I'm thinking many of you have a salad sitting in your wife's flowerbed right now...

[JP Z]

So when I was at my parent's house last night they kept feeding my kids these edible flowers.....I was a bit leery but after trying one was very peppery.....almost horseradishy.  This one was called Nasturium and pretty cool looked into it a bit more and heck I'm just thinking of all the recipes I can make from my mom's flower gardens.......right now she is blaming rabbits we won't tell her otherwise.....

This was the best page I found that listed them out and what parts of the flower were safe to eat.  Some may surprise you!

http://whatscookingamerica.net/EdibleFlowers/EdibleFlowersMain.htm

 

[pushbutton]

Also not so pretty edible things growing in the flowebed. We have been having fun with "old world greens" for a few three years now. The novelty fades as the season goes on as the spring shoots are by far the most tender, but some things like wood sorrel are getting big enough to bother and the pesto is awesome. Many of these weeds are absolutely loaded with vitamins and minerals and make spinach look like junk food. Just spent a few minutes picking for the pic.....included below are chickweed, plantain, dandelion, dock, and creeping charlie. Lambs quarter is pretty much done for the year, and didn't pick any purslane because didn't want to waste it.... it is truly nummy. Also, wild grape leaves are excellent for rolling up/ stuffing meaty, cheesy, ricey things in.

[JP Z]

Thanks PB, I've always been curious on the different wild greens.  Heck I've picked up a couple books just on them, but I still don't know purslane from Poison Ivy......I'll stick with Chanterelles and Lobsters.

[pushbutton]

Heck, you have stepped on all of those, but yes, eating poison ivy is not good. Just like shrooming,  after you put in a little time, it's far from rocket science. Your post got me thinking and just noticed the day lily's are flowering and will fry or stuff some up tonight  

[Stick in Mud]

Interesting thread.  I've got two books on the shelf about foraging wild edibles (non-mushroom variety) that I got for Christmas, but life's been busy this year, so I haven't had enough time to bring them in the field with me  Heck, apart from Quetico and BWCA mushroom picking, I haven't been out for...three weeks, maybe?...looking for mushrooms.  That'll change this week, though, I assure you.  I'm heading up to the north woods for some solo hiking, gear testing (got lots of new stuff from the wedding ), beer tasting (I wonder why I skimp ounces on titanium pots yet carry 64 oz of beer into the woods just for me), and general woodsy tomfoolery.  Gotta get away from the wife!!  

[delcecchi]

Also not so pretty edible things growing in the flowebed. We have been having fun with "old world greens" for a few three years now. The novelty fades as the season goes on as the spring shoots are by far the most tender, but some things like wood sorrel are getting big enough to bother and the pesto is awesome. Many of these weeds are absolutely loaded with vitamins and minerals and make spinach look like junk food. Just spent a few minutes picking for the pic.....included below are chickweed, plantain, dandelion, dock, and creeping charlie. Lambs quarter is pretty much done for the year, and didn't pick any purslane because didn't want to waste it.... it is truly nummy. Also, wild grape leaves are excellent for rolling up/ stuffing meaty, cheesy, ricey things in.

Any hints on whattour do with that stuff?  My lawn in Rochester is practically a plantain and creeping Charley farm, so if there is something better to do with them than dousing with 2,4-D, I could use some ideas.

Besides, I haven't found anything that works on creeping Charley yet. 

[pushbutton]

Lmao.....figures Stick gets to go on his honeymoon with 3 women. Did you bring enough Boones Farm?

Del, you just have to get creative. A little more so for plantain and creeping charlie. Plantain is great for "kale chip" thingies.... has some pretty tough ribs later in the year though. Charlie was the original "hop" in the earlier human distillery industry. It is a interesting taste for sure.... a little minty a little bitter....a little funky. Good in teas.....really good combined in a chilled sumacade. For sure put the flowers in salads. ......but no, you won't be eating those two out of existence. Think your best bet is goats or napalm... or maybe start up a new hop alternative to kitchi hipster brewers.

Sorrel and dock are both tart and are great in anything that calls for a lemon citrus type flavor. Fresh on a salad, a green compliment, and as mentioned....pestos. Actually most of these weeds will pesto up great singularly or in combination......then just add to taters, veggies, pastas, etc. Hard to tell the difference between lambs quarter and spinach. Have put young chickweed in a mango black bean corn chutney type salad .....as itself is a little "corney" and blends well. Purslane is excellent fresh or in some type of vinegar oil dressing. And just because.....once every spring do that old school bacon/ bacon grease a little vinegar a little sugar dandelion salad. We have recently been updating it with a little grated parm.....

[Stick in Mud]

Lmao.....figures Stick gets to go on his honeymoon with 3 women. Did you bring enough Boones Farm?

Del, you just have to get creative. A little more so for plantain and creeping charlie. Plantain is great for "kale chip" thingies.... has some pretty tough ribs later in the year though. Charlie was the original "hop" in the earlier human distillery industry. It is a interesting taste for sure.... a little minty a little bitter....a little funky. Good in teas.....really good combined in a chilled sumacade. For sure put the flowers in salads. ......but no, you won't be eating those two out of existence. Think your best bet is goats or napalm... or maybe start up a new hop alternative to kitchi hipster brewers.

Sorrel and dock are both tart and are great in anything that calls for a lemon citrus type flavor. Fresh on a salad, a green compliment, and as mentioned....pestos. Actually most of these weeds will pesto up great singularly or in combination......then just add to taters, veggies, pastas, etc. Hard to tell the difference between lambs quarter and spinach. Have put young chickweed in a mango black bean corn chutney type salad .....as itself is a little "corney" and blends well. Purslane is excellent fresh or in some type of vinegar oil dressing. And just because.....once every spring do that old school bacon/ bacon grease a little vinegar a little sugar dandelion salad. We have recently been updating it with a little grated parm.....

Yeah, it figures....spend years doing my best to get girls to go with me to the BWCA, and when I finally get ball-and-chained, two canoes are needed to fit them all.  And don't forget the Pheasant Menace. That's the one on the left.  

 

[pushbutton]

Got something for ya Del, as far as the plantain anyway. The Mrs. P had a poison something rash that was spreading. Aloe, topical benedryl, hydrocortisone all noneffective, and the aloe seemed to actually make it even worse. Was too lazy to drive two miles to pick up calamine,  so tried a plantain poultice. Lots of Google info lauding anti fungal, anti bacterial, anti inflammatory properties , but after one application can attest that it truly does work. 12 hours later while not magically gone, has seemed to stop the spread and is "drying" it up. Again don't know actually what it is treating....oak, ivy, parsnip, ect........but think a good way for you to get rid of a bunch and possibly monetize this , would be for you to expose your self to these various plant critters and possibly isolate its relative effectivness. Then who knows ....maybe a late night infomercial or a Del Dodge of Wakemup spinoff.