spring eats
I'm sure I'll live to regret this someday, but I've gotten in the habit of tasting plants to identify them. I only do this with things I find on the farm, not in the woods. So when harvesting lettuce, X and I will have conversations like this:
X: Do you think this is lettuce, or a weed?
me [chewing on a leaf]: Uh. I think it's lettuce, but it seems to have thorns growing down the ribs. Ow. Maybe it's bolting.
X: So I guess I shouldn't put that in the lettuce mix.
X: What about this? It looks like mache, doesn't it?
S: Yeah. Does it taste good?
X [chews]: No. No, that's not mache.
We've discovered that many of the common weeds around here are edible (such as chickweed, lamb's quarters, and dock), although at this time of year there are plenty of greens on the farm that are easier to find and clean.
Yesterday felt hot, although it was only in the mid-70s. I might have to find some pants other than Carhartts to wear in the summer. Or shorts, even. My hesitation with shorts is that there's poison ivy everywhere. I haven't gotten it yet, so this morning I rubbed a leaf on my leg, just to see if I react. I should know by tomorrow...
Yesterday while we were harvesting spinach, G brought down some jars of kale/apple/cilantro/lime juice for us to drink. I've never had a juicer and vegetable juice has never held much appeal for me, but this juice was delicious and refreshing, in spite of its evil green, sedimenty appearance.
We've started digging leeks again. They're exhausting to harvest and clean, but so delicious. For dinner recently I've had apples, leeks, and salty sheep cheese, grilled cheddar cheese and leek sandwich on sourdough, and scrambled eggs and leeks with blue cheese on toast (obviously I have no plans to become vegan).
X: Do you think this is lettuce, or a weed?
me [chewing on a leaf]: Uh. I think it's lettuce, but it seems to have thorns growing down the ribs. Ow. Maybe it's bolting.
X: So I guess I shouldn't put that in the lettuce mix.
X: What about this? It looks like mache, doesn't it?
S: Yeah. Does it taste good?
X [chews]: No. No, that's not mache.
We've discovered that many of the common weeds around here are edible (such as chickweed, lamb's quarters, and dock), although at this time of year there are plenty of greens on the farm that are easier to find and clean.
Yesterday felt hot, although it was only in the mid-70s. I might have to find some pants other than Carhartts to wear in the summer. Or shorts, even. My hesitation with shorts is that there's poison ivy everywhere. I haven't gotten it yet, so this morning I rubbed a leaf on my leg, just to see if I react. I should know by tomorrow...
Yesterday while we were harvesting spinach, G brought down some jars of kale/apple/cilantro/lime juice for us to drink. I've never had a juicer and vegetable juice has never held much appeal for me, but this juice was delicious and refreshing, in spite of its evil green, sedimenty appearance.
We've started digging leeks again. They're exhausting to harvest and clean, but so delicious. For dinner recently I've had apples, leeks, and salty sheep cheese, grilled cheddar cheese and leek sandwich on sourdough, and scrambled eggs and leeks with blue cheese on toast (obviously I have no plans to become vegan).
Comments
So just be careful, ok?