"Wildman" Steven Brill, is known for leading tours through Central Park. He reports that Central Park provides a great window into the world of wild foods of mid-spring. It's the peak of the season for wild salad greens, and he has spotted great quantities of ingredients right in the heart of Central Park.
Spicy mustard greens, such as garlicky garlic mustard, hot hedge mustard, and even hotter poor man's pepper, will abound on lawns or under trees anywhere, while lemony sheep sorrel grows in sunny places. Offset their flavors with milder-tasting greens such as violet leaves, lamb's-quarters, Asiatic dayflower, and chickweed, also quite abundant. With the inclusion of tender, cucumber-flavored cattail shoots, you'll have the best salad you've ever eaten.
Wild mushrooms, if present, will provide a gourmet side dish. You could find fairy ring mushrooms, wine-cap stropharias, dryad's saddle, or chicken mushrooms on one of his tours, especially if there has been plenty of rain beforehand. To learn more about "Wildman" Steven Brill, as well as his tours, click here. His next tour in Central Park will be May 22nd.