edible weeds

[Suz]

I've dabbled in this for years, and this year I'm trying not to buy greens in the grocery store.  http://consciouschoice.co...2006/04/foodlead0604.html

[mich4076]

I've heard of cooking with wild edibles but I haven't tried it. The only wild plant I've eaten is the wood violet that grows everywhere around here. I've heard miner's salad is good but if it's not cooked properly it can be poisonous.

[Suz]

This week I'm having a salad of chickweed, henbit, red dead nettle, dandelions, kale, mint, pansy flowers, and wild onions.  It is good and Free.  Then only thing - the kale had aphids that had to be washed off, but the rest was clean and healthy.  Couldn't find any oxalis for the lemony flavor.  Maybe next week...

[ednotmilkman]

I thought by definition, a weed was not worth eating?  To you Suz, are no longer weeeds, but, .......... succulents !

Since I discovered that spinach seeds germinate much better if you soak them overnight, I've been happy to eat spinach and leaf lettuce all winter and early spring from my garden behind the house.  Seed are still VERY cheap if you by them "by the ounce" from your local Alabama Farmer's Co-op.  Beets also benefit from the seed soak, if you want more reddish looking greens.

[Suz]

Thanks for the info...I just recently (in the last 5 years) discovered a love of beets and have been thinking about growing them.  I'll remember to soak the seeds. 

You are right about the "weeds"  In horticulture, they defined a weed as any plant growing in the location we don't want it.  Since I like most plants, then I encounter few weeds!!  Maybe poison ivy and kudzu. Even though I can eat kudzu, and the birds love the poison ivy, but not in my yard.  Manicured grass is more of a weed to me than most other plants.  I like plants that are pretty, smell good, are edible, feed wildlife, require little maintenance, or are interesting at least two seasons of the year.

Unmurdered crape myrtles are one of those good plants.  They have a beautiful growth habit, peeling bark, pretty flowers and fruits.  We destroy one of their best assets by leaving little pathetic nubs all over.  If they have outgrown their location, cut them down to the ground, they will grow back, or dig them up.  When I worked in landscaping our rule was pencil size or smaller as the rule for any purning of crepe myrtles.

[Nalgene Ninja]

Had wild onion from the flower bed in my salad a couple of days ago.

[MoBill122]

 I have no grass... few weeds in my yard.  Totally wooded lot.... and in the past few weeks, thanks to all the rain and the local beavers,  I now have water front property !

 Don't have any area that gets enough sun light to plant a garden.  I guess we'll starve unless you can eat azaleas, gardenias, Rhodo's or camelias.....

[Suz]

Way to go on the onion in your salad Nalgene Ninja...

MoBill, your yard sounds great!

[Lesley]

Before we mowed this weekend Matt had me collect the dandelion greens to enhance our salad....all by himself. I'm so proud

 I've been eating clover, henbit, and oxalis since I was old enough to pick it out of the ground, much to the disgust of my little girlfriends from homes with manicured lawns and Clorox Queens for Mama's. But my favorite was wild garlic...No wonder boys ran from me on the playground.

MoBill, get some native blueberries. They should work on a wooded lot, and be kind to your blackberries.

[Rob]

Great thread! I've been sampling from natures free smorgasboard for some time now. One of my favorites is the "cat tail", which has many edible parts and uses. I am also fond of Poke weed, or as some folks call it, polk salad, you gotta be careful with preping this one though, it can cause ill effects if not prepared right. Cactus pears and cactus leaves from the prickly pear cactus are also edible. I've been told some folks make wine from cactus pears. Food and drink!