Fresh Bamboo Shoots
We’ve had several rainy days and the ground is saturated. With the warm days we’ve been having along with the rain I just knew the Moso was about to start sending up shoots. I need to try to keep the giant grove in control so I was ready to dig and once I got down on my hands and knees, I found several. By running my palm along the ground I foumd the tips of new shoots and used my digging tool to cut them about 6 to 8 inches below the ground, depending on the size of the bamboo shoot. I soon gathered about several nice sized buds. I used a knife to remove the outer layers of sheaths until I got to the crisp, meaty, center. I ended up with at least a pound of tender shoots. When I tasted a raw piece I found it bitter. I covered the sliced pieces with water, brought it to a boil, and poured off the water. I did this twice and the shoot were still crisp but tender and bitter free. I used them in a recipe for cous-cous.