Backyard harvest of summer
If you are like me, you may also be a frustrated northern climate gardener. You save all your compost; you till or re-till your plot until its a magnificent fertile fluff; you diligently plant and label your rows; you faithfully pull weeds, and you keep the soil watered and nourished.
You do all this, and suddenly a late frost hits that damages all your beautiful tomatoes. Perhaps you wake up to a half-chewed row of pea plants because the raccoons got in, or some unseen microbe destroyed the roots of your young broccoli stalk. These and similar unfortunate realities of home cultivation can take the wind out of the sails of even the most dedicated gardener.
Well, there is some great news for all of us who have been defeated by the wrath of mother nature. There is a treasure of edible plants that naturally grow in your area, and these are often more densely packed with nutrients than the plants we attempt to introduce and protect. A “weed” is only a general term for a plant that you are not aware of its value. As the summer season approaches, it seems timely to introduce some of the common superstars of your typical backyard, park, or hiking trail.
Dandelion is one of the healthiest and most versatile vegetables on the planet. The whole plant is edible. The leaves are as packed with nutrients as vitamin pills: they contain vitamins A, C and K in amounts higher than garden tomatoes: moreover they contain calcium, iron, manganese, and potassium. Like many leafy greens, they are most tender when the plant is young. They can be used in salads, smoothies, sautéed, or in soups.
The flower heads can be eaten in a lightly fried batter, or they can be made into a simple wine with the flowers by fermenting them with raisins and yeast. The dandelion root can be roasted, or ground and brewed like coffee. It may be a little bitter, so stevia or honey can be used to sweeten it. I have also steeped the root for tea.
Another remarkable plant is Purslane. To my eye, it looks like a sort of succulent plant with chubby leaves. You will need to do a quick search on the Internet for photos of this and other plants, if you do not already know how they look. Purslane is most known for Omega-3 Fatty acids. Yes, that’s the same healthy fatty acids so often raved about in cold-water fish such as salmon. Purslans is commonly found growing in cracks in the sidewalk. It has a lemony taste. The stems, leaves and flowers are all edible; they can be eaten raw on salads or lightly sautéed. You can transplant Purslane from your sidewalk to your garden if you do not find it naturally in your yard. My preference is to harvest it where you find it whenever possible. It has obviously found good reason to grow there.
Be advised that Purslane is a plant who has a similar looking cousin: spurge. However, spurge is much thinner than Purslane, and it contains a milky sap, and can easily be distinguished.
Lamb’s-quarters are like spinach,but are healthier, tastier and easier to grow. They have little green leaves with jagged looking edges. The leaves are slightly velvety with a fine white powder on their underside. The leaves and younger stems can be briefly boiled or sautéed. They taste like a combination of spinach and Swiss chard, with a light nutty aftertaste. A cup serving has 10 times the recommended daily dose of vitamin K, three times the recommendation of vitamin A, a huge amount of vitamin C, and half the daily recommendation of calcium and magnesium.
Plantains seem to be everywhere, at least in my region of southwestern Pennsylvania. They are large, shiny green leaves that can get tough when they mature, so I look for them on the younger side. It is a similar superstar to dandelion: loaded with iron, vitamins and minerals. The shoots are edible when young and tender, and less than about four inches. They can be quickly sautéed. They have a a nutty, asparagus-like taste.
Stinging Nettles sound like something you would want to avoid. They do indeed have sharp pins on the leaves. However, if you harvest them with gloves, they are a superstar of free nutrition. The needles fall off when steamed or boiled. They taste a bit like spinach, but more flavorful and more healthy. Did I say that? YES. More healthy than Popeye’s spinach! They are loaded with essential minerals, including iodine, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, silica and sulfur. Nettles also have more protein than most plants. They are also very nutritious in soup or as a tea because many of their vitamins are water-soluble.
These are but five of perhaps a hundred plants around you with superstar nutritional value. In a future column, I would like to address wild mushrooms and wild berries and fruits. I would like to see free classes offered to homeless people and to people below the poverty line in identifying and harvesting free wild plants. We may very well put a significant dent in both the average health condition, and the standard of living of at least two economic classes who really need the help.
If you would like more information on gathering and identifying local edible plants, you might look up your local Extension Service. Many colleges with agriculture programs offer this service. West Virginia University is one of them, for those of you local to Greene County.