Foraging is one of those activities that brings us back to our hunter-gatherer roots, and it's just plain fun--maybe because it feels a little too good to be true. Conventional gardening is hard work; you cultivate, mulch, sow, weed, water, protect, and then harvest. To boot, all of these steps are predicated on the ownership, or at least occupancy of, land. Even a city slicker can forage, and, regardless of whether you live in a condo or a cottage, you can skip right to the best part.

Where I live, sumac grows like a weed. I see it on roadsides everywhere as it thrives in sunny spots along the edges of wild land. While, according to grandpa's old copy of Stalking the Wild Asparagus, staghorn sumac peaks in the heat of August, I thought I'd seize a late opportunity to pick some while it is still abundant. One man's roadside weed is another man's pink lemonade. Consider me a pink lemonade man.

This title is not a euphemism for fasting; it describes a creamy and delicious seafood chowder free of all common allergens (except shellfish, of course).  If you're allergic to them too, you can still enjoy this recipe with a little extra work up front.

Most seafood chowders are wheat-thickened and full of dairy. This one isn't, because delicious doesn't need to feel like dying. While I'm not a big fan of coerced substitutions--yes, I'm looking at you, grain-free/dairy-free pizza--sometimes they just work. With clarified butter in the mix, there's hope for even the most gastrointestinally-sensitive lover of creamy seafood bliss.