Eat Your (Spring) Greens!

You know spring has finally sprung when you go to inspect the veg plot and discover all of your carefully prepared beds covered in little sprouting seedlings - but they're weeds. For most of us the resumption of this annual battle of wits with nature can be a source of extreme irritation. But instead of laboriously rooting them out and resorting to the compost heap, allow me to suggest a much more satisfying way to get even.

I have a charming book written by an equally charmingly named lady (Audrey Wynne-Hatfield) called 'How To Enjoy Your Weeds', and she's not just talking about letting go and allowing your garden to become a wildlife paradise, she's talking about eating them. Published in 1969, well before there was any real fashion for wild foods, Mrs Wynne-Hatfield was encouraging gardeners everywhere to appreciate and use the bounty that arose easily and unbidden into all but the most carefully maintained of gardens.

Slightly batty in a very British sort of way? Perhaps. But speaking as a forager I have to confess that especially at this time of year I entirely approve of her idea. Step out into your garden and look carefully around and you may be able to spot many choice wild nibbles growing right under your nose. Now, what could be better for a forager than being able to do so literally on their own doorstep? No lengthy walks around the hedgerows required, enjoyable though they may be. No permission required other than your own. No competition for resources with the local wildlife, this is foraging at its most conscientious and environmentally minded. So, grab a little bowl or basket and a pair of scissors or sharp, short-bladed knife and join me out there in your garden, where I'll demonstrate.

Let's look around. What can you see? Yes. Well, if your garden is anything like mine dandelions are a pretty safe bet for starters! At this time of year, the rosettes are going to be small and compact with no flowers. Perfect, in fact, for grubbing out wholesale and putting into our basket because we're going to make a spring salad from wild leaves, and dandelions are the first ingredient. ‘But aren't they bitter?' I hear you ask. And what was it that you remember about them causing nocturnal embarrassment? True, we have the French to thank for the slightly unromantic name 'Pissenlit' (literally 'wet the bed') describing their diuretic properties but you'll be glad to hear that I'm not advocating that you eat great handfuls of the stuff. Just a few of the choicest small, fresh, young leaves which while mildly bitter are really no more sharp than endive in flavour. Besides, we're not done yet otherwise this would be a very poor kind of spring salad. So let's continue and see what else there is to find.

How about some chickweed? Most of us are familiar with this sprawling, deceptively fragile and skinny-limbed little invader with its surprisingly tough though hair-fine roots. Our family knows it as lace-root, thanks to the way that it tenaciously clings to the soil in spite of its delicate appearance. Look out for a good sized verdant clump that's not too leggy and we'll add it to our haul. Mrs Wynne-Hatfield asserts that it is rich in copper and highly beneficial to man, beast and bird. But you may be more surprised at its pleasantly fresh, grassy green flavour which will add balance to the bitterness of the dandelion. Trust me, you'll like this salad when we're done!

Look out next for the slightly oval strap-shaped glossy leaves that form the rosettes of young willowherb. Take care over your identification and only go for those that are under an inch long, as anything larger may possibly be quite bitter to the taste. The small ones, though, are very acceptable. Take out the rosettes in their entirety and pop them into the basket with our other greens. Young willowherb isn't spectacularly flavoursome, but it is an easy find and will add a little useful bulk and texture to our salad.

So, moving swiftly on! You're now looking for hairy bittercress, one of the absolute edible stars among the array of so-called garden weeds. Most gardeners hate its pernicious habits because once established it is hard to be rid of on account of the explosive nature of the seedpods - but if I told you that a bunch of it was easily as tasty as young watercress (for which you may pay a good deal at the greengrocer's) would you be kinder to it if you were lucky enough to have some turn up on your plot? Hairy bittercress is neither bitter nor hairy and I actively encourage it in my garden where it thrives in out-of-the-way crevices or on otherwise bare-ish ground. I let the seeds fall where they may, as it has too good a flavour to miss. If you can, look out for the biggest, really lush rosettes and leave the smaller ones to grow on to your benefit.

OK, so we now have four different wild 'weeds' in our basket which is actually ample to make a nice simple spring salad to feed one. To this I would also add a few sprigs of two more tasty wild spring leaves, this time with onion and garlic overtones: that is, ramsons and/or three cornered leek (if you are lucky enough to have either of them in your garden - although they can be invasive so most gardeners might disagree with me!). Now, if you have everything, let's take the basket back to the house now and pick over and wash our booty.

Give everything a thorough rinse, taking care to get any soil out of the rosettes and then pick over the leaves for the choicest specimens discarding any that are yellowing or obviously damaged. Over a bowl, take your knife or scissors and trim away the roots so that the leaves are now individual and loose. Cut or snip away any white bases (especially on the dandelions as these will be especially bitter) and shred the three cornered leek and ramsons. Lightly mix all the leaves so that you have a good blending of the flavours. Drizzle with a light vinagrette, and feel free to add fine slivers of red pepper and carrot for even more colour and texture if you wish. I also tend to add a few pinches of grated or shaved parmesan and then sit down to enjoy the first wild spring leaf salad of the year.

There are still more safely edible wild greens available during the spring. Look out for young hawthorn leaves, young, soft and glutinous lime leaves, fat hen, smooth sow thistle (the large fleshy leaves are especially good) and many more, all of which will make tasty additions to a salad. Be sure to use a clear well illustrated wild food guide to help you to accurately identify those that you can safely eat - and enjoy!

Carol

Photos (c) Carol Hunt 2009

Our affiliate merchant AMAZON has lots of books for sale around this subject. The Big Green Idea is paid a commission if you choose to buy via our links. These are not recommendations by the author and are chosen purely to give a representation.