Wild leeks are early season risers.
To this, I added some dandelion leaves, daylily and horseradish shoots for a salad.
From left to right: wild leeks, daylily shoots, horseradish shoots and dandelion leaves.
There were lots of other nibbles popping up in the forest. It's a time of year filled with green tonics but be careful to make correct identification as sometimes a rosette by any other name might not be edible.
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Wild Man Steve Brill on Daylilies
12 comments:
Oh how cool! I love foraging...it feels so primitive and brave!
I bought some wild leeks at our local coop last year that were meant for eating. We did eat some, but I planted six in a wayside space in the yard. I'm pleased to see them returning this year. I hope they spread.
I'm so busy with the spring gardening chores that I have not ventured out into our beautiful forests to see what spring gifts are awaiting. I need to carve some time out soon for walk in the wild.
I'm jealous jealous jealous, I've been wanting to forage or grow ramps but failed of course. Nice harvest!!!!!!!
You are bringing back bad memories of the horseradish that I eradicated from a large part of my garden last fall! It has since been reclaimed!
Seriously though, looks like a fun little salad. Din't know you could eat the shoots of lilies like that. We used to have a flower soup when I lived in Taiwan that was made with golden daylily flowers. Very good. Makes me want to make it here in Canada. I really don;t like daylilies much anyhow to look at, so why not cook them!
I might just have to eat my dandelions this year too...
Word Verification: herroses
I think they might be spying on me now! I just dug up 2 roses that the previous owner planted. They were odd ones that really weren't doing well. Maybe someone knows I dug up "Her roses"! Ahh!
I'm so far from the forest here. I used to forage when I was growing up and lived in the mountains with a national forest as my back yard. But here in the city, I'm happy enough for what is growing in the garden.
This is the first time I heard about wild leek. Interesting. I wonder how it taste like.
Yay, another forager - I'm planning to do more of that this year. Sadly, the season for wild garlic (Allium ursinum) here is ending already, but I've already tried a few new things like chickweed (which I like) and ground elder (which I don't like).
I love wild leeks for flavour - very pleasing and really like dandelion leaves when picked before they become too bitter. Also, I was surprised at how much I liked daylily shoots. They are much tastier to me than either the flowers or the roots. The only thing I'd recommend is don't cook horseradish shoots - makes them unpleasantly bitter.
With you there on the dandelions. They are surprisingly good before the hot weather strikes. Mind you, they are like lettuce that way. I find it gets bitter with the heat sometimes.
Word Verfification: Obilyper
I hope you don't run into any obilypers while you are foraging! Eek!
Hey Telsing,
So I was watching this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehBQUJJwQpE
In there he shows a 'giant lambsquarters'. Have you ever seen anything like this? Leaves look like nicotiana or something to me. It looks pretty crazy.
Yes, I call it Magenta Spreen. It has bright pink leaves in the middle. The botanical name more or less translates into 'giant lambsquarters.' I have seeds if you email, I"ll happily send you some.
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