Wild Edibles

After a winter of store bought fruits and vegetables at off season prices, I look forward to having fresh produce from my garden. I especially look forward to things like kale, spinach, collards and chard of which we devour large amounts each day in our morning green smoothies.

Over the past years, I've done everything possible to get those greens as early as possible. This year, things are looking pretty good. I have some kale, chard, collards and chicory that wintered over.

Overwintered Kale

Spring Collards

Spring Chicory

In early March, I planted some beets, peas, chard, collards and lettuce which are making good progress. Last fall I even built a greenhouse to try to grow greens over the winter which was a great help with salad greens but just couldn't really produce much in the way of smoothie greens as the  winter days are too short and the temps are just too cold for things to grow very fast.

Well after all the stress of trying to get things growing early, I've had a little bit of a revelation - wild edibles. These are the wonderful things that you see turning green and growing with vigor every spring in your yard and local countryside. Don't knock them until you've tried them as they are super healthy and have detoxifying properties for the body which we need after a long winter without fresh greens. Here is a list of my favorite wild edibles and ones that most of you probably can find in your yard, lining your driveway or in the vacant lot or field nearby.

1. My favorite and one of the most healthy greens in this category would be the dandelion.  I used to hate these and cut them out of my lawn. Now I embrace them. Dandelions are included as one of the top 6 herbs in Chinese medicine and are great for our general health. Here is a paragraph about the health benefits of dandelions from the book "The Dandelion Celebration: A Guide to Unexpected Cuisine" by Peter Gail.

Suppose your doctor tells you, on your next visit, that he has just discovered a miracle drug which, when eaten as a part of your daily diet or taken as a beverage, could, depending on the peculiarities of your body chemistry: prevent or cure liver diseases, such as hepatitis or jaundice; act as a tonic and gentle diuretic to purify your blood, cleanse your system, dissolve kidney stones, and otherwise improve gastro-intestinal health; assist in weight reduction; cleanse your skin and eliminate acne; improve your bowel function, working equally well to relieve both constipation and diarrhea; prevent or lower high blood pressure; prevent or cure anemia; lower your serum cholesterol by as much as half; eliminate or drastically reduce acid indigestion and gas buildup by cutting the heaviness of fatty foods; prevent or cure various forms of cancer; prevent or control diabetes mellitus; and, at the same time, have no negative side effects and selectively act on only what ails you. If he gave you a prescription for this miracle medicine, would you use it religiously at first to solve whatever the problem is and then consistently for preventative body maintenance?

He goes on to claim that Dandelions rank in the top 4 green vegetables in overall nutritional value. If only part of these claims are true, it seems like a good thing to consider adding to ones diet. Further research on Dandelions will show similar claims.

Dandelions for the morning smoothie

I use Dandelions as a green for my smoothies and am able to use 3 or 4 large plants without noticing any bitterness. I usually supplement with other greens but think you'd be surprised at how well they smoothie up! I also save the roots and cut them into small pieces which I toast in the oven. They can then be ground in your coffee grinder and used to make espresso or dandelion tea which tastes surprisingly like coffee.

2. Wild Violets have been something I've enjoyed a lot this spring as well. They make a great green for salads or smoothies and you can eat the flowers too. Try using the greens and flowers to make a beautiful, tasty salad. Wild violets are a good source of vitamins A and C.

Wild violets in my yard

3. Mallow is that darn weed with the huge root that you can never seem to pull up when weeding your garden. Mallow leaves have are a little bit uncomfortable to eat as they have small hairs on them. They do, however, make a great base for a smoothie an have a very mild taste. Mallow tea, made from the roots, is good for soothing sore throats and can be very cleansing for your body as well. Mallow is said to be good for helping boost your immune system and is also anti parasitic and has anti inflammatory properties.

Mallow - "To weed or not to weed?"

4. Lambsquarters are another weed that seems to be everywhere in your garden. I love lambquarters in smoothies and the greens can be good in a salad. The tender stocks remind me of young snow peas and could be steamed or sauteed like asparagus as a tasty dish. I usually use them in smoothies or munch on them fresh as I'm weeding the garden. Lambquarters are high in vitamins A, C and K (with a serving providing more than 100% RDA of each), riboflavin, niacin, clacium, manganese, potassium an iron.

Lambsquarters

5. Purslane is that little succulent type of weed that grows low in your garden. I used to let it grow as ground cover before I knew what it was. Purslane, being high in vitamin A and C, has a nice fruity flavor. It is also a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids having as much or more than some fish oils. I have never been able to find enough of this in my yard to do much more than nibble on it. I leave it in my garden as ground cover but end up walking on it. However, if you could find a good supply of it, I'm sure it would be great in a salad, smoothie or soup.

Purslane

6. I usually find plantain in my yard among the dandelions. And no, this is not the banana type of plantain. Rather it is another healthy, green leafy plant that most of us have in our yard. One of the main uses of plantain is as a topical application for insect bites, stings and cuts. It  contains allantoin which is an anti-inflammatory that kills germs an speeds healing by encouraging growth of new skin cells. For this reason plantain is used in many commercialized creams and ointments found at your local drug store. Plantain is even said to be able to soothe poison oak or poison ivy rashes and can also be made into a tea to treat a cold or sore throat as it also has "pain killing" properties. I use plantain in my smoothies when I can find it. It is not the best green to eat in salads but reminds me a lot of chicory in taste and texture. Plantain is a good source of calcium, minerals and beta carotene.

Plantain

7. Chickweed has recently shown up as a local weed in my garden and along the edges of my lawn. It shows up early in the season with dandelions, mallow, violets and clover. Young chickweed tastes amazingly like spinach. It has a pleasant texture and is great in salads or as a supplement in smoothies. Chickweed is also a medicinal that has historically been given to people to aid in their recovery after serious illness. It can be mixed with clay as a poultice for healing sores as well. According to the Livestrong website

Chickweed is taken by mouth to treat stomach problems, intestinal complaints such as constipation, disorders of the blood, arthritis, lung diseases including asthma, kidney disorders, inflammatory conditions of the urinary tract, rabies, and scurvy or vitamin C deficiency. It is also used to relieve extreme exhaustion. Chickweed is applied to the skin to relieve various skin conditions such as skin wounds, ulcers, burns, arthritis pain an symptoms of eczema.

Chickweed 

Jackpot! Dandelions, violets an chickweed all together.

8. Clover seems to be everywhere and red clover is especially good for you. Clover can be eaten in salads, as a steamed vegetable or made into tea. Red clover is used in treating many medical conditions such as cancer, mastitis, gout, coughs (as an expectorant and suppressant), and asthma. It is also a potent detoxifier of the blood, lungs, liver, kidneys and lymphatic system. Red clover is high in protein and a good source of calcium, lecithin, chromium, magnesium, potassium, an vitamins A, E, and C.

Young sweet clover

So get out there and see what you can find to tide you over until your spring garden begins to produce. You may be surprised at how many plants you can find and how tasty and healthy they are. So in the meantime weed with purpose and green up!