Here are some tips on identifying wild herbs and a few of my favorite wild edible recipes from my teacher Jane Bothwell from the Dandelion School of Herbs in Kneeland, CA (who by the way has some amazing classes coming up that you can check out at www.dandelionherb.com).
Wild Foods to Enjoy and Avoid:
Be sure to positively identify the wild food you intend to ingest prior to harvesting it.
ENJOY:..........................................
Plantain (Plantago spp.) Chickweed (Stellaria media)
Dock (Rumex crispus) Sheeps sorrel (Rumex acetosella)
Miners lettuce (Montia perfoliata) Indian lettuce (Montia siberica)
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis) Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Mallow (Malva spp.) Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)
Fuschia flowers Violet flowers (Viola spp.)
Borage flowers (Borago officinalis) Calendula flowers (Calendula officinalis)
Pansy flowers Alyssum flowers
Bachelors Buttons Dandelion flowers (Taraxacum officinale)
Wild berries: salal, huckleberry, blackberry, salmon berries, strawberries, raspberries (and so many more....)
AVOID............................................
Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum) Water Hemlock (Cicuta douglasii)
Daffodils (Narcissus spp.) Poison Oak (Rhus spp.) (or Ivy on the east coast!)
Buttercup (Ranunculus acris) Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
Scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis)
Herbal Recipes:
Wild Herb Casserole
425 degrees
Cover baking dish with olive oil or butter. Fill with herbs -fillaree (Erodium circutarium & E. moschatum) nettle (Urtica dioica), lambs quarters (Chenopodium album), purslane (Portulaca oleracae), sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella), yellow dock (Rumex crispus), chicory (Cichorium intybus), dandelion greens (Taraxacum officinale), mallow leaves (Malva spp.), violet leaves (Viola spp.), etc. Can also add some cultivated vegetables-- onions, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
Grate cheese on top and/or chunks of tofu
Put in blender and blend: 2 cups water, 1 cup flour, 4 eggs, any culinary herbs.
Pour over casserole and bake for 20 minutes.
Substitute for eggs: 1 c. almond meal, 4T flax seeds
Spring Salad
Enjoy the fresh young delectable wild greens and flowers. A few of my favorite Spring salad additions include: purslane, lambs quarters, amaranth, dandelion, filaree, sweet cicely, chickweed, fennel shoots, calendula flowers, borage flowers, violet flowers….
Wild Green Dressing
Put olive oil, lemon juice and garlic in the blender. Add sprigs of fresh basil, oregano, thyme, mint, parsley and lots of wild greens of your choice (sheep sorrel, chickweed, miners lettuce, etc). Blend until creamy.
Wild Foods to Enjoy and Avoid:
Be sure to positively identify the wild food you intend to ingest prior to harvesting it.
ENJOY:..........................................
Plantain (Plantago spp.) Chickweed (Stellaria media)
Dock (Rumex crispus) Sheeps sorrel (Rumex acetosella)
Miners lettuce (Montia perfoliata) Indian lettuce (Montia siberica)
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis) Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Mallow (Malva spp.) Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)
Fuschia flowers Violet flowers (Viola spp.)
Borage flowers (Borago officinalis) Calendula flowers (Calendula officinalis)
Pansy flowers Alyssum flowers
Bachelors Buttons Dandelion flowers (Taraxacum officinale)
Wild berries: salal, huckleberry, blackberry, salmon berries, strawberries, raspberries (and so many more....)
AVOID............................................
Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum) Water Hemlock (Cicuta douglasii)
Daffodils (Narcissus spp.) Poison Oak (Rhus spp.) (or Ivy on the east coast!)
Buttercup (Ranunculus acris) Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
Scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis)
Herbal Recipes:
Wild Herb Casserole
425 degrees
Cover baking dish with olive oil or butter. Fill with herbs -fillaree (Erodium circutarium & E. moschatum) nettle (Urtica dioica), lambs quarters (Chenopodium album), purslane (Portulaca oleracae), sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella), yellow dock (Rumex crispus), chicory (Cichorium intybus), dandelion greens (Taraxacum officinale), mallow leaves (Malva spp.), violet leaves (Viola spp.), etc. Can also add some cultivated vegetables-- onions, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
Grate cheese on top and/or chunks of tofu
Put in blender and blend: 2 cups water, 1 cup flour, 4 eggs, any culinary herbs.
Pour over casserole and bake for 20 minutes.
Substitute for eggs: 1 c. almond meal, 4T flax seeds
Spring Salad
Enjoy the fresh young delectable wild greens and flowers. A few of my favorite Spring salad additions include: purslane, lambs quarters, amaranth, dandelion, filaree, sweet cicely, chickweed, fennel shoots, calendula flowers, borage flowers, violet flowers….
Wild Green Dressing
Put olive oil, lemon juice and garlic in the blender. Add sprigs of fresh basil, oregano, thyme, mint, parsley and lots of wild greens of your choice (sheep sorrel, chickweed, miners lettuce, etc). Blend until creamy.
