Eating the yard!

I have long known that some "weeds" are edible.

Two that I have used regularly over the years are Dandelions and wild onions.

Dandelions can be used in many ways! The young leaves are good as salad greens or as cooked greens like spinach. The petals of the flowers make a pretty salad garnish and can be used to make wine (which I have never done). The roots of young dandelions can be roasted, ground and used to stretch coffee or as a coffee substitute.

Wild onions can be used as you would green onions or chives. You don't want to use the older ones, but when new ones sprout, instead of spraying them, pull them and dice the green leaves and use as you would chives. Old green onions are though.

Part of what got me going on weeds is that I have been seeing all these ads on TV with people bitching about dandelions in their yards. I have always left them alone, I think they are pretty & I can eat them. Dandelions were introduced into the USA as a food crop. I don't really know why so many people use herbicides in their yards. Many of the weeds they are killing can be eaten, and if you forage your yard, you will keep the weeds controlled and reduce your produce budget in one feel swoop!

Yesterday, after I saw one too many "I hate dandelions" commercial, I decided to do some web searching on edible weeds. I was surprised at how many there are. There was one that grows all over my back yard that is very healthy and having tested it yesterday, I found it tasty with a good texture. Lambsquarters grows all over my back yard.. It is higher in vitamins A, B & C than Spinach, Dandelion Greens, Turnip Greens, Kale or many of the other salad & pot greens.

<----- Lambsquarters!

YUMMY & NUTRICIOUS

Wild Violets also have edible leaves and flowers and are tasty... DO NOT EAT THE ROOTS, They are POISON! The leaves of wild violets are good in salad too.... This is another one I hadn't tries until Yesterday.

Not only is eating your weeds better for the environment, it is less expensive than chemicals, and it saves on the grocery bill. If we better educated the poor about foraging, I think there would be fewer hungry people. Foraging should be taught in the schools! Maybe our churches could also offer classes in foraging!

Here is one of many good edible weed sites:

http://www.landscape-america.com/problems/weeds/edible.html

Happy Eating... Conrad