High Sierra Topix

Anyone else here eat leaves of allium obtusum, aka the Sierra red onion? Am bringing this up because I'd expect very few here eat any natural plants as doing such without knowledge is of course dangerous. Many of our native onion species are quite edible and by far my favorite is the little allium obtusum one often finds on granite gravel flats. During the 7-day backpack to Styx Pass I returned from Monday, the species was abundant as that region has vast areas of glaciated granite geology, often dense on gruss small flats.


(CalPhotos image)

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflor ... ?tid=12611

More Sierra backpackers are familiar with the tall magenta hued allium validum, aka swamp onion. Leaves of that species tend to have a strong onion taste that I can never seem to do much more with than bite their stringy leaves for the taste then spit out the sinewy parts that are not easily chewed up. And then am not interested in any more.

But allium obtusum is a different experience. The leaves are wonderfully soft and juicy like lettuce, readily chewed into pieces. The mild onion taste is optimal and am able to eat a handful of leaves and repeat the experience minutes later. During my backpack I often tossed a handful of leaves into completed cooking from my packaged meals, especially the Knorr-Lipton rice meals. Below shows several leaves floating on the surface of my cooked Mountain House Lasagna with Meat Sauce.
David[/color]

SSSdave wrote:Anyone else here eat leaves of allium obtusum, aka the Sierra red onion? Am bringing this up because I'd expect very few here eat any natural plants as doing such without knowledge is of course dangerous. Many of our native onion species are quite edible and by far my favorite is the little allium obtusum one often finds on granite gravel flats.

But allium obtusum is a different experience. The leaves are wonderfully soft and juicy like lettuce, readily chewed into pieces. The mild onion taste is optimal and am able to eat a handful of leaves and repeat the experience minutes later.
David

I have harvested them in Hoover Wilderness, along with Morels and a squirrel right below Barney Lk. It was a tasty stew.

SSSdave wrote:
Below shows several leaves floating on the surface of my cooked Mountain House Lasagna with Meat Sauce.
David

Umm.. why ruin the onions by adding it to Lasagna with Meat sauce. I would have gone with chili. I had a bad experience with that Lasagna.

I do like your stove setup. I do very similar to that..

Russ