Tag: wild edibles - PHYTOALIMURGIA

Urtica dioica L.

Stinging nettle it’s the queen of all the wild edibles: easy to find in great quantites, easy to pick, impossible to be mistaken with poisonous species and very easy to preserve in winter. The plant has a long history of

NETTLE AND DATES TRUFFLES

I can’t remember exactly when, but one day somebody asked me: “did you ever try to use green wild edibles to make cakes?”. Not, but that’s an idea! … Here the starting point of a new experimental project. So far

NETTLE MANFRIGOLE

Manfrigole is a traditional dish from Valtellina, northern Italy. They are a kind of buckwheat crespelle (crêpes), with a cheese and bresaola filling, or local seasonal ingredients. It was originally made in order to use the stale bread, because in

Sanguisorba minor Scop.

The salad burnet is one of the many underrated wild edibles. Called also small burnet, it has a fresh and surprising taste, similar to cucumber.

Chenopodium album L.

Whatever you call it, Lamb’s Quarters, Goosefoot, Pigweed or Fat-hen, is a common annual weed traditionally used for cooking in many countries. It’s easy to recognize and it has a delicate flavor. Cooked like spinach goes well with any dish.

DEEP FRIED BLACK LOCUST BLOSSOMS

This easy recipe is the first that comes to my mind, full of childhood memories, when I hear the sweet scent of black locust in spring. Crispy flowers, fragrant and sweet, with a slight aftertaste of fresh-cut grass. The ingredients

Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke

Silene vulgaris or Bladder campion flowers

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.

Humulus lupulus L.

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).

Pumpkin & Horn of Plenty Mushrooms Quiche

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 sphondylium L.

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

GOOD KING HENRY AND LAMB’S QUARTERS GNOCCHI WITH ELDERFLOWERS

Good King Henry and Lamb's quarters Gnocchi dumplings with Elderflowers

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 CREPES

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 – SOURDOUGH CORNMEAL AND ELDERFLOWER BREAD

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 flowers Jelly

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 Weber (aggregate)

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

BLACK LOCUST DELIGHT

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

Crustless Common Hogweed Quiches

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,