Bladder campion is one of the most appreciated and widely used wild edible in Italy and in the Mediterranean region. It’s easy to identify and the young shoots have a delicate flavour that pairs well with almost every other ingredient.
I love wild hop shoots! Finally spring has arrived and I was caught off-guard. The first trip in my vegetable garden gave me an abundant harvest of hop shoots (Humulus lupulus) and I came back home happy as a child,
Hop or hops is a perennial climbing vine native to the Northern Hemisphere. It’s one of the most delicious spring shoot for the passionate foragers. Female “flowers” (Cones) are used in beer making. Hops are dioecious (male and female plants).
Meadow Salsify & Purple Salsify Botanists call them Tragopogon pratensis and Tragopogon porrifolius, but they’re commonly known as Salsify, Meadow salsify, Purple or common salsify, Oyster plant, Vegetable oyster, Goatsbeard. Purple salsify is native to Europe, common from plain to
Garden Leftovers and last meadow Wild Edible Plants It’s time for Fall garden clean up: looks like my vegetable garden fell into neglect, but it’s still giving a lot of unusual ingredients with which I plan to make a homemade
Horn of Plenty Mushrooms (Craterellus cornucopioides) For a forager autumn is the time of mushrooms: forest has been generous in the last few days and, to my surprise, I stumbled across a wide spot of Horn of Plenty mushroom (Craterellus
Heracleum shondylium is a perennial herbaceous plant, very common, known as hogweed, common hogweed or cow parsnip. Hogweed is probably one of these plants you don’t think of as being edible. I stepped into it only last year and since
Bistort (Polygonum bistorta) and stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) Botanists call it Polygonum bistorta or Pericaria bistorta, but is often called Bistort, though many names have been used in the past: Adderwort, Dragonwort, Osterick, Easter Ledges. Young Bistort leaves are used
Good King Henry and Lamb’s quarters Botanists call them Chenopodium bonus-henricus and Chenopodium album, but common names include Good-King-Henry, Poor-man’s Asparagus, Perennial Goosefoot, Lincolnshire Spinach, Markery, English mercury, Mercury goosefoot, and Lamb’s quarters, Melde, White goosefoot, Fat-hen and Pigweed. The
Elderflower scent (Sambucus nigra) Elder tree is still in bloom and, from my “forager” point of view, its scent causes me a salivation response, like Pavlov’s dogs. Pavlov’s dogs? What’s that? The Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov showed the existence of
Pan Meino, what’s that? They are small, sweet breads made with cornmeal flour and elderflowers (Sambucus nigra). Pan Meino is a traditional recipe of Lombardy region, in the north of Italy. It was a kind of sweet shortcrust pastry made
Dandelion, blowball, lion’s-tooth, cankerwort: Taraxacum officinale Botanists call it Taraxacum officinale, but has a lot of common names because, though considered a weed by many gardeners and lawn owners, this humble plant has several culinary and medicinal uses. Every single
Taraxacum officinale is a perennial herbaceous plant, known by the common names Dandelion, Blowball, Lion’s-tooth, Cankerwort. Dandelions are pesky weeds for gardeners, and a joy for children. It is also one of the most appreciated wild edible plants. Each one
Robinia pseudoacacia or Black locust tree Black locust flowers are delicious, sweet and aromatic. Black locust tree is, for us europeans, an invasive species (native to United States, imported back in 1600), naturalized now in many parts of Europe. I
Common Hogweed Hogweed is undoubtedly a worthwhile edible wild plant: it’s delicious and tastes vaguely like celery, its perfume reminds me carrot leaves, but has a distinctive, delicate flavour. Hogweed has a taste like nothing else. Botanists call it Heracleum sphondylium,
Hop shoots & risotto Hop shoots have a unique taste, gentle and slightly bitter. Botanists call it Humulus lupulus, but in Italy it has a lot of different names, from one place to another: Lavartis, Luvertin, Bruscandoli, bruscandoi, Verdiscio… names
How many wonderful nettles (Urtica dioica)! I have taken as much as I don’t know what to do with it. I will take the experimental way, then. A stop by the butcher and a small talk with my friend Corina,
I always loved nettle omelette, a childhood memory that in easter times tasted like spring in the countryside. But the idea to wrap it up in a crispy puff pastry is a recent gift that Patrizia gave me. Really a
My sourdough has to be refreshed, I want to bake some muffins but my fridge is empty…no milk, no eggs, no butter (except the ones spoiled long ago). But I’m not easily discouraged… Here’s the result! Not bad at all,
Each summer I make at least two jars of this delicious syrup, to fight winter coughs and sore throats. But why stop at ailments care? Its perfume reminds of warm summer days and its flavour is delicate and complex…absolutely unique!
