Evening star., 1948-03-14
Hunting Wild, Edible Greens
Tender and Mild in Flavor, They Rival
Varieties That Haven't Escaped
By w. H. Younqmon

harvested was planted or is an
escape" Originally it was cultivat-
ed but it has escaped and may now
be found growing over much of
Eastern North America. The tender
young shoots are more commonly
used in salads than as a cooked
green.
Milkweed Shoots Usable.
The pink milkweed shoots; may be
used, like the pokeweed, as q substi-
tute for asparagus. Unless one has
marked a clump of these weeds It
may not be easy to find and harvest
them while they are young and ten
der.
Curly dock and garden sorrel are
two members of the dock family
that are useful as greens. Both
throw up strong young shoots In the
early spring that may be cut when
4 to 6 inches tall. They are normal
ly cooked as green's.
Lambs quarter, an annual weed
used for green's, is sometimes called
pigweed. A few of the species Of
this family are grown for orna-
ment; some are mentioned among
the pot-herbs, but the common
lambs quarter Is a very good substi-
tute for spinach If pulled young
enough.
Green amaranth is another plant
that is sometimes called pigweed.
1t is succulent plant that makes a
good green and according to some,
the water in which the leaves are
cooked makes a good soup. 1t Is
close relative to the so-called Tam
pala. The seeds of the green am
aranth are used by some for making
a meal, but as we are interested IN
greens, we shall note that when
cooked the leaves are rather bland
and preferably should be mixed
with those having stronger flavor.
Portulaca for Salads.
Still another weed with the nick
name pigweed is the portulaca or
purslane, that is commonly used IN
salads and as a green. In Europe
it is cultivated as a salad plant. We
grow it as flower. But we do not
need to cultivate it for 1t grows
luxuriantly in our gardens. The
sprawling fleshy stems and leaves
are rapid growers and should be
tender. Purslane has been used as
vegetable since early times.
Field mustard, strictly speaking, is
cultivated crop, but because 1t
has escaped and may be seen grow
ing wild we shall include it among
our weeds suitable for cooking. The
young rosettes are useful in salads
or cooked as a green.
The 10 weeds here listed are only
a. few of the many that are native
to this region which may be en-
ployed in one way or another as
food. Even the wild garlic that in
tests our lawns may be used for
flavor, although a little goes long
way. The leaves of the violet may
be cooked-yes, fried brown and
eaten with lemon or orange juice
and sugar-it's an old-time recipe.
What-Skunk Cabbage?
The cooking of violet leaves may
sound far = fetched, but the same
reference mentions cooking skunk
cabbage which to me is going sew
eral steps further.
In using wild greens the tendency
is to get them when they are get
ting rather strong favored. This
may be overcome by several changes
of water, although here again much
of the value is lost. It is better to
gather these green's while they are
young, tender and mild favored.
In these days when food is upper
most in the minds of most of the
people In the world 1t might add
zest to life to go adventuring in
this field Of greens"