What vegetables plants are completely edible?

[Primalclaws1974]

Most of us dispatch a vegetable plant once it has stop producing. That always makes me feel bad. Not only have I spent all those months tending it, and not I kill it, but it also seems a waste. What plants can be eaten safely? I have heard potatoes plants can make you sick, so that probably means tomato plants are the same way, since they are closely related. That is too bad, because while the tomatoes are still green, the plant already smells like a ripen tomato. They smell good enough to eat.

 

[headfullofbees]

Pumpkins.
The fruit leaves and flowers are edible.

 

[DancingLady]

Beets. When you pull up a beet to eat, cut off the leaves and steam them like you would spinach. They are a little different flavor, but very good. You can eat the whole beet plant, you just have to cook the root part for FAR longer than the leaves.

 

[Primalclaws1974]

Beets. When you pull up a beet to eat, cut off the leaves and steam them like you would spinach. They are a little different flavor, but very good. You can eat the whole beet plant, you just have to cook the root part for FAR longer than the leaves.

Interesting I have never heard that. How would you serve it up to eat? I have never grown beets. I don't think the climate is right in Iowa. I do enjoy the canned variety, however. I know that the plant and leaves of cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower are edible, if not pretty rough to chew. Headfullofbees, I was unaware you could eat the flowers and leaves of pumpkins, but I know that oven-baked pumpkin seeds are very good for you.

 

[headfullofbees]

You can stuff or deep fry the flowers, just like with zucchini/courgettes.

An African nurse who helps my wife occassionally, informed me about the leaves.
Apparently. there is a knack to removing the tough bits.

 

[gata montes]

Swiss Chard is another - as you can eat both stalks and the leaves.

Oh and the leaves of Sweet potatoes too - which unlike the leaves and stems of regular potatoes - are not poisonous - in fact quite the opposite - as they are said to be highly nutritious.

 

[claudine]

Radish leaves are edible. I haven't tried them yet, but I heard that they're quite tasty You could add them to a salad or put them in a sandwich.

 

[Kansas Terri]

Sweet potatos, beets, radishes, and kale comes to mind. Though whether or not you like the foliage of radishes or sweet potatos may be another matter! I find radish leaves to be too bland, and I personally think the leaves of sweet potato taste just like grass! Some people enjoy them but I do not.

Beets, on the other hand, have good foliage as well as good roots, and I also think that beet foliage is very tasty as well as being beautiful in a salad. The leaves have a mild beet flavor that goes well with lettuce and celery and such.

I have found that young beets need cool weather, no competition from weeds, and very frequent watering. Getting the seeds to germinate and keeping the seedlings alive requires me to hover over them while they are small, but after that all the beets need is very rich soil and weekly watering.

 

[Primalclaws1974]

Thanks for all of the replies. If anything tastes or has a texture like zucchini I most certainly won't like it. I like most fresh vegetables and fruit, but zucchini is not one of them! Are sweet potatoes not as closely related to regular potatoes as I thought? I knew regular potato plants are poisonous. Sweet potatoes are probably in the yam family. It is a tuber, like a regular potato but distinctive. I have not tried kale. I know it is healthy, but it doesn't look very appetizing.

 

[gata montes]

Are sweet potatoes not as closely related to regular potatoes as I thought? I knew regular potato plants are poisonous. Sweet potatoes are probably in the yam family. It is a tuber, like a regular potato but distinctive

Thats exactly why you can safely eat the leaves of sweet potatoes - as they are not closely related to each other and do in fact belong to two entirely different plant families.

The regular potato - Solanum Tuberosum - belongs to the Solanaceae or Nightshade family and sweet potatoes - Ipomoea Batatas - belong to the Convolvulaceae plant family

and although sweet potatoes are sometimes referred to as yams in some parts of the world - sweet potatoes are not yams - as yams belong to the totally unrelated Dioscoreaceae plant family

 

[kammy]

I have read somewhere on this forum that the leaves of sweet potatoes does make a tasty treat as it can be stir-fried or good for stews..even though i haven't gotten the chance to sample it as yet. Here is a recipe that i found online:



Sweet Potato Greens in Coconut Cream
Yield: 4 side servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 large bunch sweet potato greens
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root (from a 1/2-inch piece)
2 teaspoons grated fresh turmeric root, or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 red thai chili, finely sliced
2-inch lemon grass stalk, trimmed and finely sliced
1 to 2 teaspoons soy sauce, or to taste
1 cup coconut cream plus 1 cup water (or substitute 2 cups light or regular coconut milk)
2 to 3 teaspoons raw or brown sugar, or to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste


Read more at http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2012/09/sweet-potato-greens-in-coconut-cream.html
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Trim off any thick stems from greens. Add to boiling water and blanch for 60 seconds, then immediately transfer greens to a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking. Drain.

Heat oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, chili, and lemongrass and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauce.

Add coconut cream and water (or coconut milk) and bring to a simmer. Add blanched greens and return to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Add sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into bowls and serve with rice.




Read more at http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2012/09/sweet-potato-greens-in-coconut-cream.html

 

[JessiFox]

Sweet potatos, beets, radishes, and kale comes to mind. Though whether or not you like the foliage of radishes or sweet potatos may be another matter! I find radish leaves to be too bland, and I personally think the leaves of sweet potato taste just like grass! Some people enjoy them but I do not.

Beets, on the other hand, have good foliage as well as good roots, and I also think that beet foliage is very tasty as well as being beautiful in a salad. The leaves have a mild beet flavor that goes well with lettuce and celery and such.

I have found that young beets need cool weather, no competition from weeds, and very frequent watering. Getting the seeds to germinate and keeping the seedlings alive requires me to hover over them while they are small, but after that all the beets need is very rich soil and weekly watering.

That's really awesome to know! I love how much I'm learning on here...I've been interested in wasting less and which vegetables would be good to that end. Thanks for the info

 

[JessiFox]

I have read somewhere on this forum that the leaves of sweet potatoes does make a tasty treat as it can be stir-fried or good for stews..even though i haven't gotten the chance to sample it as yet. Here is a recipe that i found online:



Sweet Potato Greens in Coconut Cream
Yield: 4 side servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 large bunch sweet potato greens
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root (from a 1/2-inch piece)
2 teaspoons grated fresh turmeric root, or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 red thai chili, finely sliced
2-inch lemon grass stalk, trimmed and finely sliced
1 to 2 teaspoons soy sauce, or to taste
1 cup coconut cream plus 1 cup water (or substitute 2 cups light or regular coconut milk)
2 to 3 teaspoons raw or brown sugar, or to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste


Read more at http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2012/09/sweet-potato-greens-in-coconut-cream.html
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Trim off any thick stems from greens. Add to boiling water and blanch for 60 seconds, then immediately transfer greens to a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking. Drain.

Heat oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, chili, and lemongrass and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauce.

Add coconut cream and water (or coconut milk) and bring to a simmer. Add blanched greens and return to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Add sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into bowls and serve with rice.




Read more at http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2012/09/sweet-potato-greens-in-coconut-cream.html

Glad I didn't miss this one- that sounds fantastic and so simple! I really want to give this recipe a try

 

[Primalclaws1974]

Thats exactly why you can safely eat the leaves of sweet potatoes - as they are not closely related to each other and do in fact belong to two entirely different plant families.

The regular potato - Solanum Tuberosum - belongs to the Solanaceae or Nightshade family and sweet potatoes - Ipomoea Batatas - belong to the Convolvulaceae plant family

and although sweet potatoes are sometimes referred to as yams in some parts of the world - sweet potatoes are not yams - as yams belong to the totally unrelated Dioscoreaceae plant family

I was completely unaware that potato plants were in the nightshade family. That is scary! Are the leaves only slightly toxic? It always amazes me how the produce of a plant can be safe, yet it's leaves, bark, sap, etc. be poisonous. Cherry leaves are a good example of this. I don't understand how the produce can be completely different than the parent plant?Furthermore, how does the process of harvesting not get some of the poison into the produce?

 

[claudine]

I have read somewhere on this forum that the leaves of sweet potatoes does make a tasty treat as it can be stir-fried or good for stews..even though i haven't gotten the chance to sample it as yet. Here is a recipe that i found online:



Sweet Potato Greens in Coconut Cream
Yield: 4 side servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 large bunch sweet potato greens
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root (from a 1/2-inch piece)
2 teaspoons grated fresh turmeric root, or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 red thai chili, finely sliced
2-inch lemon grass stalk, trimmed and finely sliced
1 to 2 teaspoons soy sauce, or to taste
1 cup coconut cream plus 1 cup water (or substitute 2 cups light or regular coconut milk)
2 to 3 teaspoons raw or brown sugar, or to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste


Read more at http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2012/09/sweet-potato-greens-in-coconut-cream.html
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Trim off any thick stems from greens. Add to boiling water and blanch for 60 seconds, then immediately transfer greens to a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking. Drain.

Heat oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, chili, and lemongrass and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauce.

Add coconut cream and water (or coconut milk) and bring to a simmer. Add blanched greens and return to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Add sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into bowls and serve with rice.




Read more at http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2012/09/sweet-potato-greens-in-coconut-cream.html

This sounds like a really great recipe I love that it's gluten free and vegetarian. I want to try it out. There is nothing better than healthy, easy to make and delicious treats
Thank you for sharing it!