

Carve potatoes and shallots into small round "rocks" leaving colored skin where possible. Boil or steam until soft. Drain. In a separate pan boil chopped peelings and onions to mix with rice. Place potaotos and onions on top of rice/potato choppings. Serve with, or add, lemon, salsa, seasonings, salad, vegetables, meat, chicken or fish. Garnish with rosemary.

Spring Foothills

After cooking 4 small chopped red potatoes with 2 small onions and seasoning with salt, etc, mash potatoes and place in mounds. Sprinkle with very finely chopped fresh greens, placing rest of chopped greens at base of "foothills".