DISCLAIMER: Remember, never eat anything you are not 100% sure of. I take no responsibility for what happens to you if you eat something you incorrectly identify.

In tonight’s farm to table and forest to table meal: wild 5 mushroom free range chicken in cream sauce with chenapodium (lambsquarters) & wild garlic over penne.

I started with minced wild garlic and chopped walking onions from my garden, sauteed them in olive oil.

When the onion and garlic had browned nicely, I added cubed local chicken from an ethical small farm near us. We buy directly from them, no middle man. Their animals are all free range and happy right up until they become food.

I simmered it until the chicken was 2/3 done, then added the chopped 5 wild mushrooms. I covered and let them cook, stirring only occasionally. This would have made an amazing quiche or omelet as well, but cream sauce was requested.

The mushroom types were: golden chanterelle, smooth chanterelles cinnebar chanterelle, oyster mushrooms, and a single old man of the woods. I didn’t get a photo of the oysters and there were only three (half dollar sized- not huge) but they were in there.

I started growing lambsquarters (chenapodium alba) many years ago from foraged seeds. It self propagates on it’s own now and is an excellent addition to a garden. Closely related to quinoa, it is high in protein and was a staple in the diets of paleo, woodland and Emergent Mississippian Native American diets prior to the introduction of corn. It’s a very hands off garden plant, and can be eaten several ways. The young leaf tips can be eaten raw. As they get older and tougher, they are better chopped, steamed or sauteed. The seeds can be ground into a paste and made into a burger substitute, or dried and ground into flower. Chenapodium is a terribly versatile native food source. It is always amusing and ironic that agricultural commercials often tout their ability to kill this superfood to prevent it from stealing nutrients from their inferior crops.

While the chicken and mushrooms were cooking, I harvested some from my garden, chopped it and added it to the skillet.

It cooked in the water released from the mushrooms, and once done, I added .5 cup quinoa flour and whisked it in to the liquid from the mushrooms and chicken to form a fat less roux. Once the flour was cooked and thickened, I slowly whisked in 2 cups heavy whipping cream and then added in milk until it was the desired thickness. Stirred in fresh oregano from my garden; salt and peppered to taste. Fin. Local as local gets. Delicious!!