What’s for dinner? Weeds!

—by Emma Onawa

Next time you weed your garden, don’t compost, make a salad! Many of those pesky invaders in our yards and gardens can be made or incorporated into delicious and nutritious salads and side dishes. The price is right and they are high in nutrition.

Although some names may not be familiar, chances are you’ll recognize these plants once you’ve read a description and seen a photo. Here are some of the common greens most likely found in the average yard or garden. For more detailed information, descriptions, and photos of these and many other wild foods, go to http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/, scroll about a third of the page down and click on “Wild Plants.”

Dandelions

Probably the most prolific weed in the yard, dandelions have a well-earned, lousy reputation [Footnote 1].  Go beyond this single-minded idea and we find a gold mine of nutrition, with the leaves high in vitamins A and C and iron.[Footnote 2]  Although all parts of the plant are edible, the easiest way to use danders is to incorporate tender leaves into salads.

Older greens, as well as flowers and roots, can be steamed or stir-fried like spinach or kale. Remove bitterness with a couple of changes of water or by cooking with sweeter vegetables, such as carrots; or balance it by cooking with eggs, bacon, or cream (or all three). And, of course, there’s dandelion wine, made from the flowers.

Lamb's quarters

A taller, upright plant, one to six feet tall, lamb's quarters have a firm stem and diamond-shaped leaves. They can be cooked or used raw in salads. A mild flavor makes it one of the best and most edible of wild greens, and it’s high in calcium, vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin.

Use lamb’s quarters as you would spinach. The seeds can be cooked for hot cereal.[Footnote 3] Find these plants in disturbed areas, gardens and yards, near concrete, and along fences.

Purslane

A round-leafed, succulent plant with rubbery leaves and stems growing low to the ground, purslane grows very fast in summer warmth. It spreads like a ground cover, and is found many places in yards and gardens.

Purslane has been a highly regarded food in India, Persia, and Europe for centuries. It has a high water content and is high in Vitamins A and C and Omega 3 fatty acids. Its taste is mildly acidic and it has a gummy quality similar to that of okra. Cut the tender tips and use them to add a crunch to sandwiches and salads, to thicken soups, and sautéed similarly to okra. The cut plants will sprout again throughout the season.

Nettles

Ouch—nettles hurt to the touch. But nettles are among the best greens in flavor and protein, and their presence is a sign of fertile soil. Nettles are single-stemmed, can grow as high as seven feet, and are known for their fine stinging bristles[Footnote 4]. They have very high levels of minerals, including calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium. They also contain protein.

Gather nettles, using gloves, in the spring when they are most tender, or just the tops of plants later in the year. A light stir fry or blanch will remove the bristles. Use as you would spinach in a wide variety of dishes.

Mallow

Mallow is very popular in the Eastern Mediterranean, where its many varieties are used in various ways, including as a wrapping for dolmas. The mallow leaf looks like a geranium leaf and has a similar fuzzy surface that, for this writer, makes an excellent salad green.

Mallows grow almost anywhere, particularly in disturbed areas, and have wide ranging anti-inflammatory properties. In addition to being eaten raw, mallow leaves also can be cooked and used as a substitute for other greens.

Garlic mustard

The early 21st century equivalent of buckthorn, garlic mustard is an invasive scourge of woodlands and other natural areas. But garlic mustard, with its lightly garlic-flavored leaves, has many culinary uses, including a garlic mustard pasta. It’s very high in protein.

Garlic mustard is a prolific shade lover, with round, fuzzy leaves and lots of veins. The older or larger the leaf, the more pungent the flavor. The easiest way to use garlic mustard is as a recipe substitute for greens. And, it’s one plant the park rangers everywhere will thank you for removing from state park lands.

Chicory

Although arguably harder to find in the average garden, chicory deserves mention. This blue wildflower grows as high as four feet and has a rigid, zigzagging stalk; deep, succulent taproot; and unique blue flower.

Chicory is best known for the use of its root as a coffee substitute, but it also can be used as greens in a salad and cooked. Like dandelion, it should be harvested when most tender, and when cooked, water should be drained once during the cooking process and replaced to remove bitter flavor. Raw chicory is a good source of calcium, potassium, and vitamin A. Roots can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute or addition.

Tips for collecting wild greens:

• Use the most tender greens possible; tougher, older greens may be cooked. Cook only as long as necessary to soften; otherwise greens may become mushy.
• Be sure that you have correctly identified the plant you’re harvesting.
• Avoid harvesting in areas that have been treated with herbicides or other chemicals, or along roads that are subject to heavy traffic or run-off from salt, fresh asphalt, lawn treatment, pet waste, or other noxious substances.
• When harvesting on private land, ask permission before harvesting.
• Add wild greens to your diet gradually.
• Wash all greens thoroughly.

Summer’s abundance offers us the opportunity to expand our culinary plates cheaply, easily, and nutritiously. The greens included in this article are some of the most easily found and used, but represent only a few of the many wild plants that can be eaten. Further Information on these and other wild eats can be found on the internet and in books devoted to the subject. Experiment, enjoy, have fun!

Sources:

• Angier, Bradford. Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants, 2nd edition. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 2008. (A single volume that covers the more readily accessible and known plants—an excellent basic reference).
• Thayer, Samuel. The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants. Birchwood, Wisconsin: Forager’s Harvest, 2006.
• Thayer, Samuel. Nature’s Garden: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants. Birchwood, Wisconsin: Forager’s Harvest, 2010.
• www.wisebread.com
• www.nourishingdays.com
• www.honest-food.net
• www.mariquita.com

Endnotes

1. Dandelions are a diuretic, and the French name for them, “pissenlits,” means wet your bed. Not to worry, though, unless you have a weak bladder.
2. Dandelions have been used therapeutically in Europe and Asia for centuries—the root is used to stimulate the liver and cleanse the bloodstream.
3. Southwest Native nations used ground seed meal in many ways, from cakes to gruel.
4. Nettles are among the most versatile plants in the world. Nettles and their fibers have been used to make sheets, tablecloths, menus, emergency fishing lines, and ropes. They've also been used to make beer and as an enrichment for steaks.

[Emma Onawa has been a co-op owner and shopper for 30 years and never has met a cat or cheese she doesn't like.]