Lieve Galle

Devon Olsen wrote:Thank you Lieve!

and blanching dandelion.... does this improve flavor or just make it look more exotic?

as far as i know, it's only done to reduce the bitterness... or to pretend you have moles in your yard

judith, you can just cover them in a pile of soil - dandelion leaves grown that way are sold here in the supermarket as 'moleslaw'

Devon Olsen wrote:anyone have good recipes for milk thistle?
i hear it tastes like parsnip so ive been thinking to just replace parsnip with thistle, wanted to see if anyone here had prior experience be3fore i did though...
or sow thistle, i have both, just dont know as much about sow thistle....

and good recipes for curly dock?
dandelion?
mallow?

those are all the wild edibles that i KNOW are in the area and have identified...

where i am, thistles are too late for leaves, too early for roots, but i make a sun tea from the flowers, or you can peel the stem and steam it.

curly dock i blend with avocado and use as a dip, or we have a family recipe of mashed potatoes mixed with dock leaves, ground elder and stinging nettle.
dandelion i like to use in pesto (if you need to get used to the flavor, you may want to start with half basil/half dandelion leaf) - again, too late for the flowers here and too early for the roots.
mallow is great in a stew with lentils, or in soup. i use the leaves and decorate the dish with the flowers. young leaves can be used as a wrap, grape-leaf style.

hope this helps; enjoy!

Kristine Walker wrote:... after my initial experiment with wild food and the taste of raw dandelion is fresh on my mind. yeah, i know now you need to cook them. lol..... so which wild plants actually taste good?

Raw dandelion leaf is fine actually, but make sure you mix it with something sweet, like grated carrots or chopped apples. Start with small amounts to get used to the bitter taste. I like them in green salads, with a lemon juice - olive oil dressing.
The leaves get less bitter after frost, and in early spring, before the flowers appear. Or you can cover the plant -while it's still growing in the soil- with earth, that bleaches the leaves and takes the bitterness away.

White and purple dead-nettles are delicious as well. You can use the flowers as edible decoration on salads and spreads. The flowers of white dead-nettle make a wonderful (sun) tea as well. And the leaves can be used as a spinach alternative.

Hi all,

Glad to have found this forum! I am a herbalist and forager, and mother of a set of wonderful free range twins. I have a long-time love affair with permaculture, and hope to share some of my experiences, and learn from yours.