Walking and Foraging in New Jersey

Top row: Sassafras (the edible root is left of the leaf), White Staghorn Sumac berries.
Bottom row: Crab Apple, Wood Sorrel.

Funny thing happened when I moved to New York. Even though I'd lived in way more nature-loving places like, say, Indiana and California, I didn't really take to hiking and camping until I moved here. To be sure, getting a dog probably had something to do with it. And tapping into that extra burst of joy that comes from watching him totally be in his element — zipping along the trail, lapping up the fresh spring water, and flushing out the occasional forest critter.

The other part I really like about hikes is finding and eating wild things. I had my eye out for mushrooms, but as we didn't stray too far off the trail, I knew I wasn't likely to find much. I was delighted, however, when I realized that the red-turning leaves and dark pink fluffy cones I'd been admiring belonged to a sumac tree. It was probably a little late in the season as they were already turning dry and brown, but I found one that didn't look too bad and after positively identifying it with my Wildman Bill app, I gently broke apart the drier outer layer, plucked a few of the berries loose and popped one in my mouth. Whoa, was it zingy! It tasted slightly of tart raspberries, although I'm not sure if the color affected my taste perception. Would be perfect mashed with some whisky, honey, and mint I'm sure.

As we walked further, I noticed tiny stalks of sassafras under the forest canopy. These are super easy to identify, because I am pretty sure it is the only plant with THREE different leaves on a single plant. An adorable mitten leaf, as pictured above, a three-lobe leaf, and a single lobe leaf. You can also find these planted on the Highline, too, along with other indigenous plants. I didn't have a gardener's shovel with me, so I avoided any of the really stalky, mature ones and found a scrawny one about knee height that wasn't yet cemented into the soil. I peeled away the dirty outer layer and nibbled at the root. The licorice-y taste is unmistakeable. It's where root beer comes from.

Wood sorrel is easy to spot. It looks similar to clover, but the leaves are heart-shaped, and in the spring, they're adorned with tiny yellow flowers. They flanked the dirt trail wherever the grasses thinned out. You can also find them popping up in city parks, in your neighbor's neglected pots, and other edge habitats. The delicate leaves taste super lemony and are great in salads or in a drink.

We turned back when we got to a rocky scramble about an hour in. The wide slanting jumps, and steep crevices made me nervous for Arlo. It didn't help that he whined when I strayed too far and circled around without finding easy passage. On the way back, we stepped out onto a smaller boulder set overlooking the estuary. Upon spotting a brown rotting apple on the ground, and then another, I looked up to find a magnificent crab apple tree, the branches overlapping each other and teeming with little golden apples. Of course I had to try one. The tartness immediately sucked all the moisture from my mouth, not unlike drinking a meaty Cabernet. I offered a bite each to my hiking buddy and Arlo. We finished the single apple, but didn't venture for any more.

Thinking back on it today, I wish we could've gotten past that scramble to look for the supposed waterfall... Is it time to invest in some kind of dog hiking harness? Has anyone ever used one?

Don't forget this guy.