Well we got rain here in nowhere.com -- we don't get a lot here in nowhere and when we do, the weeds are able to leap in growth by 2 or 3 inches a day.

So I spent the morning weeding -- then I had a tasty salad of Lambsquarters (common) for lunch. I plan to do this throughout the summer -- I love them with a little Italian dressing. they taste better than the bags of salad from the market.

Also, if i make a mistake in identification -- its easier to get to the hospital now than next summer. (possibly)

Got Weeds?? Got weed Identification???

-- ALURKER (nobody@nowhere.com), June 18, 1999

Answers

great question; lambs-q grows like weeds here in -n.m'' does anyone know if tumblweed is edible?? i,ve been told the young plants when tender are good eatin.

-- al-d. (catt@zianet.com), June 18, 1999.

Is this the solution? I planted 12 tomato plants last March. Ten survived with some with a 3 ft. diameter and looked healthy. There was only one problem. Althought they were short of rain for a while, so far I have had one tomato about the size of 2 golf balls. It was not worth it. The weeds thrive like crazy. Are they edible like for salad greens? If anyone could post color pictures of common edible weeds, this could be a big help when other food is not available. I am serious.

-- Sam (Sam@nogarden.farce), June 18, 1999.

The best thing to do is buy a book on edible weeds. There are many in new book stores, and sometimes you can find them at used book stores a lot cheaper. My book is from the Conservation Department for my state. Different states have some of the same weeds, but a great many different ones too. If you have a neighbor that has a lot of knowledge about weeds have them help you. Or you could check out a book from the local library for a week or two and use it for a field guide. But you really need your own book.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), June 18, 1999.

Tomato leaves are poisonous. Some plants are like that, you can eat part of the plant but not others. Pokeweed leaves are edible in early spring IF prepared properly, but the entire plant quickly becomes extremely poisonous. Adults are far more likely to poison themselves than children are because adults are far more likely to arrogantly assume they know what they have just picked and overindulge, whereas kids are more likely to just nibble.

It is EXTREMELY important to positively identify plants you intend to eat. You could make do with one book, the right book, that fully keyed out the plant in very technical terms, but if you were that familiar with the terms you would probably know the plant anyway. And get in the habit of examining the ENTIRE plant, not just the flower, for instance.

Learn what you can THIS YEAR while the resources are available, whether that be a VARIETY of books, classes, field trips with experts, or whatever. You may also find you have unexpected allergies or reactions, so it is a good idea when trying something for the first time (like mushrooms, even the presumably edible varieties) to exercise extreme moderation.

Learning how to cook these new foods is an important step also. Steamed grape leaves stuffed with spam and delicate spices could be a real delicacy next year!

From my experience, the good news is that the overwhelming numbers are NEITHER edible nor poisonous, just not worth the bother.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), June 18, 1999.

That reminds me- I need dandelion recipes!!! We had dandelions up the kazoo this year- several feet high dandelions. and should have plenty next year as well-unless comet Lee hits of course.So- any dandelion recipes folks??

-- farmer (hillsidefarm@drbs.net), June 18, 1999.

I had the impression that a salad bowl of tomato leaves (however, seasoned) would give you a heart attack.

Sincerely, Stan Faryna

-- Stan Faryna (info@giglobal.com), June 18, 1999.

Farmer....

Your question has taken me back to my early days growing up in Michigan. My Grandmother taught me a great way to prepare dandelion leaves. Wash throughly and cook in a steamer till tender. Serve with butter, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Good eatin' for sure.

-- Iben (lurking@work.sum), June 18, 1999.

Look for books by Euell Gibbons. He wrote several on wild foods with receipes included. Good reading too. One is called "Stalking the Wild Asparagus". I have about 4 of them I think.

mb in NC

-- mb (mdbutler@coastalnet.com), June 18, 1999.

The single best guide I've found is one of the Peterson Field Guide series: Edible Wild Plants, by Lee Allen Peterson (Roger Tory Peterson's son).

Another outstanding book is How to Stay Alive In the Woods, by Bradford Angier.

-- Spindoc' (spindoc_99_2000@yahoo.com), June 18, 1999.

Peterson Field Guides, Edible Wild Plants. Lee Allen Peterson Must have in your bug out bag. 40 lbs of Fiddleheads in freezer Yummm.

-- && (&&@&&.&), June 18, 1999.

Twenty-odd years ago my oldest boy (then in high school) read Euell Gibbons' book. It mentioned daylilies. We had a patch on the back hill, so Mike went out and picked up several leaves. Cooked them up somehow (I wasn't home) and ate the batch. Two hours later he was sicker than a dog, green, cramping, vomiting, etc. etc.

My wife called CDC but they had no record of any toxic effects from daylilies. Mike pulled through but he wasn't so enthusiastic about Gibbons' book after that.

Probably just an idiosyncratic allergic reaction. Always try just a little bit first, whatever it may be.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), June 18, 1999.

&&,

40 pounds of fiddleheads! Wow! I'm green with envy! Riposte: down here in the Deep South we have Saw Palmetto that grows everywhere you don't want it, and everywhere else besides! The palm heart tastes like cooked buttered celery, and is free for the taking. Oops, I'm giving away a precious secret...um, never mind. Forget I mentioned it.

-- Spindoc' (spindoc_99_2000@yahoo.com), June 19, 1999.

Well, its 24 hours later -- no reaction yet,

I had another salad made of Lambsquarters(common), again for lunch today, add 2 raw asparagus cut up into small pieces (found them hiding in the overgrown asparagus that had gone to seed).

The lambsquarter was better today -- it had been crisping up in the refrigerator -- better than spinach or water cress.

Maybe it has special properties like night vision (who knows) or will make me a better shot.

Got Shotgun??

Got Shells??

-- ALURKER (nobody@nowhere.com), June 19, 1999.

Tom, On those daylilies, you're supposed to eat the green buds not the leaves. The buds are delicious but I like the flowers better so I leave them to bloom.

mb in NC

-- mb (mdbutler@coastalnet.com), June 19, 1999.

farmer,

re: dandelion recipes - you may want to visit

http://www.drwnet.com/wings/dandrev.htm

good eating.

jh

-- john hebert (jt_hebert@hotmail.com), June 23, 1999.

Regarding daylillies, you can eat the young shoots (cook like asparagus), the little tubers on the roots (clean, then cook like corn), the flower buds shortly before they open (cooked like stringbeans), the flowers while they're open (very good as tempura), and the flower petals after they wilt (dry them, then use as thickener/flavoring for soups). Very versatile plant.

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), June 28, 1999.