– by Carolyn Herriot –
You know spring has sprung when weeds start taking over your garden, but did you know that many of those plants, growing where they are not wanted, also provide delicious wild greens? Here’s a list of plants that you can harvest for a whole host of purposes.
Bitter cress cardamine hirsute forms tiny rosettes of dark green leaves, easily identified by tiny white flower clusters. Bitter cress can be picked and used as watercress. You want to harvest it too, as it forms explosive seedpods from several generations a year.
Chickweed stellaria media is a common annual that grows bright green cushions of creeping leaves. It’s easy to harvest by just tugging out large clumps of greens, and is delicious lightly steamed and used like spinach. TIP: Rinse greens well in a deep bowl of water to get all the grit out.
Golden purslane portulaca oleracea var. sativa is a tender annual with tangy flavour and crispy texture, packed with omega-3 fatty acids. This succulent edible prefers summer heat and the shiny golden plants look great as sunny border plants.
Golden Purslane Salad
2 cups young purslane leaves, washed and chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
Mix well and leave to marinate for a few hours. Drain.
Dressing
3 tbsp olive oil (or walnut oil) 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Whisk together until well blended. Drizzle over salad greens. Garnish with chopped walnuts (optional).
Dandelion taraxacum officinale greens are high in Vitamins A, C and K, and are a good source of calcium, potassium, manganese and iron. The flowers can be sautéed, or dipped in batter and deep-fried. The flower petals are used to make dandelion wine and the dried roots can be roasted and ground for a caffeine-free coffee substitute.
Dandelion Salad
1 bunch of tender young dandelion greens
1 bunch of mixed greens
1 bunch of chive greens, finely minced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
coarse salt and black pepper, freshly cracked
¼ cup dried cranberries
crumbled feta cheese (optional)
Add the garlic and vinegar to a stainless steel bowl and slowly whisk in the oil until it becomes emulsified. Toss the dandelion greens with salt and pepper and add the vinaigrette and half the cranberries. Pile dandelion greens up on a funky salad plate and sprinkle minced chives, feta if using and the remaining cranberries all over.
Nettles urtica dioica are full of iron, vitamins and chlorophyll, and the steamed greens add pep to your step! Nettles are cooked and used like spinach in a multitude of dishes, and the leaves can be dried to make a pleasing tisane. TIP: The stinging hairs collapse when the greens are steamed, but until then handle nettles with respect using gloves and tongs.
Nettle Soup
1 chopped onion (or 4 chopped leeks)
1 tbsp butter with a drizzle of olive oil
2 bay leaves
4 medium potatoes, chopped
4 cups tender nettle tops, rinsed in a large bowl
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup each milk and light cream
1 bulb garlic, roasted (optional)
Garnish: Parsley, yoghurt or croutons.
Sauté the onions (or leeks) with the bay leaves in the butter and oil until softened. Add potatoes, just cover with water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, cooking only until the potatoes are soft. Add the nettles using tongs, and allow to cook for 10 minutes until the greens are wilted. If adding roasted garlic, squeeze it in now.
Remove bay leaves and purée everything in a blender until smooth. Return to the heat while slowly adding the dairy (or soy), and stirring as the soup heats up. TIP: Do not allow to boil or the soup will curdle.
Carolyn Herriot is author of “The Zero Mile Diet” and “The Zero-Mile Diet Cookbook” (Harbour Publishing) She grows “Seeds of Victoria” at The Garden Path Centre. www.seedsofvictoria.com.
