Sacred Earth

Exploring Nature and Culture

Nature Notes:

Welcome to the Sacred Earth website!

Hi there! Thanks for stopping by! My name is Kat Morgenstern, and I am delighted that you have found your way here!

I have created the Sacred Earth website as a forum for nature lovers of all stripes. Come and join me on a journey down the garden path, and off into the virtual woods, where we will explore, learn and discover all about the intertwining roots of nature and culture.

Lughnasad – Harvest Time

by Kat Morgenstern | Aug 3, 2025 | Seasons

The time of the grain harvest

Lughnasad marks the harvest season. Fruits and vegetables ripen, the grain has turned golden, and the grapes are getting plump and sweet. It is an intensely busy time, especially for gardeners. We toiled in the spring, and now it is time to harvest the fruit of our labour and enjoy the gifts of the season.

The period from spring to late summer is joyous, but also fraught with danger. Late frosts can kill sensitive starts, and summer storms or wildfires may ruin a crop in just a few minutes. A good harvest is never guaranteed. Every year, the devastating effects of climate change are becoming increasingly evident, endangering the agricultural practices on which our lives have come to depend. Where I am, after many years of exceedingly hot and dry springs and summers, this year we had unseasonably wet weather. Without water, there is no life. But too much water can be devastating, especially when it falls as rain, all at once, washing away the topsoil, and drowning plants and animals and flooding basements and worse.

In the Christian tradition, Lammas marks the harvest season. The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘hlaf-mas’, meaning ‘loaf mass’. Bread and wine are the traditional sacraments of the Eucharists. It is the time of the ripening corn, and the grape harvest.

But the harvest is only one stage of the perpetual cycle of life. Ideally, what we reap now should sustain and nourish us through the dark season, when the Earth is barren and still. Part of the harvest is set aside and returned to the earth. We reap as we sow, but we also sow what we reap.

Facing the unravelling climate catastrophe, we are grateful for anything we can harvest today. But if we want to continue on the agricultural path, we must learn to adapt and live more sustainably. We depend on Mother Earth, and it is time to honour and respect all that she provides.

There are many solutions, but continuing in the ‘business-as-usual’ mode is not among them.

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Foraging: Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis)

by Kat Morgenstern | Aug 3, 2025 | Foraging

Foraging Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis)

Autumn is my favourite foraging time. The seeds are ripening, the nuts are swelling, and mushrooms are making their elusive appearances. Even when things have seemingly died off, one can dig for roots and rhizomes below ground.

Evening Primrose is a great autumn crop for foragers. The tall, lanky stalk with the large, somewhat ghostly, pale yellow flowers is a familiar sight. Yet its true beauty is revealed at night when the flowers open fully and their subtle scent perfumes the air.

Habitat

Evening Primroses are not particularly fussy. They are happy with poor, sandy soil as long as it gets enough sun. Waste grounds, railway track embankments, neglected corners of the yard all provide a happy habitat for them.

Edible parts:

All parts of the Evening Primrose are edible.

Leaves:

Evening primrose is biennial, forming a rosette in the first year and the stalk and flowers in the second year. The leaves of both the first and the second year’s growth can be cooked or used fresh – but they are a bit hairy, and may not be to everyone’s liking. Try a small amount first to see if you like the flavour, or mix them with other herbs.

Flowers:

Evening Primrose has a long flowering season, from June to September. The early flowers only open in the evenings, exuding a beautiful, sweet scent. Later, they open during the day as well. The flowers are mildly sweet-tasting and can be used to decorate salads. Or try the buds before they open in stir-fries and such.

Seeds:

The seed pods ripen in the autumn. The elongated capsules contain quite a lot of tiny seeds. But if you think you might be able to press your own Evening Primrose Oil, I’ll have to disappoint you. The seeds are minuscule. It would require a ton of them to make the endeavour worthwhile. And, what’s more, the pressure needed to press the seeds is so great that it would produce a lot of heat, which would destroy the beneficial properties of the oil. Try using them like poppy seeds instead. But don’t expect to get a lot of nutritional value from them. The amounts typically used in cooking and baking are too small for that. Grind the seeds before adding them to your recipes to release the oil. Left whole, they would simply pass straight through the digestive system without leaving a trace of their nutritional benefits.

Read more about the medicinal properties of Evening Primrose Oil

Roots:

The roots are perhaps most interesting for the forager. But remember that only the first years’ root is used, which is easily identifiable by its distinctive rosette, before the stalk begins to push up. The flowering shoot does not form until the spring of the second year. By this time, it would be too late to dig for the root. But, look around the ground near a stand of second-year plants, and you will soon spot some yearlings. It can be hard work to dig up the long reddish taproot unless the soil is very light. But they make an unusual root vegetable for bakes and stews with a slightly peppery taste, reminiscent of black salsify.

Recipes

Roasted Winter Vegetables

Carrots
Potatoes
Parsnips
Evening Primrose Roots
Large onion
Garlic

Clean and peel/scrub vegetables well. Cut into 2″ chunks. Coat with olive oil and salt. Keep them separate and sprinkle with spices (e.g. sprinkle the parsnips with curry, the carrots with coriander seed powder and the potatoes and evening primrose roots with Chinese 5 spice mix).

Quarter the onion. Separate the garlic into cloves, no need to peel. Preheat the oven to about 425 °F

Place all ingredients on a baking tray and bake for about 30 – 50 minutes on a high shelf. (cooking time depends on the size of the vegetable chunks – check regularly)

You can add a few sprigs of fresh sage and rosemary towards the end for additional flavour. (Putting them in at the beginning would burn them)

Evening Primrose Fritters

Not suitable for ‘fat-free’ fans, but delicious nonetheless.

Prepare a standard batter:

2 eggs
½ cup milk
1 cup flour
1 TSP baking powder
1 TSP salt
1 TSP oil

Cut the Evening Primrose root into long pieces, not too thick, and dip each piece into the batter.

Fry in very hot oil until golden brown.

A deep-fryer works best, but if you don’t have one, pan-frying will do.

Evening Primrose Patties

Cook the Evening Primrose roots until tender (you might want to blend with other root vegetables).

Mash with butter, stir in one egg and a little flour and/or oats to make a sticky dough.

Season to taste. Form little patties and pan-fry on each side until golden brown.

Shop for Evening Primrose oil at Starwest Botanicals. (Affiliate link)

Plant Profile:

Foraging Wild Asparagus

by Kat Morgenstern | Mar 22, 2025 | Foraging

Foraging Wild Asparagus – A Forager’s Treasure Hunt

Spring is underway, bringing with it its characteristic mixed-bag weather patterns. In some regions, winter stubbornly clings; in others, it’s long forgotten. Where I am, it has not quite sprung, but regardless, there are signs of its imminent arrival. Wild asparagus is sending up its tender shoots, and they are ready for the picking.

While cultivated asparagus typically debuts in May, the wild variety emerges earlier, rewarding keen-eyed foragers with its tender, flavourful spears. Unlike other foraging activities, hunting for wild asparagus is an experience akin to mushroom picking. It requires patience, a trained eye, and a knack for spotting the elusive spears hidden among the prickly thickets of its parent plant and dense undergrowth. Many aspiring foragers walk right past them, oblivious to their presence, until the shoots bolt and become too woody to enjoy as food. But once you develop a sense of the season and get to know their elusive hiding spots, foraging for wild asparagus becomes a thrilling treasure hunt that can lead you to unexpected places.

Where to Find Wild Asparagus

Wild asparagus thrives in a variety of habitats, depending on the species. It favours well-drained soil and typically grows in ditches, riverbanks, and alluvial plains where moisture is abundant but not stagnant. Most species prefer full sun, but some can tolerate semi-shaded areas and heavier soils.

Although its appearance is distinctive, wild asparagus can be tricky to spot. Foraging legend Euell Gibbons, in his classic book Stalking the Wild Asparagus, offers a useful tip: look for last season’s dead asparagus brush, which often serves as a clue to the presence of fresh spears. This method works well for the tall, upright-growing variety, which is often an “escaped” garden asparagus. But, true wild asparagus, Asparagus acutifolius, a native of the Mediterranean Basin, presents a greater challenge. It has a scrambling growth habit, weaving through undergrowth or along the ground. It takes a trained eye to spot the sneaky, snaky spears as they pop through the thicket of older plants.

Foraging Wild Asparagus

The History of Wild Asparagus

Wild asparagus is most commonly found in southern Europe, particularly in Spain, Italy, and France. Escaped cultivated asparagus is also found in northern regions, particularly near historical centres of their cultivation. Birds play a key role in dispersing their seeds, aiding their spread far beyond their original habitat.

Asparagus has an ancient history, with records indicating its use in Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The Romans likely introduced it to Northern Europe, where it became a sought-after delicacy thought fit for kings but not peasants. Old herbals praise asparagus not only as a culinary delight, but also as a medicinal plant, valued for its diuretic and cleansing properties.

Nutritional and Medicinal Benefits

Though wild asparagus is no longer widely used medicinally, its health benefits are worth mentioning. Asparagus, wild or cultivated, is a potent diuretic. It stimulates the kidney and liver function while helping to eliminate toxins. Just what the doctor calls for as a spring tonic. It is also rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and fibre, but if too much is consumed, it can rob the body of calcium. (Not a worry for wild asparagus – it is unlikely we will ever find enough of it to cause any such deficits in the body.)

Traditionally, asparagus has been associated with aphrodisiac qualities—a claim that may be linked as much to its suggestive appearance as to any actual physiological effects. But the only way to know for sure is to put it to the test!

How to Prepare Wild Asparagus

Wild asparagus, particularly the escaped variety, is more slender, tender, and subtly flavoured than its cultivated counterpart. Because of its delicate nature, it requires minimal cooking. Simply trim off the woody ends and lightly sauté the spears or throw them into the pot for the last couple of minutes. They make a delicious addition to omelettes, pasta dishes, and risotto. For a simple, yet divine ‘bonne bouche’, try drizzling them with lemon juice and garlic butter.

Final Thoughts

Foraging for wild asparagus is more than just a way to enjoy a seasonal delicacy—it’s an adventure that deepens your connection with nature. Whether you’re an experienced forager or a curious beginner, the thrill of discovering these hidden treasures makes every spring outing an experience to remember. So, the next time you find yourself wandering through the countryside, keep an eye out for the elusive spears—you might just stumble upon one of nature’s greatest spring delights.

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