May, 11 2011
Spring is the season of free and next to free foods. I often hear the statement that it is expensive to eat well. That need not be the case. If you have the time to do some research and do not mind getting outside to enjoy nature and get some exercise you can have free food. Fiddleheads and Dandelion greens can be completely free and may even grow in your backyard. I do not know of too many lawns that are completely dandelion free so instead of tossing the greens, crowns and roots eat them. Nutrient rich Dandelion greens and crowns can be enjoyed raw, sautéed, in soups, stir fries, meat and vegetable dishes and many other ways. Feel free to experiment. Pick the dandelion greens and crowns before they flower to reduce bitterness. The small, tender leaves are the tastiest. Often the roots are roasted to make a ‘coffee’ like warm beverage. This bitter, nutrient rich beverage is thought to stimulate digestion. When gathering roots from dandelions you will have to dig quite far. Sometimes I can hardly believe the length of dandelion roots.
You can always purchase fiddleheads, however you can enjoy them at their freshest when you pluck them yourself. Obtaining your own food enables you to get personal with what you are eating. You can select the very produce you eat and teach your children the satisfaction of gathering your own foods. Fiddleheads are a free treat that simply require a little time identifying and picking. If you haven’t picked fiddleheads before it’s very important to do some reading about identifying the proper ferns before picking and consuming. Watch a tutorial on http://www.youtube.com/ to help identify fiddleheads. I like this one from the University of Maine.
The current guidelines for cooking fiddleheads to reduce foodborne illness are as follows:
Boil for 15 minutes OR Steam for 10-12 minutes, prior to consuming. Discard remaining water.
You can then additionally sauté, stir fry, bake or prepare your fiddleheads as desired.
May showers for May flowers this year. Wild Strawberries will be appearing very shortly. Although small, wild strawberries are worth picking, even if it is simply to pop a couple in your mouth. Our cultivated strawberries are greatly enjoying the damp and warm weather with their shallow roots.
Rhubarb will be available by the bushel soon. Offer to take some extra off of a friend or farmer’s hands if you haven’t any planted yourself. Rhubarb is prolific and usually individuals end up with more than less than they will need. I usually stew my rhubarb with a small amount of honey and top it with a dollop of plain organic yogurt.
We have been snacking on Arugula, Romaine Lettuce, Buttercrunch Lettuce and Spinach from my cold frame for the last month or so. Chives are the main highlight for us right now. We have been using them in everything from salads and soups to fish dishes, seafood cakes and meat dishes. Chives have a slightly spicy, peppery taste to spruce up many dishes. Commonly used as a garnish to pretty up plates, chives are as nutritious as they are delicious. Chives are a very good source of fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Folate and much more. Asparagus spears are emerging and reaching a harvestable size. Asparagus contains anti-inflammatory nutrients. Kale, Spinach, Arugula, green onions, radishes and lettuces do especially well in the cooler days of early spring. All you need to grow a salad garden is a small tray and some potting soil. Plant one or two types of greens, a couple radishes and a few green onions. Place in a spot that receives at least 4-6 hours of direct light in a day. In a couple months you will be able to serve your very own salad grown on your very own step. Enjoy!
Lemon balm, Marshmallow, Thyme and Oregano are thriving in the herb bed and seasoning our meals. Peas can also be planted as soon as the soil can be worked, ours are doing quite well. Our garden was not completely ready so I planted some sugar snap peas with my sweet peas in one of my flower gardens. I often sneak veggies in amongst my flowers. Sometimes they can be just as decorative or even more. Last year I had pepper plants amongst my petunias. A lot of crops will add visual interest to a flower bed, in shady areas try greens, sunny spots are for peppers, tomatoes, ground cherries, zucchinis and other heat and sun loving crops.
Recipes:
Sautéed Dandelion Greens
About 1 pound of dandelion greens
1-3 tbsp. butter or ghee 1 Diced garlic clove sea salt
Remove tough stems and ribs on dandelions although this may be avoided by only picking young tender leaves.
Boil or steam until ribs are tender in salted water, about 5- 10 minutes depending on size. Heat pan, add butter or ghee and heat over medium heat. Drain greens well. Add Garlic and sea salt to butter or ghee and sauté until softened. Feel free to throw in an onion if desired. Add greens and toss until coated and warmed through.
Dandelion, Arugula, Chive or Assortment Local Pesto
2 cups of packed herbs, your choice!
1/2 cup of walnuts, almonds, pine nuts or a combination.
(To improve digestibility of nuts soak overnight in water)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves unpeeled
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Combine the herbs with the nuts in the food processor and process adding the garlic cloves one at a time until smooth. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil slowly in. Remove from processor, place in a bowl and add cheese if desired.
Pesto is used in a wide variety of ways these days. Pesto can make a super quick meal when tossed with some cooked spaghetti or other pasta.
Goat cheese and Arugula or other greens pizza.
Needed for Recipe: One pizza crust. I use sourdough to make a pizza crust at home. Some other suggestions include, rice or sprouted grain tortillas, homemade pitas or homemade naan bread.
Brush pizza crust lightly with either pesto, ghee, tomato sauce or olive oil. Arrange greens in desired pattern and thickness on crust and sprinkle with a clove of diced garlic. Scatter goat cheese crumbles over greens and bake at 350 degrees for approx. 30 minutes, until crust is just starting to turn brown and greens are starting to soften. If using an extremely thin crust you may want to pre-steam the greens you use to help them cook. Of course you could always add any other desired toppings. We like Asparagus on pizza!
I find it hard with fresh picked vegetables to deviate from sautéing them in butter or ghee with or without garlic to preserve the taste of the vegetable. We usually enjoy our asparagus, garlic scapes, greens and other suitable vegetables simply sautéed. The flavor is showcased and the process is easy and quick. Why would I cook them any other way? I still experiment every once in a while and do different things; however I mostly stick to these basics.
Garlic sautéed Asparagus
2-3 tbsp. butter or ghee
1 clove garlic diced
1 bunch Asparagus
Melt butter or ghee over medium heat. Add garlic and stir until softened. Trim asparagus to desired size and wash well. Sauté until bright green, reduce the heat after about 3 minutes. Continue to sauté until desired texture depending on size of the asparagus spears. Season with sea salt if desired.
Sautéed fiddleheads
Boil or steam the fiddleheads prior to sautéing for the appropriate amount of time to reduce chances of food borne illness.
Follow the same method as the Asparagus after the fiddleheads have been boiled or steamed. Add any additional seasonings such as chives, onions, thyme or parsley.
Rhubarb Sorbet
3 cups rhubarb
2 cups of another berry, strawberries compliment rhubarb extremely well and are often used together.
Up to 1cup, raw organic sugar, honey or other desired sweetener.
Start cooking rhubarb with ¼ cup water, after rhubarb starts to break down add sweetening and cook until nice and tender. Process with berries and either freeze using an ice cream maker and the same method to make ice cream or pour into a pan and freeze overnight. The following day break up the product and process again until smooth. Pour into serving or storing dishes and freeze again for about an hour before serving.
Spring is the natural season for detoxification. We start eating more raw vegetables and greens, fruits and herbs. You may be surprised at all you can grow and forage for during these colder months of spring. Check out your local Farmer’s Markets, farm stands/stores and Nurseries to see what all is available.
If you have received this publication by mail please note that this will be the last time.
In an attempt to be kinder to the environment the seasonal newsletter will be posted online on my blog, http://jessicapbees.blogspot.com, where I document many things related to gardening, local food production, natural nutrition, nature, the environment and sustainable lifestyles. Updated very close to daily.
Well this post made me hungry!! Great information Phallen
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