Dandelions are Edible!

I've heard about dandelions for a long time. Supposedly full of iron, wine makers love the yellow flowers.

I harvested quite a handful of greens. The stems are too bitter for my taste, so I took just the leaves.
History buffs teach us this plant was actually brought over from England by the first settlers as a spring crop. Its very early bloomer and grows even in gravel. I should know, that's where I got mine.
Check out wikipedia for more information : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandelion


Anyways, back on the "farm", after harvesting a goodly handful, I washed them, sprayed them with the typical vegetable sanitizer (one drop of bleach in a quart of water), and rinsed them.

Heating a couple tablespoons of canola oil in a cast iron pan, I sauteed them, and served them with rice, red beans, onions and corn tortillas. Salsa on the side, it made a nice green garnish.

I admit, raw is not near as flavorful as sauteed.
I love finding organic edibles that grow wild.

Wild Persimmons

I tasted my first wild persimmon after a warning that it could be hideous. Mine was fully ripe, soft to the touch, a lovely peach color and tasted like an apricot. Immediately I started thinking of jam, jelly, wine, and salsa.

I did some research. Wikipedia has a lot of information, dealing widely with all varieties of persimmons, not necessarily wild.

At http://www.treetrail.net/diospyros.html I found photos, a little history, and tips on harvesting wild fruits. Cultivation was discussed as well. Some trees are male, some female and some can self pollinate.

Good thing I gathered a dozen or so wild fruit just in these don't self pollinate and planted them in groupings around the perimeter of the yard. Even though it may take six years to produce fruit, its worth doing.

Wildlife and Native Americans loved wild persimmons. They can be dried when too abundant for immediate consumption.

Along with acorns, sassafras, common plantain and shelf mushrooms, we have a bountiful array of wild foods that are easily identified.

New Wild Foods

Now that I pretty much have the acorn thing down, I'm looking at other wild edibles. So many things can make tea, that's not an issue.

What I want is something you can chew, and feel good about. Not gritty or slimy, but something our ancestors might have collected for the table like dandelions.

This week I've found Sassafras and Common Plantain. Both of these wild foods can be used as salad greens or cooked greens when young and tender, or made into a tea if you like. Being fall, and everything in tough Old mode, I collected leaves. I firmly believe in bringing book knowledge into the field, keeping it real.

We have a lot of kudzu around here in the South. It was a gift from a Japanese Ambassador at the turn of the century. A plant that is much maligned, it can be used to feed animals and humans, weave baskets and furniture, prevent erosion and has enough cellulose to create fuel for cars.

I've tasted it raw and its not bad, a little coarse. Once I try some cooked I'll report back.

Acorn Burgers-Delicious

After removing the shells and tannins from acorns fantastic things can happen. I am in the process of creating a total learning video for my channel at

http://www.youtube.com/user/brawny03

The project last night involved mincing my sauteed, spiced acorns and combining them with other grains to form patties. The actual recipe is :

1 cup minced spiced acorns

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup self-rising cornmeal

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

Mix all ingredient together to form stiff paste. Allow mixture to rest for half an hour. Then, heat 1/4 cup of canola oil in skillet. I prefer a cast iron pan, myself. Form into 4 patties, and fry until crispy brown on each side. I used a cover for just a few minutes to create enough heat for the centers to fully bake as well.

Serve with catsup, or brown mushroom gravy. We had brown rice and garden salads to complete this healthy meal.

Bon Apetite!