[March-May 2024]
Although it will be a few more weeks before our spring plantings and seedlings can reach the dining table (at least in Zone 7), our hearty and vibrant wild edibles (aka edible weeds) can provide tasty and even more nutritious greens that we can cook - right now!
Some early edible weeds that we have in Zone 7 (in the order that we observe them appear): Hairy Bittercress, Wild Chives, Dandelions, Pennycress, Garlic Mustard, Stinging Nettles, Mugwort
The following are three simple recipes that you can make largely from these foraged greens:
Early Spring Edible Weed Salad: Harvest young dandelion leaves and top with sprigs of young hairy bittercress leaves, chopped wild chives and garlic mustard leaves, as well as flowers from these greens. Then mix in your favorite dressing or use our own baseline salad dressing.
Dandelions and Garlic Mustard Pesto: Take almost any pesto recipe and substitute basil for dandelions or a combination of dandelions and garlic mustard, giving the pesto more depth. The bonus of pesto is that the ingredients are eaten raw, preserving more of the greens’ nutrients.
Mugwort and Nettles Soup: We use this Mugwort Soup Recipe from Martha Stewart but with the amount of greens split between mugwort and stinging nettles. Note that if you make a meal out of the soup along with some toasted bread, you may want to double or triple the recipe (we doubled it for 4 people). Also as we like our soup slightly thicker, we use 4 cups of broth instead of the prescribed 6; it’s easier to add more water later if needed.