With all the rain we’ve had, unusual for this time of year in Denver, the most delicious greens are available for the picking! A group of Urban Foragers joined me on Saturday to find out what was available to eat right now. We found so many delicious plants, we hardly left the backyard of People House at Federal and 25th Ave! Even though we found over a dozen different plants of interest, next month we’ll expand our search to another part of this neighborhood. I’d like to share a recipe with you for the greens you pick. Today I’m focusing on Dandelion Greens because you all know what they are, and they can even be bought at some grocery stores if you don’t have time to bend over and pick your own.
Sauteed Greens:
Saute chopped onion, garlic, and a hot dried pepper if you like until soft, add washed, chopped dandelion greens and any other greens you have on hand (Dock, kale, escarole, collard greens, etc). Stir them into
the hot oil until wilted and bright green. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and serve with a splash of your favorite vinegar. Enjoy!
If you want to know what wild edibles grow around your home, I can do a walk with you and your neighbors. Just contact me! I also love to take older school children, all sorts of groups, and gardeners who would rather eat the ‘weeds’ they pull than just throw them out!
The first one is Chickweed. This little low growing plant is very tender and doesn’t last long here on the Front Range unless it gets regular moisture. So look for it where it is relatively sheltered and damp still during the Spring. If you were back East, it is sometimes considered a pest plant because it is so prolific. Not here, except in tiny moist eco-niches. It is too dry and in many places the soil is too sandy. Chickweed is a delicious little addition to a salad and some think it has a taste similar to beet greens. If there is a ‘bite’ to the plant, it is more on the lemony side, not bitter. All the aerial parts are edible after careful washing. It is also an amazing addition to salves for rashes and scrapes and you can just chew it a bit and put it right on a rash if you are outside and it is available.
My other yummy plant today is curly or yellow Dock. It is a fast growing plant that in some places has already put up a flower stalk. The leaves are quite spinach like and can be used as a quick cooking green. The ribs can be removed on the larger leaves or left on. They are a bit chewy but good. The leaves can also be used for roll-ups or wraps if you steam them for a minute to make them a little more flexible. Just cover one side of the leaf with filling and roll up! Delicious! Many people used to pick Dock on the way home from work to have fresh greens for supper. That’s still a good idea.
