Edible greens Feb-2013-notes

2/3/2013

Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden

Gourmet Greens
CA native plants for salads,
snacks & cooked greens

C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve

Madrona Marsh Preserve/El Dorado Nature Center
Gardening with California Native Plants in Western L.A. County February 2 & 5, 2013
Project SOUND – 2013 (our 9th year)
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND

Growing your own food: on the upswing? Not your grandmother’s vegetable garden any more!
 Fun
 Educational
 Good exercise
 Interesting looking
plants
 Saves money
 Tasty, fresh
ingredients
 Chance to grow &
use ‘exotic’
ingredients –
http://bloomtown.typepad.com/bloomtown/bloomtown_my_garden/ including CA native
plants


1

2/3/2013

Miner’s Lettuce – Claytonia perfoliata
Advantages of using native greens plants
ssp. perfoliata & mexicana

 Easy to grow
 Water-wise (compared to
non-native greens)
 Add wonderful ‘exotic’ &
healthy flavors to your
diet
 Good nutritional value
Good for pollinators,  Add interest to
butterflies, birds, etc. vegetable garden

© 2001 Steven Thorsted
http://nativeplantsocietyca.tribe.net/photos/cfd27d18-6ba7-4365-b1d9-c1c7c67b9cbe

Miner’s lettuce is
Characteristics of Miner’s Lettuce great for out of the
way places
 Herbaceous annual; makes a good
annual groundcover
 In the vegetable
 Size: 6-12 in. high; to 12 in. wide
garden
 Growth period: fall to spring  In pots
 Blooms:  Under deciduous trees
 Small, white
http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/minersl2.htm
 Feb-May  Along a fence
in English kitchen gardens, Miner’s  Foliage:  Along a seasonal
 Attractive & unusual
Lettuce (called ‘Winter Purslane’) is
esteemed as a pot-herb and a  Edible: usually raw in salads or as
stream or pond
salad plant. mild cooked greens


2

2/3/2013

Suggestions for growing native greens
Claytonia perfoliata on the table
 Give them a special space in
your vegetable garden – or grow  Pick young leaves –
them in pots for easy harvest best before it flowers
 Locate them away from sources
of pollution – streets, etc.
 Refreshing raw – as a
succulent snack or in a
 Make sure they get adequate salad
winter rain (or water them) –
you want lots of young leaves  Nice with a vinaigrette
dressing – gives it a
 Use no pesticides/herbicides little spice
 Grow plenty – you want to let
some plants go to seed for next
 Can also be used for
year’s crop cooked greens – but
quite bland flavor


Seasoning marinades Use mild native greens in creative ways
& vinegars
 In sandwiches
 Artemisia californica  As greens in tacos
 Artemisia dracunculus  On party snacks
 Bladderpod  In tabouleh – also use your Wild
 Native onions (Allium) Mint (Mentha arvense)
 Peppergrasses
 Salvias
 Even some of the berries/
fruits

Experiment to find the best http://abouquetfrommendel.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/getting-
nettled/#more-208
combinations. In general, stronger
flavors are best with red wine or rice
vinegars http://thecaptivatinglife.blogspot.com/2012/04/tabouleh.html
http://hippojoy.wordpress.com/tag/event/


3

2/3/2013

Fringed Redmaids – Calandrinia ciliata var menziesii Fringed Redmaids – Calandrinia ciliata var menziesii
 Wide distribution:
 Western United States ,
Central America, and northern
South America.
 In CA: California Floristic
Province, some areas E. of
Sierras
 Usually in grassy areas,
woodland openings or disturbed
areas
 Name derivation:
 Calandrinia: named for Jean
Louis Calandrini (1703-1758), a
professor of mathematics and
philosophy, and a botanical
Question to ponder: does the author in Switzerland
distribution of this plant suggest a
human role?  ciliata: indicates the slight
fringing of the petals like an
eyelash

In nature, Red Maids often occurs on sandy or Red Maids are spreading annuals
rocky soils, after fires
 Size:
 < 2 ft tall; tips of stems
upcurviing
 2-3 ft wide – side stems are
spreading; plants will grow
together

 Growth form: sprawling/spreading
herbaceous annual from a basal
rosette.

 Foliage:
 Attractive light green
 Slightly succulent leaves; spatula
shaped

 Roots: taproot; grow in place
Beatrice F. Howitt © California Academy of Sciences
© 2006 Chris Wagner

4

2/3/2013

Flowers are an  Spring-blooming – as early as Red Maids is well suited to the vegetable
added bonus Feb. to May garden…
 Long bloom period with adequate  Soils:
water – flowers open sequentially  Texture: any well-drained soil;
along the stems does super in sandy or rocky soils,
but typical vegetable gardens
 Flowers are: soils would be great
 Tiny - < ½ inch across  pH: just about any local
 An unusual shade of hot
pink/magenta – hard to  Light: full sun; great in regular
photograph vegetable garden
Robert Potts © California Academy of Sciences
 Open only during sunniest part of  Water:
the day – flowers ‘disappear’ into  Winter: needs good winter/
their calyces at other times
spring rains
 Seeds are:  Summer: regular water (Zone 2-3
 Tiny & shiny – but numerous; wind or 3) will extend blooms slightly;
spread no water for seed set
 Very tasty – were prized food  Fertilizer: fine with light fertilizer
for Native Californians (parched Plants re-seed very well – but it’s easy
& ground to make pinole) to weed out unwanted plants
Jo-Ann Ordano © California Academy of Sciences

Redmaids make  Use only young leaves – best
Picking your native greens piquant greens before flowering; Arugala-like
 Leaves contain oxalic acid, so
 Be sure you know what you’re should be used in moderation.
picking – this is certainly easier in
 Oxalic acid can lock up certain of
the garden than in the wilds the nutrients in food - can lead to
nutritional deficiencies if eaten in
 As with any new food, it’s best to excess.
just try a little bit at first
 They are, however, perfectly safe
 Tastiest greens are young leaves in small amounts and their acid
taste adds a nice flavor to salads.
and shoots – before flowering
 Cooking the plant will reduce the
 Be sure to wash all greens quantity of oxalic acid.
carefully before eating/preparing
them  People with a tendency to
rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney
 You may be able to just remove stones and hyperacidity should
leaves from some plants – and take especial caution if including
they’ll re-grow new greens this plant in their diet since it can
aggravate their condition


5

2/3/2013

Many uses for Red Maids in the garden Preparing native
 Some young greens can be eaten
greens raw – alone or in salads
 Very nice in pots – very green
and attractive; helps control  Some wild greens have strong
them to an extent flavors – use them with other,
milder-flavored greens
 In the vegetable garden –
 Older greens often taste better
flowers really perk up a steamed or boiled
vegetable garden
 Taste a small bit raw – the more
 In the fronts of mixed beds bitter the taste, the more likely
it will taste better cooked
 Along walkways
 For bitter greens, change water
 Among native bunchgrasses; several times – but use as few
changes as possible to retain
needs bare ground to reseed nutrients
 In the ‘Children’s Garden’ – easy  Treat like you would spinach –
often 5-10 min. cooking is all
 For bird habitat – many birds & that’s needed
insects relish the seeds

Parching seeds Using parched seeds: limited only by your
imagination
 Use a heavy skillet (cast iron is
great)  To add flavor to baked or
cooked items
 Heat a little oil in the skillet
 Topping for bread
http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/granado/images/basket.html

over low heat; no oil needed for
well-seasoned skillets  On bland cooked vegetables
 On casseroles
 Wipe out all but a thin layer of  As a salad topper
the oil  Etc.
 Pour in a thin layer of fully dry
 Ground (alone or with other
http://plants.usda.gov/culturalinfo.html

seeds
seeds/spices)
 Keep seeds moving so they
http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/troufs/Buffalo/images/pf021841.jpg don’t burn  Pinole
 Mush
 Remove from skillet when  Beverages
golden brown – some may pop  Biscuits & pancakes
 You can also parch seeds in  Etc.
the oven
http://www.allgauhotel.com/wiki/wiki_turkish_cuisine.html


6

2/3/2013

Cobwebby Thistle – Cirsium occidentale Cobwebby Thistle – Cirsium occidentale

 Two varients:
 var. californicum:
 Sierra Nevada and coastal &
var. californicum transverse ranges from central
CA south into Baja
 Disturbed places, woodland,
open forest, as well as
chaparral, coastal sage scrub

 var. occidentale:
 Coastal CA, coastal ranges from
N. CA south
 Stabilized dunes, roadsides
 Grasslands, coastal scrub,
var. occidentale chaparral, oak woodlands,

http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2006/01/cirsium_occidentale_var_occidentale.php
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?609,963,987,991

Cobwebby Thistles are nice thistles Flowers make a bold
statement
 Size:
 Blooms:
 1-4 ft tall
 usually April-July along coast
 1-3 ft wide
 Bloom period: 3-4 wks

 Growth form:  Flowers:
 Biennial or short-lived perennial  Super-showy thistle flowers
 Basal rosette of leaves in first  Pollinated by bees, flies,
year; flowers second year butterflies (American & Painted
 Fast-growing; not invasive Ladies)

 Foliage:  Seeds:
 Foliage gray-green, very wooly  Will self-sow; rarely weedy
 Spiny, coarsely toothed leaves –
 Vegetative Reproduction: no –
very showy
not invasive
G.A. Cooper @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

http://plants.montara.com/ListPages/FamPages/Astera3.html#cirocc © Project SOUND http://plants.montara.com/ListPages/FamPages/Astera3.html#cirocc © Project SOUND

7

2/3/2013

Cobwebby Thistle is well suited to garden Garden uses for Cobwebby Thistle
conditions…
 As an attractive pot plant

 Soils:  In the annual wildflower garden or mixed
 Texture: best with well- beds
drained; sandy/rocky soils best  In the vegetable garden; stem may be
 pH: any eaten raw or cooked
 Light: full sun to light shade  Great addition to the wildlife garden:
 Water: butterflies, bees, birds, hummingbirds,
and more!
 Summer: none to occasional;
would do well with native
annuals http://earthhomegarden.blogspot.com/search/label/native
%20plant%20garden

 Fertilizer: none – likes poor soils
Remember: plant where the
spiny leaves won’t be a hazard
http://www.calfloranursery.com/pages_main/whatsnew.html

© Project SOUND http://www.calfloranursery.com/pag © Project SOUND
es_main/whatsnew.html

Preparing Thistle stems for cooking Cooking with Cirsium stems
 Pick young stems, after they’ve
extended but before the flowering  Rub the raw shoots or roots
heads are fully developed with lemon juice prior to cooking
 Handle plants with protection – to keep them from darkening
rose-pruning gloves
 Steam or boil stems until just
 Cut off the stalk (or just the top tender
foot or so)
 Rinse in cool water  Use cooked Cirsium in:
 Remove leaves & top bud (which you
http://www.foragingfoodie.net/stinging-nettle-quiche.html
 Recipes calling for artichokes –
can prepare like artichoke) Quiche with Stinging nettles taste is similar
 Peel, scrape or rough-brush to  Recipes for dishes using
remove fuzzy epidermis asparagus (quiche, etc.)
 Cut stalk into appropriate sized  Traditional dishes that feature
thistles
pieces – eat raw or cook


8

2/3/2013

Thistles in Almond Sauce -
Thistles are a delicacy in Mediterranean
cardo con almendras
countries, particularly in Spain
 Boil thistle pieces until tender; drain
 Variety of traditional Spanish dishes made from and keep some of the cooking water.
thistles, which grow well in Spain.
 In a frying pan heat olive oil, add
 The Rioja region in the north of Spain is famous garlic and cook until golden. Add the
for a number of dishes, including cardo con ground almonds and toast lightly,
almendras ‘thistle with almonds’ (traditionally stirring continuously.
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/6391/thistles-in-almond-sauce

eaten during Christmas fiestas).  Add ¾ cup of the cooking water and let
 Thistles
simmer for a couple of minutes. Stir in
http://dietamediterraneasana.blogspot.com/2012/02/

2 garlic cloves
berenjenas-rellenas-de-nueces-y-reto.html

 Other regions of Spain have their own traditional the boiled thistles and bubble to
dishes:  Olive oil
thicken a bit.
 Basque Country: conejo con cardo ‘rabbit with  Almond, finely ground
thistle’  Almond flakes
 Place in a baking dish. Finish with
 Aragón: cardo con nueces ‘thistle with walnuts’ and chopped parsley, grated parmesan
 parsley, chopped
cardo a la bechamel con piñones ‘thistle in bechamel cheese, almond flakes and freshly
 parmesan cheese, grated
sauce with pine nuts’. ground black pepper.
 Galician coast with its great variety of seafood  black peppercorns, freshly
ground  Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350º
http://andosillagastronomica.blogspot.com/2012/11/fotof
provides cardo con almejas ‘thistle with clams’
rafias-del-curso-de-cocina.html © Project SOUND © Project SOUND

Prickly-pear cuisine Using Opuntia pads for cooked greens

 Young pads: raw or cooked (nopales)  Gather the young pads when
about half grown and before
 Seeds: parched and eaten or ground the spines have hardened.
into flour  Remove any spines with heavy
knife, wash pad
 Fruits: sweet & distinctive
 Cut into narrow strips, boil
 Raw until tender
 Dried  Serve with a tasty dressing or
http://www.ecnca.org/Plants/Photo_Pages/Opuntia_littoralis.htm  Stewed/steamed just salt and pepper - or use as
 Made into jellies, juices & sauces you would a side of green beans
 Cactus greens have always
been much appreciated by
desert dwellers whose craving
for green food it is not always
easy to satisfy.
Care in handling Prickly-pear
http://www.newportbay.org/plants/pricklypearleaf.html#Leaf3 © Project SOUND © Project SOUND

9

2/3/2013

Nopalitos – yum!
 Many traditional dishes: Spanish,
Native Southwestern and
Central/South America

 Consider swapping Cirsium for
http://www.brittanypowell.com/food-i-make/preparing-nopales/
http://www.girlichef.com/2011/05/nopalitos-salad-cactus-paddle-salad.html
Nopalitos for a Mediterranean taste
Nopalitos salade with cilantro dressing
http://queermaculture.blogspot.com/2009/06/tacos-de-nopales-y-verdolagas.html

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/cactus_and_corn_salsa/

http://www.rivenrock.com/nopalessalad.htm http://chanfles.com/comida/nopalitos/index.html
Nopalitos tacos Nopalitos and corn salsa
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Recipes/Mexican-Taco-Recipes-670/Nopalitos-Tacos-Tacos-de-Nopalitos-1149.aspx

Hillside/Pacific Pea - Lathyrus vestitus Canyon Pea - Lathyrus vestitus

 Coasts & coastal ranges of
CA, from OR to Baja
 Coastal sage scrub,
chaparral, oak woodland,
coniferous or mixed forest
 Common and widespread
inhabitant of dry to
shaded places below 5000‘
 Lathyrus: from the Greek
lathyros, an old name for
"pea", vestitus: covered,
clothed, usually with hairs

http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/socal/peasd.htm


10

2/3/2013

Yes, you can have sweet peas in your CSS
Canyon Pea flowers are a joy to behold
garden!
 Flowers:
 Size:
 2-8 ft long (usually 1-3);  Spring: usually April-June
spreading  Color:
 usually light pink to white;
 Growth form:  may be lavender;
 Perennial vine with woody base  San Diego variant (var. alefeldii ) is
magenta
 Climbing, sprawling with twining
green stems, with tendrils  Flowers look like wild sweetpeas (or
 Quick-growing (each year) even slightly small horticultural
varieties)
 Foliage:
 Sweetly scented
 Gray-green leaves; slightly
hairy  Good for native pollinators: bees,
hummingbirds & butterflies
 Leaves compound; 10-12 large,
elongated opposite leaflets  Seed pod:
 Drought-deciduous
 Larval food for Marine Blue  pink-green & fuzzy, drying to brown
butterfly http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/canyonsweetpea.html  Seeds of Pea family may be toxic if
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/canyonsweetpea.html eaten
http://www.coepark.org/wildflowers/white/lathyrus-vestitus.html

Garden conditions Use Canyon Pea like any
 Soils:
Sweetpea
 Texture: any from sand to clay
 pH: 5-8
 In a fragrance garden
 Light:
 Usually occurs in part shade near  Climbing up fences, trellises or other
oaks and other shrubs
supports
 Best in filtered sun or morning sun
 Water:  On ‘natural’ hillsides
 Winter: moist soils; rapid growth in  Great under oaks, Toyon, other
winter/spring
chaparral tree & shrubs
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/canyonsweetpea.html

 Summer:
 Fairly dry soils; fine with no summer  Probably even in large containers
water
 can be aggressive with regular
water; its growth should be
monitored so it doesn't escape into
http://www.calflora.net/favoritephotos/images/sandiegopea7.jpg
natural habitats.
Locate Canyon Pea where you can enjoy
 Fertilizer: none needed; organic
San Diego Pea mulch is fine its flowers & fragrance
Lathyrus vestitus var. alefeldii
© Project SOUND http://www.redshift.com/~bigcreek/fire/fire5/index.html © Project SOUND

11

2/3/2013

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F
Creamed Greens Casserole 2. Melt the butter in the pot over medium
Recipes calling for Nettles can be
heat. Saute the onions and garlic until
adapted for Canyon Pea Greens they are soft and translucent. Add the
mushrooms and saute until they soften
and glisten, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the
 Soups paprika over the vegetables and stir.
 Sauces 3. Add greens a few handfuls at a time,
stirring as you go. Once they have cooked
 Pesto
3 tablespoons unsalted butter down a bit, season with a little salt and
 Etc. 1 medium onion, minced pepper. Cover and continue cooking until
6 cloves garlic, minced the greens are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
8 ounces (227 g) sliced mushrooms 4. Stir in the cream or half & half, and
1 teaspoon paprika, chili powder, or
bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cook
Cajun seasoning
1 pound (454 g) fresh early greens, until thickened, about 5 minutes or so.
washed, trimmed, and chopped 5. Pour into baking dish and sprinkle with
sea salt, to taste grated cheese.
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
6. Bake 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese
16 ounces (473 mil) heavy cream or
http://abouquetfrommendel.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/getting-nettled/#more-208
half & half
is bubbly. Remove from the oven and allow
4 ounces (113 g) sharp cheddar to cool for a few minutes serving. Serves
http://honest-food.net/veggie-recipes/greens-and-herbs/nettle-pesto/ cheese, grated 6 to 8.
http://andreasrecipes.com/creamed-turnip-greens/

You can save native greens for later Fringed Willow Herb – Epilobium ciliatum ssp. ciliatum
 Wash, cut as usual

 Blanch (cook partially) for 2-3
minutes
 Boiling water
 Steam
 Microwave (shorter time)
http://www.theworldinmykitchen.com/2011/06/how-to-freeze-greens-spinach-kale-chard.html

 Chill quickly in ice water/cold
water

 Freeze in freezer bags

 Best used within 3-6 months

http://minnesotaseasons.com/Plants/American_willowherb.html

http://foodwhirl.com/techniques/how-to-freeze-greens

12

2/3/2013

Fringed Willow-herb: A plant of many Fringed Willow Herb – Epilobium ciliatum ssp. ciliatum
names…
 Ssp ciliatum widespread, both
 Epilobium adenocaulon, including var. ecomosum, as native and as an adventive
holosericeum, occidentale, parishii, perplexans; weed throughout North America
 Epilobium americanum; (including the Arctic), southern
 Epilobium brevistylum, including var. ursinum; South America, and eastern Asia
 Epilobium californicum including var. holosericeum;
 An introduced weed throughout
 Epilobium ciliatum var. ecomosum;
Europe and Australasia.
 Epilobium delicatum; http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?5263,5410,5417,5418

 Epilobium ecomosum;  Fairly common member of many
 Epilobium glandulosum var. adenocaulon, ecomosum, CA plant communities
macounii;  moist areas below 10,000‘
 Epilobium leptocarpum var. macounii;  most of cismontane and montane
 Epilobium ursinum; California
 Epilobium watsonii var. parishii


Fringed Willow-herb: Epilobium characteristics Flowers are tiny
 Size:  Blooms:
 2-5 ft tall (moisture dependent)  During warm weather
 1-3 ft wide  Anytime from June to Oct. in
our area
 Growth form:
 Flowers:
 Herbaceous perennial
 White or pink
 May be winter and/or drought
deciduous  Very small; usually alone or in
small clusters
 Upright; many-branched
 Most conspicuous feature:
 Foliage: inferior ovary (becomes the
 Medium green (red-tinged with seed pod)
drought/age) ; largely smooth and
 Seeds:
basal leaves
 Tiny; adundant
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/willowherb.html

 Leaves lance-shaped; deep veins
 Have fluffy tuft – wind
 Young foliage edible as cooked
distributed
greens; older shoots dried for tea
http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/ima
gecollection.php?Genus=Epilobium&Species=ciliat http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Epilobium_ciliatum_0374.JPG © Project SOUND © Project SOUND
um

13

Edible greens Feb-2013-notes

Edible greens Feb-2013-notes

Empfohlen

Empfohlen

Weitere ähnliche Inhalte

Was ist angesagt?

Was ist angesagt? (10)

Ähnlich wie Edible greens Feb-2013-notes

Ähnlich wie Edible greens Feb-2013-notes (20)

Mehr von cvadheim

Mehr von cvadheim (20)

Kürzlich hochgeladen

Kürzlich hochgeladen (20)

Edible greens Feb-2013-notes