posted 2 weeks ago
Cleavers are well-known as a lymph mover. I only see them in the spring. I try to eat them as much as possible. I usually just put them in my mouth, but sometimes I"ll bring them in and chop them up.
Chickweed is another edible. I love the tiny white flowers. There has been research on the health value of not just multiple different species, but also different species throughout the year. I see both of these for a while in the spring and eat as much as I can.
I planted earth chestnut about 25 years ago, and I have had it come back every winter. I call that a bargain, the best I ever had, as the Who would say.
Shotweed, also known as bitter cress, comes up about now also. It's a strong cruciferous vegetable, which means it fights cancer.
I also start to see my favorite weed about now. Sow thistle tastes good and is abundant.
Later in the year, we'll get spiny sow thistle, which isn't as bad as it sounds. You just get a tingle. I think of it as "poor man's blowfish". Rich Japanese executives eat a fish called blowfish. A plate costs $500. It gives you a tingle from the poison in the fish. If you eat too much, you die. With spiny sow thistle you only get a tingle no matter what.
Many people consider stinging nettle to be a weed, but it is one of the most nutritious vegetables available. I use clippers in one hand and a glove in the other. I put it in a paper bag. When I get home, I make a pot of boiling water. As soon as you cook it, the stinging part goes away, but the nutrition stays. Really good for fighting allergies and avoiding prostate problems.
Dead nettle comes up a bit later. It is called dead nettle because it doesn't hurt when you grab it. I eat that a lot in March.
Of course, dandelion is more nutritious than the vegetables you buy in a store. I just chop it up and add it to rice, beans, noodles, pasta, etc. Immigrants brought it to the USA as a prized vegetable on the Mayflower, because they didn't know if there were going to be any good vegetables here in the New World. When you go to farmer's markets in Italy, they often sell dandelions. They don't have lawns over there very much. A lawn was created to show neighbors how rich you are because you don't need to use your land to grow food.
Many onion family plants are edible and fight cancer. My favorite is the leek. I bought $1 worth 25 years ago. I cut off the green part and I don't have to clean it. The rest of the plant keeps growing. I've had all you can eat leeks since then and I eat a ton of leek greens.
Nipple wort is abundant and probably the most amusing name of the beneficial weeds. It grows every year in my yard and I harvest it. Mild flavored leafy vegetable.
Mallows are common weeds in the summer. I cultivate a few kinds. You've almost surely heard of one. Marshmallow was the root of the plant, cooked in a fire. Then they invented the toxic version, made of sugar and artificial ingredients, wrapped in plastic. I prefer the original. Common mallow is often seen in baseball fields, parking strips, and cracks in the sidewalk. Checker mallow is a native plant, a pretty flower, and an excellent vegetable. Need I say more?
Purslane also grows in baseball fields and in cracks in the sidewalk. Called verdolagas, they are a common vegetable in Mexico. High in Omega 3, and easy to grow. Sometimes you don't even have to try.
The world is a very abundant, bountiful place if you know where to look.
John S
PDX OR
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