Eat Weeds: A field guide to foraging: how to identify, harvest, eat and use wild plants

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Put 1 to 2 tablespoons oil in a cast iron skillet (ours is 22cm/9in diameter). Add a couple of handfuls of sliced mushrooms (about 80g), fry until beginning to brown, then add a couple of handfuls of chopped ground elder leaves (20 to 30g). Stir until the leaves have wilted. Adhikari, Bhaskar Mani, Alina Bajracharya, and Ashok K. Shrestha. " Comparison of nutritional properties of Stinging nettle ( Urtica dioica) flour with wheat and barley flours." Food Science & Nutrition. 2015. However, because of their vigorous, sprawling growth habit and year-round growing potential, they tend to fall into the ‘weed’ camp by default. Nonetheless, they make for tantalizing peppery additions to all manner of dishes. The seeds can be used to make capers, commonly known as ‘poor man’s capers’. And for those with a taste for adventure, why not crush the leaves to add rich tints to pesto and bread? Ice the top and sides of the cake, using a spatula or a piping bag. In the nettle cake pictured I've used double the quantity of icing as a special treat.

Robin Harford: Yeah. Have you tried roasting the flour, or baking the flour first, before you put it into the coffee filter? Have you noticed any difference there?Gabrielle Hatfield says dog rose is one of the longest living plants: “A bush growing in Hildesheim in Germany was said to have been planted there in AD 850 by Emperor Charlemagne’s son”. How to identify: Look for a vine with leaves in a group of three and crimson flowers when blooming. Additionally, keep in mind that if you want to cultivate any of these edible weeds, planting them may be illegal, on top of a potential nuisance.

In fourth grade, growing up in Northern California, we learned about traditional foods from the Native Americans in our area, and acorn was their staple food. I wrote this book to help you rediscover our forgotten plant heritage. To learn how to use wild plants as food and medicine. How to identify: Look for the distinctive narrow leaves with curly edges. The stems turn brown in the late summer. Nature: Finally, for me, anyway, foraging a little of my food from the wild satisfies some deep, primal need, connecting me to the natural world around me and to myhunter-gathererancestors The dog rose ( Rosa canina) was named for the belief that it cured the bite of rabid dogs. Roman physician Pliny the Elder in the 1st century told the story of a woman who received a message in a dream.Caution: Don’t feed this to your pets. Additionally, be careful when ingesting it yourself, because some folks are allergic. 11. Claytonia (Claytonia perfoliata) Robin Harford: Yeah. Question here from me that says, “How long will acorn flour keep, and what is the best way to store it?” We’ve discussed storing acorns, but the actual flour itself. You know, when I buy flour from you, is that going to last six months before it goes rancid, or what? Marcie Mayer: And you basically rinse them out like normal. Leach them like normal. And then the wet mash, you put on a paper towel in the microwave for about 30 or 40 seconds, and then you break it up a little bit, turn it over, another 30, 40 seconds, and that’s it. It’s ready to go. Marcie Mayer: Well that’s the idea. You know, nobody’s going to get rich from gathering acorns and processing them. But it can supplement your cupboard, and it can supplement your income in some way. And I think the way to go is that small community cottage industries, exactly. I can’t even imagine how big food could get involved in acorn processing. It’s far too labour intensive. Ellstrand, Norman C., et al. " Crops gone wild: Evolution of weeds and invasives from domestic ancestors." Evolutionary Applications. 2010.