How it ever came to be that humans started killing "weeds" with chemicals and stopped using them for food I have no idea - somehow the veggies that couldn't last in a grocery aisle were pushed aside and forgotten. Some of these edible weeds are so common you'll feel wary of actually picking them to eat because we are so accustomed to mowing, spraying, and digging them up thinking they are a nuisance. Bort (pictured above) showed me how to prepare an outside fire made of dried branches and bamboo to cook on & we combined our edible plant skills to come up with this bitter sweet dish - all for FREE (the economy special)! Really for real, you can make a yummy stir fry for free with the plants in your yard... just make sure you never eat from a lawn that has been sprayed with any chems cause you will get sick, sick, sick.
The following are the foraged ingredients to the simple free weeds stir fry
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DANDELION (leaves & young flowers) - "While dandelions are considered as weeds by many gardeners, the plant has several culinary and medicinal uses. Like a nettle, the plant can be cooked and eaten in various forms, such as soup. The young leaves are eaten raw in salads while older leaves are usually cooked. Dandelion blossoms are also used to make dandelion wine. Dandelions are high in vitamin A and also are a source of vitamin C. Ground roasted dandelion root is used as a coffee substitute. Drunk before meals this is believed to stimulate digestive function and therefore prepare the system for food; this is sold in some health food stores, often in a mixture as Dandelion and Burdock. " (See a picture of it HERE.) -wikipedia
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CHICKWEED (leaves, stems, flowers) - "Vitamin rich chickweed can be steamed or cooked as an ingredient in soups, but probably the most popular culinary use is simply as an addition to green salads. Harvest the plants when they are lush, green, and full, including the tender stems, buds, and flowers, right along with the leaves, as they’re all edible. Chickweed is reputed to have many medicinal properties and is often recommended as a weight-loss aid and for skin irritations. In addition to using the fresh leaves, it can also be dried for use in making herbal teas." (See a picture of it HERE.) -veggie gardening tips
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PLANTAIN (leaves) - "The whole plant may be used. Young leaves in salad or as pot herb, The seeds are high in fiber and can be used in breads, as a grain, etc (may be slightly laxative) and may lower cholesterol. Herb uses range from a poultice/tea wash for wounds, cuts, insect bites, burns, stings, hemorrhoids and conjunctivitis., eczema -heals wounds both internally and externally...diarrhea, kidney and bladder disorders and is said to kill worms in the stomach or bowels." (See a picture of it HERE.) -tribe
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BAMBOO SHOOTS (young small shoots fresh out the ground) - "the edible shoots (new bamboo culms that come out of the ground) of bamboo species Bambusa vulgaris and Phyllostachys edulis. They are used in numerous Asian dishes and broths." (See a picture of it HERE.) -wikipedia
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To make the stir fry cook the bamboo shoots over some medium high heat until they get softer (around 5 minutes or more) and add in your greens & flowers last. You can cook them in either a tiny amount of water or in some olive oil - adding any salt or spices you love sometime in the middle of cooking. :)
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XOXO
1 comment:
Thank you for this wonderful post with its informative links!
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