Cattail Dinner!

Hello All! Hope your summer is off to a great start! We have been very busy with readying our house to sell and work. I haven't taken the chance to go outdoors except for a couple of times in the past month. One was me with my two children. I was up to my knees in the lake among the reeds and cattails and my two children were up to their chests courageously following their daddy. It was quite a site and they loved being able to get wet and touch "icky" things that they normally couldn't along the shore. Tonight my family and I walked to another nearby lake and nibbled on cattail. They are almost past blossom stage (with all the pollen on the male portion of the cattail head) but they are still great for plucking and eating the heart and steaming the female head which is still green. Just cut them and steam as you would asparagus! The heart is about 2-3 feet below the head and all you do is peel away the leaves and the heart is like cucumber. Fresh and soft without any bad aftertaste unlike some other wild edible plants. Give em' a try! Let me know how it goes!