Wild Greens

[thomas pendrake]

In this part of the country we have at least two very common wild pants that have edible greens. One is the dandelion and the other is the Spanish needle. Spanish Needles bear a slightly bitter edible leaf that may be a tasty addition to a salad or even cooked greens. Some authorities caution against eating large quantities of the greens. Dandelions are highly prized for their greens, blossoms, and even roots. Planting them in a garden seems logical to me,

 

[claudine]

This is interesting! I have plenty of dandelions in my garden, but I've never tried to eat them. I remember that my parents used to feed our turtles with them. Aren't dandelion leaves very bitter? Do you cook them or do you eat them raw?

 

[headfullofbees]

The Greeks call them Xorta (chorta)

http://greekfood.about.com/od/vegetarianrecipe1/r/Horta-Vrasta-Boiled-Leafy-Greens.htm

 

[Mariam]

I believe there is a certain peak time to harvest the dandelion leaves. I want to say it is in spring, but I am not sure. I believe you can also eat the leaves raw or cooked. I use to have a tortoise who delighted in devouring the leaves and sometimes the flower, too. I have eaten the leaves in a salad, when they were slightly bitter. The tomatoes, carrots and peppers in my salad offset the bitterness and it was one tasty salad.

 

[thomas pendrake]

This is interesting! I have plenty of dandelions in my garden, but I've never tried to eat them. I remember that my parents used to feed our turtles with them. Aren't dandelion leaves very bitter? Do you cook them or do you eat them raw?

I have never heard them described as very bitter. To me they are only slightly bitter, and that is associated with their healthy characteristics. Dandelion greens are high in vitamins and minerals. There are some medicinal characteristics to dandelion. It is mildly diuretic and you should be aware of this. The roots and blossoms are also edible.

 

[zigs]

I makes Coffee from the roots of Dandelions, but I find the unblanched leaves far to bitter to eat.

The flowers make an excellent wine.

Don't need to plant them, there are always enough wind blown seeds taking root in the veg plot

 

[headfullofbees]

I have never heard them described as very bitter. To me they are only slightly bitter, and that is associated with their healthy characteristics. Dandelion greens are high in vitamins and minerals. There are some medicinal characteristics to dandelion. It is mildly diuretic and you should be aware of this. The roots and blossoms are also edible.

http://abritdifferent.wordpress.com/2008/06/13/hf-pee-the-beds/

 

[headfullofbees]

I makes Coffee from the roots of Dandelions, but I find the unblanched leaves far to bitter to eat.

The flowers make an excellent wine.

Don't need to plant them, there are always enough wind blown seeds taking root in the veg plot

How do you make coffee?

 

[zigs]

Scrub the roots, chop them up fine and roast in the oven till browned & dry.

You'll get lots of stains on your hands from the sap though.

Boil a couple of tablespoons for a few minutes till liquid is dark brown, serve with milk & 2 sugars

 

[Pat]

In our area dandelions are pulled up as weeds. I have heard of people making wind out of the plants. I have seen people out in the fields cutting the leaves for greens but I have never eaten any. It may be something to think about this spring if we have an abundance of dandelions in the yard.

 

[Shellyann36]

@zigs I wondered if you would make dandelion wine. You must share the recipe!

Where we live now we don't have any dandelions. I am very disappointed in that. I am not sure if the owner painstakingly uprooted all of them that he came across or what but none grow in our yard. I would love to have plenty of them for eating purposes though. In the past we have used them as greens.

 

[gata montes]

Although dandelions don't grow at all where I live - I'm aware of the medicinal properties and have heard of people adding to them to their salads and drinking dandelion tea as well as dandelion wine - but had not heard of dandelion coffee until Zigs mentioned it - which I'm sure I would love to try - if only I had some dandelions to make it with

However Bidens Bipinnata and Pilosa or Spanish Needles do grow here - incredibly well too - but as they are classed as highly invasive weeds and as I live in an agricultural area - I rarely see them either - as they are got rid of before they've barely started growing and although I knew these plants had medicinal properties - I had no idea that their leaves were edible and that such an ugly looking plant - could be regarded as a tasty addition to salads

 

[zigs]

Dandelion wine is lovely.

Off the top of my head, gallon bucket of flower heads, boil up and leave to steep for a couple of days with a kilo of sugar, strain off and add yeast nutrient, citric acid and yeast.

Ferment out and leave till autumn, then drink the liquid sunshine

 

[justusforus]

I remember eating just the dandelion leaves as a child. We also ate "mustard greens" which we picked in the wild. Since I moved to a different climate, I would not feel as comfortable forraging for wild greens when I am not as familiar with the plants. I could still recognize a dandelion, but beyond that I would rather remain safe than sorry.

 

[zigs]

Oh yes. Never eat anything wild unless you know exactly what it is, Hemlock looks a lot like Chervil when its young, but you'd only manage to make that mistake once