Wild Salad from Spring Greens
"One man's weed is another mans cuisine."
Springtime is the right time, here in the south, to gather those greens! Take a walk on the wild salad, as it were. Although GREEN really doesn't describe a wild salad very well, because they can be quite colorful. Many of the wild flowers blooming right now are edible and quite tasty, not to mention very good for you! Always gather your salad fixins early in the morning, while the dew is still on the plants. This is to insure that they will be fresh and crispy. Rinse them in two changes of cold water and keep them refrigerated, some will keep for days.
Caution must be advised however, know what you are gathering.
Wild Salad Suggestions : Edible Plants
Violets-flowers and leaves are edible.
Dandelions-flowers and leaves, and try battering and deep-frying the flowers, then just toss them right in.
Watercress- young leaves only and not a large amount to one salad, they are strong tasting and packed with vitamins as well as minerals.
Young Yarrow leaves add a sage taste to the salad.
Wild Carrot leaves and roots are tender and tasty right now. Spring Beauty leaves, flowers and root or corm has a pleasant nutty flavor high in vitamins A and C.
Lyre-leaved sage is not very strong tasting, and has a rather pleasant minty flavor, fresh young leaves are edible in salads colorful too, adding reddish tint.
Chickweeds are very nutritious and easy to find in abundance. Purple Dead Nettle (dead because it doesn?t sting) plants tops are tender and have purple flowers to spruce up your salad. Hey! Having trouble with those spring allergies, try some
Ground ivy in that salad it will work on those mucus membranes that are so inflamed, also very pretty and has a light taste, very agreeable in salads.
Spearmint, young sprouts are coming up right now, and talk about tasty, just right to top off a salad, and for a refreshing cool drink on the side! YUMMM! I know what?s for supper tonight!
Author - Deb Jackson Stewart, Tennessee
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