Mayapple Ricotta Toast
Overview:
INGREDIENTS:
Preparation:
1. Toast or fry bread until deeply golden brown. Cool to room temperature.
2. Spread ricotta on the toasted bread
3. Spoon mayapple pulp on top
4. Drizzle with honey (if using), and sprinkle with red pepper flakes and flakey salt.
Are Mayapples Edible?
Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) are toxic at most stages of their life cycle – only the fully ripe, completely yellow/white fruits are edible (but even then, the seeds contain toxins!). It’s usually considered too labor intensive and risky to eat for beginning foragers – but if you get the chance to taste the ripe fruit, you’ll understand while people go to great lengths to harvest it!
What do Mayapples Taste Like?
Mayapples have a flavor all their own, but taste distinctly tropical: somewhere between pineapple, passionfruit, and lemon. It’s tart without being overtly sour, sweet without being cloying – bright and zingy!
How do you eat Mayapples?
It’s pretty uncommon to harvest a large quantity of mayapples (let alone a single one – the animals usually get them first), so most people just enjoy them deseeded as a raw snack to savor their flavor. This recipe gives you all the goodness of the unadulterated mayapple flavor, but we’ve paired it with a few ingredients to accent their flavor:
-The ricotta gives you fat to balance the pulp’s acidity.
-The honey brings out a little sweetness
-The red pepper flakes provide a sharp contrast that helps the mayapple flavor sparkle
