Foraging Urban Style

It's just about impossible for me to pass up the opportunity to pick up pecans in the fall, if there are pecans to be found.  It was completely delightful to discover that my workplace was adjacent to a lot with two large pecan trees that conveniently drop nuts into our parking lot.

For the last 3 Novembers, most work days have ended with me slowly walking that edge of the parking lot, nudging pecans out of the thick, manicured grass and shoving a couple of handsful into my pocket or lunchbag. It usually adds up to enough to make a pie and put the toppings on a casserole or two. And shelling them makes me feel a bit less idle on a football Saturday.

 

 

Have you seen the price of pecans this year? Outrageous! So, I decided that my foraging needed to extend to the other side of the fence, onto the vacant lot that is now under contract with my organization, where there are always pecans just out of reach.










I planned the expedition for a sunny afternoon, with a bucket in hand.  It started in this alleyway:



 

Then I walked by this pile of trash (which was passed by with lots of stomping and clapping to shoo away any rats).



Apparently I was gathering nuts nearby someone's "home".

I ended up with enough pecans for two pies.


One made an appearance at this year's Thanksgiving dinner with family.  The other will be made for our staff Christmas potluck:  a "tree-to-table" dish, city style!