Add a little adventure to your springtime eating by picking and cooking with wild plants. Spring provides the greatest abundance of edible greens, flowers, roots, and grasses. Hundreds of options appear each year, especially in the Northern hemisphere. A few examples include dandelions, chickweed, trout lily, sassafras, and nasturtiums. Edible wild plants and flowers are great because:

• They’re tasty!
• They’re free!
• Shopping becomes an adventure!
• Looking for plants is a great group activity!
• They’re easy to find and prepare!
• They’re good for you!

Getting started is simple. Just grab a good identification guide, such as the Peterson Field Guide to Wild Edible Plants, and head outdoors. Keep a few things in mind as you hunt:

• Avoid picking around dirty areas””roads, coal plants, dumps, power lines, and the neighbor’s yard. (Unless you know the neighbor and know if they use any pesticides, it’s best to go other places.)
• Always positively identify a plant before you eat it.
• If you have allergies, test the plant by:
  • Rubbing a small bit on your wrist and waiting to see if you have a reaction or rash.
  • If you have no reaction, bite a tiny piece off, chew for 15 seconds, then spit it out. Again, wait for any reaction like tingling or burning.
  • If you still have no reaction, eat a small amount, and wait again to make sure you’re okay. If you’re fine, prepare your feast!
• Wash everything thoroughly to remove insects, bird droppings, and other wonders of nature that might make you sick.

Using Your Harvest

There are endless ways to prepare your great wild harvest. To get you started, here are five popular wild flavors and meal ideas.

French Marigolds

These flowers taste like a cross between radicchio and tarragon and make a beautiful contrast to green salads. Pluck the petals, and use them in place of bitter greens.

Nasturtiums

Just as spicy as their red and gold blooms look, nasturtiums add peppery taste to dishes like gazpacho, soft cheeses, or hot soups. Just chop the fresh flowers and stir them in!

Cattails

Boil, roast, fry, and spice the roots of a cattail like you would a potato. Make sure to pick the younger plants; older cattails can be stringy.

Cornflowers

Known for their “cornflower blue” color, these small, spiky blossoms have an earthy, sweet flavor. Garnish cupcakes, brew teas, or toss them into salads to add color and that sweet spice.

Amaranths

These bright pink bunches taste just like sweet corn! Add them to salads, eggs, and savory dishes, or tuck them into mixed drinks to appreciate their loveliness and sweetness.

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