Wild Spinach
August 26, 2009
I know, I know, I’m posting a lot about edible weeds and native foods these days but it is that time of year when our gardens and farms are the least productive here in Central Texas. So, here’s another recipe for lamb’s quarter or wild spinach. Also, you can check out my last article about lamb’s quarter in Edible Austin. My husband, Chris Sheffield, took this picture of the dew-covered lamb’s quarter leaves. Notice how the leaves look dusted with a white powder? On some varieties of lamb’s quarter, you might find a purple dust. If you’d like to enjoy lambs quarter and other edible weeds in your garden next year (and for many years beyond), now is a good time to collect seeds and spread them in your own garden.
Texas Persimmons are Ripe
August 23, 2009
As an organic gardener, I pay attention to what is going on in the natural world around me. I look to the wild for understanding, inspiration and sometimes food. In this historic drought, I am reminded that native edible plants will survive and produce, even without water. They may not thrive (I noticed the persimmons are all much smaller this year) but the trees I was picking from were loaded with ripe, delicious prune-tasting persimmons. The Texas persimmon tree (Diospyros texana) is easy to find in nurseries and fits beautifully into a native, edible landscape. Though it is slow-growing, its multi-trunking, semi-evergreen habit is perfect for a screen tree, under power lines (since it is small to medium-sized) or as a afternoon-shade tree (because some of our veggies could use some afternoon shade) planted on the western end of your vegetable garden. If you are interested in a fruiting tree, make sure you find a female!
Persimmons on the branch
Joe Henry, Amy and Kita (the dog) harvest persimmons
Persimmon Harvest in the Bag
How to eat a Texas Persimmon: Squeeze the juicy, pulpy caramel-colored insides out of the skin and into your mouth. Suck all the goodness off around the seeds and spit them out like watermelon seeds. Your face (and hands and fingers) might look like this when you are done eating (especially if you’re a 3-year-old):
Purslane
August 18, 2009
OK, I promised more detailed descriptions and recipes for the edible weeds in my last post so here goes:
Purslane
This low-growing, octopus-looking annual succulent is deliciously tart when eaten raw. You can eat the leaves, stems and flowers in salads, on sandwiches or as a tasty snack while working in the garden. It does contain oxalic acid – about the same amount as spinach – so I don’t recommend eating entire meals of purslane but you can certainly make this a regular part of your diet and get all the great nutritional benefits (loads of Vitamin A, for instance, and iron and Vitamin C) too. You can also steam, boil, saute, fry and even pickle the entire plant. Yum! A friend who frequents the farmstand at Boggy Creek Farm in East Austin said that they sell purslane, amaranth and lamb’s quarter at their market this time of year so if you can’t find these prolific weeds growing in your own garden, you can purchase them locally at the farm!
Edible Weeds
August 11, 2009
You might be able to find these edible weeds in your gardens now – you can eat the leaves (and some flowers and stems) raw or cooked. They are delicious and often more nutritious than your cultivated veggies anyway!
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)**
Oxalis or Wood Sorrel (Oxalis spp.)
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Lamb’s Quarter or Wild Spinach (Chenopodium album)
Amaranth or Pigweed (Amaranthus spp.)
** I will post descriptions and recipes soon!
Edible Yard Inspiration II
August 7, 2009
Here’s another edible landscape from our trip to Ohio:
Onions are planted in front of one of the cutest, most creative strawbale cottages ever! Onions, garlic and leeks are a fabulous and spikey addition to any edible landscape. Their foliage and flowers are beautiful and add lots of green color to the landscape and food for the table throughout the fall, winter and early spring in Central Texas.
This strawbale house exists as a sustainability demonstration project at the George Jones Memorial Farm of Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. The yard is average-sized and contains a series of lovely, raised bed vegetable and fruit gardens lined with native stone.
Garlic is hung to cure (or dry) inside the strawbale house which also serves as the farm office
Onions curing on a metal table inside the house
