For Bellingham writer and wild foods forager, the outdoors is her pantry

Jennifer Hahn hasn't walked all that far down the driveway of her home when she stops in front of a small Indian plum tree that's starting to sprout green, plucks a leaf and pops it into her mouth.

It tastes like bitter cucumber, she says, adding: "They're really the first signs of spring."

The Bellingham resident is standing on the edge of her six-acre wooded hillside, where she'll forage for greens to add to an early spring meal made from recipes featured in her book, "Pacific Feast: A Cook's Guide to West Coast Foraging and Cuisine" ($21.95, paperback).