Allow me to start as saying that this is the worst possible time to bring up this subject.  That having been said, lets ignore the snow and imagine things were a bit greener outdoors.

I have always hiking, canoeing, and generally being outside so it was natural curiosity that lead me to explore what edible plants there are in Manitoba.  I bought a field guide for edible and medicinal plants while at camp a few years ago and it has been a wonderful resource for learning the plants that can be eaten and plants to avoid.  At camp I always enjoyed pulling the leaves off of some random plant and eating them, much to the disgust of any campers in the area.

As I returned to the city I noticed many of the same plants when walking through the park.  I have yet to find blueberry patches like there are outside the city, but there are many edible greens and roots to be found in the parks around town.  Although I have never done this, I have always thought that it would be fun to cook up some of the plants I see around me everyday.

Anyway, today I saw a mini-documentary on foraging and it really made me wish it was any season other than winter so I could go out and collect some food.  It is basically a simple walk around Chicago with edible plants being identified.  Some of the plants shown are found in Winnipeg but others are not hardy enough although I have seen them outside of the prairies.  It would be nice if they provided more description of the plants, but you really should buy a field guide and study both the edible and the inedible (deadly) plants.

I have posted the video below the jump for your enjoyment.

Sky Full of Bacon 07: Eat This City from Michael Gebert.