Introduce me to a wild ingredient that calls to mind William Stafford’s Things in the Wild Need Salt, and chances are, you will become one of my favorite humans to pester in this lifetime. But introduce me to one not easily attainable in the east coast, with your palm full of edible diamonds in the west? and you’ll most def turn me into a menacing, little brat. Luckily for this human, a few days after he shared his video on foraging for ice plant along the coastal bluffs of Santa Monica, the wild green I thought I’d never get to taste made it onto my farm delivery app, sourced from Southern Cali, of course, and I went a little mad with excitement. (Excuse me, I am a sucker for that sort of kismet energy). Mind you, this was the complete opposite of my vibe up until that point, and I’ve a wicked amount of gratitude for it. But before I get into that, I urge you to watch the foraging getting done by Roman himself:
Do you believe?
In a wave of deep depression (I was home alone and couldn’t seem to figure out how to leave the bed, or cook a meal for one, or break a fever) I was suddenly brought back to life by 8 ounces of this otherworldly, oceanic green thing arriving at my door. 8 very expensive ounces. Do you see their vesicles? In the video he calls them diamonds. As they sit in the palm of my small hand though, with a peculiar blue light falling over me, I can’t help but think about sweat from the sort of sex I’ve only fantasized about. The flavor; a burst-in-the-mouth salt, bright and citrusy like how a loved one might taste.
I remember sitting in the waiting room at the hospital on the day of my friend’s last cancer treatment (will you celebrate this with me?), her coparenting friend requested to see the video that inspired the salad I was making later that day. I played it for her. She paused it right when he’s pulling the ice plant out of the brush the way I imagine a sub gets her hair pulled by Daddy…and says to me (in the very slow-but-firm way she says things)… Crystal. You have to be / as calm / as his hands. I was taken aback by this, partly because it sounded like a warning, or a threat, and partly because I knew this was her way of saying, be less you in the presence of meeting someone new (oh, I’m mingling again). She wants me to be less Ross Gay about it. Say less, Crystal. But the truth is, I have held back quite a bit during my previous decade-long relationship with all of my close connections and if I’m gonna be anything in the presence of friendship, I’m gonna be this level of Ross Gay:
And you, again, you, for the true kindness
it has been for you to remain awake
with me like this, nodding time to time
and making that noise which I take to mean
yes, or, I understand, or, please go on
but not too long, or, why are you spitting
so much, or, easy Tiger
hands to yourself. I am excitable.
I am sorry. I am grateful.
I just want us to be friends now, forever.
Take this bowl of blackberries from the garden.
The sun has made them warm.
I picked them just for you. I promise
I will try to stay on my side of the couch.
I am excitable. I might not stay on my side of the couch. Let me say something ridiculous into your ear with my laying-down voice and then switch it up and be loud again, make you laugh, make you turn red in the face, make you ache. But something tells me, in addition to Ross Gay, she also wants me to be less Frank O’Hara, who is known to lead with the exclamation point in the presence of a friend. But Crystal, you have to be / as calm / as his hands. Which is to say, be more like hand, and less like that which carpets coastal cliffs, be less invasive about it, quit choking the natives out, why are you such a wildfire? but between the hand and the cliff, why not be a hum against my clit about it? ohhh Frank, my heart’s aflutter! you would say but shhh, be more / like hands. Suzy, my love, I can’t. I want to wake William up from his after-life slumber and repeatedly say, I am that THING in the wild / and salt. It is inside me wherever I walk. It is inside me / wherever / I walk.
Things in the Wild Need Salt William Stafford
Of the many histories, Earth tells only one–
Earth misses many things people tell about,
like maybe there are earthquakes that we should have had,
or animals that know more love than God ever felt
And we need these things: things in the wild need salt.
Once in a cave a little bar of light
fell into my hand. The walls leaned over me.
I carried it outside to let the stars look;
they peered in my hand. Stars are like that.
Do not be afraid–I no longer carry it.
But when I see a face now, splinters of that light
fall and won’t go out, no matter how faint
the buried star shines back there in the cave.
It is in the earth wherever I walk.
It is in the earth wherever I walk.
Well, I mainly walked back and forth in my room, staring at the damned, glittery things. The sweat. I took a bite and immediately heard Roman say, oceanic brilliant crisp, the accuracy of this. I asked him what I should do with them, with what I already have on hand because (as I said) I was living in my sadness and the chances of me leaving the house were quite slim. I settled on an oro blanco and avocado salad inspired by the one he makes at the restaurant, and suddenly I was using my hands and camera again in a way that felt precious and new.
Do you believe? / Yes I said yes I do Yes.
oro blanco and avocado salad
Ingredients
Method
- Heat olive oil. Add in anchovies and stir til they break apart, becoming very much part of the oil. Then add in capers, scapes, zest, and red pepper. Fry til the capers are crispy bits. Pour this over a strainer into a small bowl so that the oil and crispy bits are separated. Once cool, you'll stir in some of the fresh grapefruit juice and palm sugar to use as a dressing.
- On a large plate, I began with a layer of segmented/shredded grapefruit, then diced avocado and ice plant. Add the toasted pine nuts, crispy bits, dressing, edible flowers, and season with dried black lime and salt. Serve immediately.
