Kitchen Garden Forum

we was munching our salad last night, when my daughter suddenly stopped looked at here plate and asked what it was she was eating.... it was mainly chickweed and dandelion with a dash of mitzuma and pac choi, all of which happilly looks after themselves if you let a few go to seed in the tunnel and just hoe off the excess.

nettles are the only other "weed" that we normally eat, though at a pinch we could include wild blackberries. Does anybody have any other edible weeds that they eat?

Hi Richard,
I know that this is not strictly wild but I eat Scorzonera Flowers in Season. The flower head that is just fattening up to flower plus about 4" of stalk, which is really only used for tying in bundles to steam and hold up to your mouth. I grew some years ago as it was said to fox Carrot Fly and it somehow escaped into the hedges and now grows wild in the hedge margins. Super taste not unlike Asparagus.
Steam and drizzle with melted butter!
The other one you might try, which is truly wild, is Fat Hen tips when they are young. When young the top 3"-4" steamed are a good alternative to Spinach.
JB.

Yes indeed! One in particular RAMSONS

Just about ready locally and we hope to be picking this week.

Young leaves and, later, flower heads in salad
Leaves very lightly steamed
Nettle and Ramsons soup (Recipe here.

Ground elder - we had loads of it when we lived in Scotland, couldn't get rid of it. I just used to saute it in a little butter with salt and black pepper - delicious!

You can eat ground elder!

Hi Marge,
A friend of mine makes ersatz coffee with Ground Elder roots. Surprisingly it is quite pleasant as a drink but where she got the idea about coffee I know not.
JB.

How do they make Camp Coffee? Is that with roots? If so it could have given her the idea

Hi Chantal,
Thinking about it you could be right. She also made coffee from Dandelion Roots which the Germans did during the War. I think Camp Coffee is made from Chicory roots. She was a great experimenter with all manner of things. Sadly she is no longer with us so it's not possible to enquire. Was it one experiment too many d'ya think?
JB.

If only we could find a recipe for bindweed roots.

...I have plenty. Penny

Not edible weeds, but a few very young blackcurrant leaves mixed in with a green salad make an interesting flavour addition.