Cultivating News
From "Maple Street Co-op News", Aug/Sep 2007
Weeds, Glorious Weeds!
By Mary Meadows
Weeds are merely plants growing in an unwanted place, usually in a rampant
fashion with conditions conducive to their well-being. There are many
edible weeds in our local area that have been considered food sources
for centuries.
The concern people have about being poisoned is one justified reason
for not harvesting edible weeds. As they are unable to flee predators,
plants produce toxins to defend themselves from being eaten.
However, weeds are less likely to be poisonous, as they can rely on
their rapid growth to survive plant eaters, and less on chemical defences.
The few toxins found in weeds are invariably countered by being cooked;
boiling leaches out many poisons and destroys or deactivates others.
As a guide, avoid unknown bitter-tasting plants, however, many bitter
tasting plants are edible, e.g. chicory, dandelion and lettuce. As a
point of reference, I will only focus on plants that I have eaten with
no ill effect.
Arrowroot (Canna edulis): The rhizomes /tubers
are rich in starch and can be used as flour or cut and baked like potato
chips. The common garden Canna (C.Indica), was once eaten by the Incas
of Peru. Archaeologists have discovered dried tubers from old Inca sites,
putting their use by humans as far back as 3,500 years.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis): With its
golden yellow tufted flowers and green toothed leaves, the dandelion
is often regarded as a troublesome weed, but is in fact a nutrient-rich
plant containing iron, copper, inulin, protein, fat, and a range of
vitamins and mineral salts. Young leaves can be used in salads (if bitter
best to blanch them), and then boil or steam as a vegetable. Some people
confuse flat weed/catsears (Hypochoeris species) with dandelion. In
19th century Europe, they were cultivated for the table, as the small
roots may be cooked as a bitter vegetable. Both catsears and dandelion
can be roasted and ground as an excellent coffee substitute.
Docks (Rumex species): These plants are messy
weeds with slender leaves and tall seeding spikes. There are quite a
variety of docks, including sorrel, turkey rhubarb, curled dock, broad-leaf
dock, and so on. Even though slightly sour to taste, the tender steamed
leaves are excellent in soups. Curled dock produces leaf stalks that
can be substituted for rhubarb and stewed in a little water with sugar
to sweeten. The seeds were found in the stomachs of the Grauballe Man
and Tollund Man in ancient Danish peat bogs.
Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis): The
whole plant is edible, leaves can be used in salads (for flavour add
rocket and garden lettuce). The roots, when tender, can be chopped and
used in stir fries, and the very bright and happy yellow flowers look
great in salads. The tiny seed is cold pressed to produce the essential
oil, and an infusion of the leaves and stems is useful in cases of whooping
cough and asthma attacks.
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus): This little
beauty, a native of Peru, is now at home in gardens all over the world
and is one of the easiest to grow from seed. The helmet-shaped flowers
can range in colour from sharp yellow, through orange to a rich scarlet
with varying shades in between. The leaves are rich in vitamin C and
give a sharp, lively taste to any salad. A little cream cheese tucked
into a nasturtium flower makes a tasty bite.
Plantain (Plantago major): All plantains are
high in vitamin A and are quite pleasant when juiced with carrot. My
favourite is the ribwort. Like the docks, seeds of the plantain were
also found in the peat bogs in Denmark. Herbalist Simon Schot once informed
me in an alchemy class that the English take the plantain seed with
them wherever they migrate to. I'd say it's more likely the sticky seeds
attach themselves to trouser cuffs and then presumably drop off when
they find a likely bare patch of soil. The plant produces masses of
seeds, and if any of you are familiar with cobbler's pegs, the plantain
seeds are equally as capable of attaching themselves to animals or clothes
as the cobbler's pegs.
Nettle (Urtica dioica): Stinging nettle is
an English weed that was once highly appreciated as a vegetable. The
young leaves are soft and tender, and the stinging properties are lost
with cooking.
Recipe for Nettle Beer
Nettle beer is made with at least a kilo of fresh nettle tips; 4 litres
of water; a cup of lemon juice; 450 grams of raw sugar; 2 teaspoons
of ground ginger can also be added. Boil all ingredients together for
20 minutes. Strain into a pan or dish and allow to cool to a gentle
heat. Mix 2 teaspoons fresh yeast with a little of the liquid and stir
in. (Alternatively spread the yeast on a piece of toast and gently lower
it to float on top of the liquid). Cover and keep warm and out of draughts
for 3-4 days. Then bottle, hammering the cork down firmly, and leave
in a dark cupboard for 10 days. Uncork with care!
References
Little, B. The Complete Book of Herbs and Spices (Reed Books,
Pty. Ltd.)
Low, T. Wild Herbs of Australia (Angus and Robertson)
[From "Maple Street Co-op News", August/September 2007; published
by The Maple Street Co-operative Society Ltd, 37 Maple Street, Maleny,
Qld 4552, Australia, tel (07) 5494 2088, email maplest.co-op@serv.net.au,
website http://www.maplestreetco-op.com.au]