For this report I only traveled a few miles from home. We went to a free seminar a couple of evenings ago in Mt Vernon, titled Eating Wild, presented by ASPI (Appalachia – Science in the Public Interest.) The approximately twenty people in attendance learned about many common edible plants that grow in Southeast Kentucky. We also were treated to some very tasty recipes which included these plants.
Most folks probably don’t think of weeds as a food source, but consider that our ancestors survived on these “weeds” until only a few generations ago. Back in the days when folks valued good nutrition above a manicured lawn, these weeds were common table fare. I have fond memories of collecting “greens” out in the yard with my grandmother.
When you weigh the dozens of varieties of edible weeds against the very limited variety of vegetables in the grocery, and consider that those vegetables were hybridized to produce bigger and faster crops with lower nutrition, the reason to eat wild seems obvious. Due to hybridization and genetic modification of crops, the nutritional value of our grandparents’ veggies was greater than our modern varieties. The lower nutrition and uncertain side effects of GMO foods has prompted many people to use only Heirloom plants in their vegetable gardens.
purslane
At the A-SPI seminar, the Purslane salad was interesting. This is a salad of onion, tomatoes, summer squash, cucumbers, beans, and purslane (a.k.a. pigweed.)
Hubby’s favorite was the Lamb’s Quarters Quiche, which was
Lambs-Quarters
just like Quiche Florentine with Lamb’s Quarters instead of spinach. As a matter of fact, Lamb’s Quarters is sometimes called Wild Spinach. My favorite treat of the evening was the Lamb’s Quarters fritters. A fried pancake.
We also had fresh paw-paws, a favorite of my youth.
fresh pawpaws
I remember eating them every summer at my Mamaw’s house. I hadn’t eaten one in years. The good ladies at the A-SPI seminar also made a paw-paw cake with homemade cream cheese frosting, which my husband particularly enjoyed. The cook said she simply substituted paw-paw in a banana cake recipe.
map of Southeast Kentucky counties
If you like Fruit Roll-Ups then you probably would have enjoyed the homemade Autumn Olive fruit leather, tart and flavorful, and packed with vitamins and anti-oxidants, containing much more lycopene than tomatoes. Although Autumn Olive originated in Asia, brought to the US in the early 1800s, it is considered an invasive plant today. Therefore I wouldn’t recommend planting it. There are many places it grows in the wild throughout Kentucky, especially in the Southeastern counties.
All the yummy food we had at the seminar was accompanied by Sassafras Tea and Nettle Tea. Sassafras Tea is another yummy memory from my childhood. I remember the days when Sassafras Tea was a treat that we looked forward to each year. Again, I wasn’t disappointed. The Nettle Tea was a new experience for me. I was pleasantly surprised at its delicate flavor. I even had seconds!
cattail
We also learned about other Kentucky edible weeds–
Cattail: All parts of this plant are edible. Even the pollen can be used as flour in pancakes.
Clover: This plant is found in virtually every lawn and grassy field around.
white clover
The white and red varieties are both edible. Roots and rhizomes can be eaten raw or boiled. Dried flower heads make a tasty tea.
field of thistles
Thistle: The young stalks can be boiled and eaten. Root can be eaten raw or cooked.
broad leaf plantain
Plantain: A common weed in lawns,
narrow leaf plantain
the young leaves can be used raw in salads, cooked in a pot or as part of a recipe. The seeds can also be dried and ground for use as flour. I have both the broad leaf and the narrow leaf varieties in my yard.
I’ve barely scratched the surface of the mountain of edible plants in our beautiful, bountiful state of Kentucky. I simply want to introduce you to eating wild, and the abundant resource that awaits you right out your back door. By no means should you read this article and think you are ready to eat wild. Be an informed forager!
Some plants can make you sick or even kill you. Some poisonous plants mimic the edible ones. One example is Wild Carrot and Poison Hemlock. Some plants have both edible and poisonous varieties in their family tree. Also consider that you might have allergies to unfamiliar foods, so eat only small quantities at first. Get help from a knowledgeable forager, or buy a reputable book that can teach you how to recognize safe edible plants. Many universities have reliable information on the web. *Do I really have to tell you to beware of “experts” on the internet?*
Some reliable books to get you started are– ‘Stalking the Wild Asparagus’ by Euell Gibbons. ‘The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Nuts’ by Katie Letcher Lyle. ‘Feasting Free on Wild Edibles’ by Bradford Angier.
Although this article is about the food value of weeds, I want to mention that many edible weeds also have medicinal properties. Yet another reason to love weeds!
Happy foraging!
