Foraging for spring’s green tonic

“Limited supply of Lambs Quarter. E-mail for prices.”

Oh, my.

Can you imagine selling our most precious weeds online? Only someone from Missouri could think this up. But, why not sell the stuff nature’s pumping out of the ground right now?

Wild forage is a legitimate business in other parts of the world.

I don’t know about you, but, I’ve got a bumper crop of nettles, dandelion, fireweed, cucumber berry, fiddle-heads, lambs quarter, chickweed, plantain and the like just waiting for me to get up a pan of stir fry for dinner.

Still on the mend from some flu-like infestation that won’t let me get to my garden. I’ve been thinking about those spring tonics growing �” like the weeds they are �” in my garden.

Right about now a miracle tonic is just what the doctor ordered. Vitamins A, C, E and the minerals iron, calcium, and potassium found in these early wild and weedy greens were a boon to the early settlers in spring. Nettles contain approximately 2900 mg. chickweed 1210 mg. calcium per 100 grams compared to 206 mg. for kale. We’re fortunate in our northerly latitudes to have plenty of these to choose from even though most of us are busy trying to eradicate them from our yards.

An old recipe for spring tonic is to make a vinegar infusion from nettles which are purported to have a natural antihistamine. Fill a quart jar loosely with young nettles, leaving an inch of headroom in the jar. Cover with organic cider vinegar and store at room temperature for six weeks. Strain and add a spoonful of honey to a glass with vinegar and water for a tonic. You can also use this as salad dressing or a marinade. Wear gloves to pick nettles as they sting. Cooking quickly takes the sting out of them.

I know those dandelions just make you want to kill weeds. But, you’ll love their young greens wilted in a touch of bacon fat, served with a splash of balsamic vinegar and crumpled bacon. These greens work well in soups, with potatoes, and stir fry. Later you can toss their flower buds into salads, stir fry, or turn them into a delicious dry sparkling wine. And you don’t have to pay premium gourmet organic prices for these exotic greens!

My favorite early spring dish is a stir fry with split cucumber berry stalks, dandelion greens, nettles, and fireweed shoots. These are ready right now for eating. Saut�© quickly in sesame oil and minced garlic, splash on a touch of soy sauce, and serve with steamed brown rice. I like to stir fry some thinly sliced pork or chicken in some sesame oil, a tablespoon black bean sauce, 1/2 tsp. garlic chili sauce, some honey or maple syrup, a splash of white wine, and more minced garlic. Delicious served with the greens.

As different spring greens show up I just add them to the mix. If you’re using fiddle-heads you should cook them first as they take a bit longer. Cucumber berry shoots should be no longer than a few inches and are easier to cook if you split them lengthwise.

There are plenty of resources for learning about wild foraging. For medicinal information the University of Maryland ’s Medical Center has a comprehensive website (Umm.edu/altmed) .Wisconsin herbalist Rose Barlow’s website has a collection of fabulous gourmet recipes that will make your mouth water, www.prodigalgardens.info/index.htm. Find out everything about foraging from the academic to the backyard specialist at these interesting websites: Foraging.com, Wildroots.org, and Dr. Peter Gail’s Goosefootacres.blogspot.com.

Janice Schofield’s book Alaska ’s Wild Plants: A Guide to Alaska ’s Edible Harvest, Alaska Northwest Books, 2003, should be on every Alaskan gardener’s bookshelf. Consider it a treasure. If you lend this one out you’ll never see it again.

So, while you’re waiting for the kitchen garden to grow, take a walk on the wild side and stalk for groceries. Weeds are tenacious and a good source of nutrition. If your kids won’t eat spinach they’ll love lambs quarters wilted in butter. Wild greens are considered a gourmet green by European standards. The Italians have bred several gourmet varieties of dandelions. You can buy Catalogna Frastagliata, Clio, and Red Rib from Johhny’s Select Seeds. No kidding. But, who needs to buy seeds when they’re free and abundant everywhere you look.

Stay healthy and eat your weeds.

The Welsh have an old rhyme that says it all:

� 

Drink Nettle Tea in March

Drink Mugwort Tea in May

Drink Cowslip Wine in June

To send decline away.

Brooke Heppinstall, artist and gardener, is the owner of Wool Wood Studio & Gardens, an art studio and nursery specializing in Alaska-grown perennials and shrubs. Visit online at Woolwood.blogspot.com.