Green Eatable Plants

Green eatable plants should be consumed because they are not only the best seasonal vegetable but also contains huge amount of the nutrition value and are best to keep the body healthy and so the optimum benefit from these seasonal green plants should be taken.

Following a long, calm wintry weather, herb aficionados get really excited to look out for indications of growth of green harvests (which are suitable for eating purposes) just the way gardeners are enthusiastic to sow their very first and foremost seeds in the land. In places like Coulee Region, spring season starts coming up somewhere in the mid April to late April, just the time when the snow is melting. There are a number of plants that have adjusted their coming out to the long days and increased temperatures. It is due to this reason, that an unbelievable variety of tonic herbs or edibles become obtainable by Mayday. But then one doesn’t really have to wait till April to go for some harvesting outing. A variety of pre-season delicacies are found to be present even before the real season starts. Some of them are as follows:

Maple sap

Maple sap is the one that happens to be the first wild production of the year. This time of the year is also commonly known as the “quickening” and maple sap is considered to be the top-quality tonic that is full of vivacity and wholesome energy. This sap starts to flow somewhere in the late February or in the beginning of the month of March as in these months the temperature at night is below the freezing whereas in the day its above the freezing which is around 40 degrees and such conditions are very suitable for the maple sap. Almost everybody is acquainted with what a maple syrup is and how useful it is for the body but how many have exactly enjoyed the taste of the rich, raw, refreshing sap? Though, it is not really difficult to get hold of raw maple sap but one hardly sees it. Even a maple tree in one’s garden or backyard can produce ample quantities of fresh maple sap. A number of hardware stores present in the local markets carry taps; the other simple things needed are just a borer with the help of which one can bore a hole of approximately ½ an inch and a bucket to collect the sap exuded. The sap originally tastes and looks like clear and plain water with a mild sweet savor. There are a number of ways which have been discovered from time to time to use fresh maple sap. Some of these ways are listed below:

1. One can drink it raw, right at the moment when it exudes out from the tree. It is a very pure, fresh, living meal which is low in calories yet high in giving energy. It gives warmth to the body and hence acts as a natural savior in winter season.

2. One can also use maple sap in place of water while making coffee or tea. Maple sap in tea, coffee or tonic infusions not only makes them a healthy drink but also gives it a sweet taste; hence one can avoid extra calories of sugar. Sassafras tea which is made with maple sap is a conventional tonic of spring seasons in places like Appalachia. Mints made with maple sap are good too. Not only this, one can also freeze quantities of maple sap to prepare tasty iced teas in the season of summer.

3. Maple sap, apart from being used in tonics and beverages, can also be cooked with hot cereal grain meals like rice, oatmeal etc. Thus one would not even feel the need to add any sweetener too. Rice and quinoa can be cooked in sap and this will not even require addition of salt or any other condiments as well. Recipes like wild rice ‘n’ sap and sweet rice salad which is made with the help of quinoa or rice concocted in sap are an extra delight.

4. Maple-Baked Beans is another dish which can be prepared with the help of maple sap. The procedure to cook this recipe is simple. All one has to do is cook beans in sap in a crock pot for some hours and add just a small amount of salt and minced onion. Moreover, one can make a whole lot of this dish to freeze for picnics in summer. Addition of maple sap makes this dish sweet and thus any products like molasses or brown sugar should be avoided.

Thus, it can be concluded that adding maple sap to various kinds of dishes and beverages not only makes them sweet but is also good for health as it carries less calories and gives a lot of energy to the body ,unlike sugar, which is high on calorie content.

Wild Mustards (Brassicacae)

This fall in the family of Brassicacae and generally dominate during the beginning of pre-spring season. A number of different varieties of wild mustards are found in different regions. Of these, only few are accessible and extremely enduring and hence they do a pretty early showing. These are likely to be available roughly around the time when the sap begins to flow and the snow is also pretty well dissolved. At this time the weather is normally fine (approximately 40 degrees) and this presents a great reason for a nice walk when the sun is gleaming and one is curious to discover the first fresh green of nature.

The mustard family also known as “Brassicacae” is a very big family and comprises of a number of wild as well as domestic vegetables which are known for their nutrition value. Vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts are known to be the garden-bred cousins of carefree wild mustards. Mustards are known for their various flavors which depend on the species to which that group belongs. All mustards, no matters to which species they belong to are safe to eat.

Mustards are well-recognized for their nutrition value. They provide a number of macro-nutrients and essential vitamins to the body. Mustards contain a high quantity of vitamin B2 &B, potassium and calcium. A reliable research has demonstrated that all kinds of mustards including the commercial ones like broccoli etc comprise of components like beta carotene, isothiocynates, fiber, vitamin C and other concentrated substances which aid in preventing diseases like cancer.

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale)

Watercress (botanical name: Nasturtium officinale) grows in rich amounts in a number of slow-moving streams and natural springs which are dispersed all the way through the Coulee Region. Watercress is a vibrant, dazzling green in color which looks strikingly remarkable as it is the only fresh green present adjacent to brown or white winter background.

According to various myths, it is believed that watercress is suitable for eating in any month of the year which has an ‘r’ in its spelling. It is due to this belief that months of May and august are considered as off-season. Watercress are to small to give any trouble to anybody until mid-march when temperature in day-time is around 40 degrees to 50 degrees which is an optimum temperature for the growth of watercress, thus paving a way for an effortless and very fruitful produce. Watercress and all its other relatives that fall in the Brassica/mustard family is loaded with a plentiful of nutrients which makes it an excellent as well as a refreshing tonic of spring season. In the old times, when a winter food intake largely comprised of preserved and stored food, the first fresh greens were highly appreciated and in great demands. Watercress, undoubtedly, was amongst the most excellent of them. Moreover, it is well thought-out as an epicure item which has a pretty expensive price in markets.

Watercress carries a hot, peppery taste, like that of radishes, though it does not have that strong bitterness which is sort of a characteristic of wild mustards. It is due to this reason that watercress is found to be more edible and liked by people. When this is dehydrated or cooked it produces a surprisingly unexpected flowery fragrance which can give competition to even the best vanilla present in the stores. This amazing aromatic fragrance is a well secret that is concealed within this sweet-smelling plant to be found out only by the person who is most devoted towards the study of watercress.

One can know a lot more information about watercress and mustards by going through books written on such topics. One such book is “Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants” which is written by Wildman Steve Brill. By going through this book, one can know that apart from lambs quarters and dandelions, watercress also bags a place in the category of one among the world’s most healthful vegetables which are excellent for restoration. It comprises of high amounts of calcium, beta carotene and iron. Not only this, it is also rich in bioflavonoid, vitamin C ,vitamin B1, B2 & E and minerals like sodium, manganese, zinc, cobalt, copper, vanadium, sulfur ,iodine and phosphorus.

While harvesting watercress, one should just try to draw out handfuls of watercress from here and there, which actually leads to the thinning of the patch which in turn makes room for the small-sized watercress so that they can grow without any trouble. The thinning also helps in keeping the area healthy, or else it has a tendency to get fully packed and this actually holds back the actual size of the plants.

One can simply put the plucked stuff in the sink of the kitchen and pull the green parts from the roots by a firm but mild twisting movement. After this has been done, the greens should be given a good rinse so as to remove any dirt if there is any entangled in them and then be allowed to dry-out. This should be then be followed by putting them in a big clean plastic bag or any other suitable carrier. They are now ready for use.

It should be kept in mind that the greens should be thoroughly washed with water as generally there are a lot of little pond-critters that are present in the root system of the groups of watercress. People who are often interested in knowing about pond-life can simply collect them and keep them in a terrarium or any glass jar for examination. Most commonly found pond-critters include fairy shrimp, caddis fly shells and tiny snails.

Owing to the fact that watercress is practically the only edible fresh green that is available in huge amounts at this time of the year, one can simply experiment a lot in the kitchen and develop rather discover a number of ways in which one can use watercress efficiently. As it is high on nutrition values, it can easily be included in almost all recipes ranging from salads, dressings, spreads to even dips and soups. The recipes prepared with the help of watercress are also substituted by other kinds of greens when they become available in the later part of the year, though watercress has its own way of adapting to the various recipe that can be prepared with its help and hence it is so wonderfully versatile as well. Some of the recipes that can be easily made with the help of watercress are watercress chef’s salad , watercress-feta sandwich spread , creamy watercress-yogurt dressing , > watercress-egg salad sandwich spread watercress-potato soup .

Mustard (Allaria officinalis)

Garlic mustard is regarded as an omnipresent species as it literally envelopes vast areas of grounds of deciduous forests especially in close proximity to parks and other regions of human movement. Moreover, it is believed to be a ‘Class A noxious weed’ and is the center of attention of many organizations which deals with the extermination of such things. And while the DNR curses it for being a part of environment there are people who actually wait for mid-march with full enthusiasm so that they can get acquainted with rich fresh wild greens.

The green leaves continue to live beneath the snow envelopes which also indicates the presence of some sort of a natural antifreeze contained in them, so one can start finding them once the snow starts to melt. They don’t possess any poisonous look-a-likes and the rich leaves smell sharply of what is called garlic when they are crushed.

In countries like Europe, in contradiction to countries like America, it is not supposed to be bizarre to harvest mustard from ‘hedgerows’ and the wild-gardens. Wild mustard (or hedge-garlic as identified in England)is also known as spring tonic herb and collecting these or dandelion or nettles which are also known to be the spring refresher herbs is very normal and can be found in one’s routine.

Garlic mustard , as the name suggests, gives off a fragrance of garlic and is very easy to pick from the gardens as generally it is the only herb green in color growing in those area. Not just that, they grow in copious amounts in the form of carpets, due to which one can easily recognize them and can fill a bucket in no time.

Regrettably, in the kitchen they are not as good performers as their relative watercress are, which can be freely made adapted to a number of different kinds of recipes, no matter if they are cooked or simply raw. On the contrary, garlic mustard has a distinguishably remarkable effect on the appetite, being sweet and bitter at the same time clubbed with strong garlic overtone. Though, the bitter taste dominates and it is due to this reason that most people don’t agree with its taste and hence avoid it or rather use it with some other kitchen delight.

In a number of traditions healing with the help of herbs all over the world, bitters have their own place and are highly recognized for their role in enhancing the activity of digestive system. But still, one finds it difficult to make some really nice recipes in which garlic mustard dominate due to its bitter taste.

Even though it’s bitter, one can simply include few chopped leaves of garlic mustard into a salad or a soup where the leaves may even go unnoticed (it should be kept in mind that only small quantities should be used otherwise the bitter taste may appear). In pesto, wild mustard can be used unknowingly as it brings about a concentrated and raw effect to the pesto recipe; the bitterness seems like appetizing and palatable but vanishes totally when it is melted on a mass of pasta.

Cooked garlic mustard is not bitter and it can be prepared by simply boiling the raw garlic mustard in 3-4 changes of water. The well cooked garlic mustard can then be used in different recipes without any boundaries but the water-soluble vitamins are lost in the boiling process. But then there are plenty of other stable vitamins especially minerals that still remain intact in the nicely cooked garlic mustard. Various recipes that can be prepared with the help of garlic mustard are Mondo Bizarro di Garlic Mustard , Garlic Mustard Pesto and Maple-Garlic Mustard .

Winter cress (Barbarea vulgaris or verna)

Winter cress (botanical name: Barbarea vulgaris) happens to be the last among the three very first mustards in some regions. While garlic mustard rules in the woods and as for the watercress, they are found abundant in waterways and springs, Winter cress reigns in wide open grounds, particularly in farm fields as the soil of farms fields is repeatedly disturbed. Actually even winter cress is widely distributed throughout the grounds just like watercress and garlic mustard. It is commonly known as a prodigal weed which means it is recklessly abundant in the nature. Winter cress can be found crowned with yellow mist in the fields in the later part of April.

Winter cress actually begins to grow as a flat basal badge like patch and then in the later stages puts forward an erect stalk which is around one and a half foot in height. It can also be easily found out once the snow completely melts and during the early days of spring.

Then, in the month of March, the Wintercress leaves are reaped, but afterwards when the flower buds appear, they can be harvested as a kind of wild broccoli. The young tender seed shells are also safe to eat and are not poisonous and afterwards the mustard seeds are edible.

Winter cress is way too bitter in comparison to even garlic mustard. Hence this is rightly called as a bitter herb . Winter cress has always been an interesting topic for researchers. Euell Gibbons was vastly interested in knowing about the discovery and nature of winter cress and hence he dedicated a full chapter to this in his masterpiece “stalking the Wild Asparagus”. In this, he has recorded various details and striking descriptions speaking of Italians coming from big towns to the countryside for winter cress harvesting outings after the melting of snow.

Winter cress greens are known with different names at different places. As far as the kitchen is concerned, the best thing one can do is either chop a few small leaves and add them in salads or soups (it should be kept in mind that the pieces should be small and in less quantity so that the bitterness of winter cress does not dominate and it remains hidden) or remove the bitterness of winter cress greens by boiling the leaves in several changes of water. But they can’t be taken raw as they are incomparably bitter even though they are good for digestive system.

There are a huge number of various mustards which are suitable for eating purposes, it truly happens to be a big family of plants and can be found in almost all sorts of habitats, ranging from waterways and springs to even sandy beaches present on the coastal areas. None of the mustards are poisonous though they differ greatly in the intensity of their bitterness and hot nature. Other types of mustards that can be found are Peppergrass, Pennycress and Shepherd’s Purse.

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Lasting coughs due to winter colds or flues or from inhalation of indoor air for a long time have always been common in every family. One always prefers to have a nice, warm ,sunlit day to extinguish the final leftovers of the winter season, but till one reaps the early bird medications and meals that come forward from the grounds as one waits to get warmed in spring season. One such kind of herb that acts as a medicine is Mullein.

Mullein happens to be a recognized name in the World of herb and is well-known for being an effective remedy for cough problems. It carries a special affinity towards lungs and hence is used in methods of treating all sorts of ailments concerning lungs, like for example, bronchitis, hay fever, asthma, whooping cough, emphysema and persistent coughs. It is exploited as a tonic as well as an expectorant.

Mullein is known to be a biennial herb which implies that it grows in two years. In the first year a fine basal badge or a rosette grows which is then followed by growth of a very high flower shoot (till approximately 8 ft. in height) in the next year. Mullein can be easily recognized and found even in the early part of the year. To find them , one will have to look around the previous year’s dried out tall flower shoots followed by the previous year’s basal rosettes (which will also be brown and dried out yet easily distinguishable).in the very core of the old basal rosettes one can point out few newly born baby leaves of mullein without any difficulty. These can be simply reaped in groups.

Mullein can be very efficiently used in home-made remedies for treating cough and other problems. One can make a strong concentrated herbal infusion out of mullein which should be then stored in refrigerator so as to keep it fresh and good. Though at this time mullein should not be harvested for drying or storage purposes, it should be kept for immediate utilization. Afterwards, when the fresh rosettes become large and copious in amounts, they can be gathered so as to use in winter season. But when they are young and tender they should only be used to treat cough and other lung problems and not for storage purposes. Mullein leaves not only help in treating cough and refreshing lungs but also helps in giving warmth and protection against winter chills.

Mullein is a medicinal herb with a very mild taste. It is due to this reason that it is quite appetizing in the form of a tea either by itself or combined with herbs like mint or other suited dried herbs (which can be even the leftovers from previous year’s yield).For instance, one can mix mint, oat straw, fresh baby mullein leaves and catnip which will produce a delicious and effective cough tonic. One can also make mullein tea together with fresh maple sap which is truly a delight and can be taken as both hot and cold. This not only adds sweet content but also provides a number of essential nutrients.

One can also get familiar to the scent of mullein leaves while harvesting them. It happens to be very similar to the fragrance of wild cherry bark that is known to be a traditional remedy for cough problems.

Mullein tea not only tastes good but is also high on nutrition value. It provides nutrients like cholin ,vitamins D, B2,B5 and B12,herperdin,magnesium,saponins,mucilage,sulfur,PABA and various other active components.