Post by AussieSurvival on Sept 5, 2008 21:58:31 GMT 9.5
Edible Weeds Tim Low.
Tim Low is a biologist and one of Australia's leading nature writers. Although extremely aware of the threat that exotic pests and weeds pose to Australian bushland, Tim is also an authority on the value of weeds. He is what he calls an "urban forager".
By understanding the urban eco-system, he says it's possible to find plants which are good for you and can be harvested. Cultivated plants are often so denatured by cultivation that they are not as good a source of nutrition as wild plants.
Remember that it is very important to correctly identify plants before eating them and to be aware of the possibility that plants may have been sprayed.
Wild Garlic: Allium triquetrum, is a very mild version of garlic. It can be used in cooking, such as in curries, or eaten raw in salads.
Shamrock: Oxalis corymbosa, has a lemony taste. The flowers and leaves can be eaten raw and are good with fish instead of lemon.
Native Celery: Ciclospermum leptophyllum, has a flavour between celery and parsley.
Wood Sorrel: Oxalis comiculata, has a sour taste and is great in salads.
Blackberry Nightshade: Solanum americanum, has edible fruit from which colonial pioneers made jam. Many Solanum fruit are poisonous, so correct identification is a must.
Sandpaper Fig: Ficus coronata, is a rainforest plant which is spread by birds into urban areas. It has an edible sweet fruit. Captain Cook saw Aborigines polishing their tools with the plant's rough leaves and they are still used by Aboriginal communities today for that purpose.
Catsears: Hypochoeris radicata, is a beautiful vegetable in milk-based soups.
Common Sow-thistle: Sonchus oleraceus, is quite bitter, like endive. Tim eats this raw, enjoying it with Dutch mustard in flat bread.
Cobbler's Pegs: Bidens pilosa, is quite popular in Africa as a vegetable, although Tim finds it has an unpleasant taste.
Swamp Dock: Rumex brownii, is a native species and a good substitute for silver beet. Its burrs, which stick in clothing, have caused the plant to spread worldwide as a weed.
Thickhead: Crassocephalum crepidioides, has a carrot-like flavour which is great in salad.
Pepper Cress: Cardamine hirsuta, is like a milder version of watercress and grows in the cooler months.
References: Tim Low, Wild Herbs of Australia and New Zealand (1991), Bush Tucker (1989) and Wild Food Plants of Australia (1988) all published by Angus & Robertson.
Source: abc.net.au
Tim Low is a biologist and one of Australia's leading nature writers. Although extremely aware of the threat that exotic pests and weeds pose to Australian bushland, Tim is also an authority on the value of weeds. He is what he calls an "urban forager".
By understanding the urban eco-system, he says it's possible to find plants which are good for you and can be harvested. Cultivated plants are often so denatured by cultivation that they are not as good a source of nutrition as wild plants.
Remember that it is very important to correctly identify plants before eating them and to be aware of the possibility that plants may have been sprayed.
Wild Garlic: Allium triquetrum, is a very mild version of garlic. It can be used in cooking, such as in curries, or eaten raw in salads.
Shamrock: Oxalis corymbosa, has a lemony taste. The flowers and leaves can be eaten raw and are good with fish instead of lemon.
Native Celery: Ciclospermum leptophyllum, has a flavour between celery and parsley.
Wood Sorrel: Oxalis comiculata, has a sour taste and is great in salads.
Blackberry Nightshade: Solanum americanum, has edible fruit from which colonial pioneers made jam. Many Solanum fruit are poisonous, so correct identification is a must.
Sandpaper Fig: Ficus coronata, is a rainforest plant which is spread by birds into urban areas. It has an edible sweet fruit. Captain Cook saw Aborigines polishing their tools with the plant's rough leaves and they are still used by Aboriginal communities today for that purpose.
Catsears: Hypochoeris radicata, is a beautiful vegetable in milk-based soups.
Common Sow-thistle: Sonchus oleraceus, is quite bitter, like endive. Tim eats this raw, enjoying it with Dutch mustard in flat bread.
Cobbler's Pegs: Bidens pilosa, is quite popular in Africa as a vegetable, although Tim finds it has an unpleasant taste.
Swamp Dock: Rumex brownii, is a native species and a good substitute for silver beet. Its burrs, which stick in clothing, have caused the plant to spread worldwide as a weed.
Thickhead: Crassocephalum crepidioides, has a carrot-like flavour which is great in salad.
Pepper Cress: Cardamine hirsuta, is like a milder version of watercress and grows in the cooler months.
References: Tim Low, Wild Herbs of Australia and New Zealand (1991), Bush Tucker (1989) and Wild Food Plants of Australia (1988) all published by Angus & Robertson.
Source: abc.net.au