Chickweed

[poliphilo]

We sauteed the chickweed but before it went in the frying pan I ate a sprig raw and really I think it's better that way. As a cooked veg it becomes mushy and generic but as a salad item it tastes quite intensely green- viridian even.

Who knew chickweed was so good to eat? Well, our great, great grandparents did- and we've forgotten. We've forgotten so much.

Comments

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

It is good!

So are nettles and hop shoots.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've cooked with nettles. Hop shoots are yet to come my way.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

They make a great salad veg when picked young- slightly bitter and astringent and they work well with milder salads like lambs lettuce and chard.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'll look out for them.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

You may have to look for freebie wild ones in the hedgerows as I've never seen them on sale.

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

I don't think I've ever tried chickweed, though last year it would have been a major crop in my vegetable garden!

And of course it's also a very attractive salad green, really, so I'll definitely try it out this year. (I can't see it being attractive when cooked, though - not many soft greens are.)

(Now you have me looking forward to the first tender shoots of ground elder - and sweet, fresh beech leaves!)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

You can eat beech leaves? Now that I didn't know!

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

You can eat all beech leaves, but they're only nice if they're completely newly sprung - otherwise they're a bit like chewing on parchment. The completely fresh, lime green leaves, though, are rather tender and has a bit of a sweetness to them in my opinion. So the season tends to be only a couple of days, really.

I suspect the more mature leaves won't be nice even if cooked; they're too fibrous and have lost that sweetness of fresh shoots.

(My mother has taught me a lot about what's edible and what's not. I grew up with nasturtiums and marigolds in the salad bowl when I was a kid...)