WILD FOODS IN YOUR GARDEN

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Tossed delicacies

By Deborah A. Duchon

AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, WEEDING IS one of our most important gardening chores. Weeds, those unwelcome trespassers, can grow rapidly, choking out our tender hybrid flowers and vegetables. Although we spend so much of our time fighting them, comparatively few of us actually know much about weeds.

Have you ever wondered why some plants make weeds of themselves? It's as if this wild vegetation prefers human company to life in the pristine wilderness. Ironically, it's because many of these plants were naturalized many centuries ago by our ancestors for food, medicine, or other purposes—they're actually semidomesticated. Although we abandoned them as our lifestyles changed, they faithfully continue to follow us!

Most of those dreadful weeds are edible. Some are choice, and are cultivated in other countries and by those of us who still appreciate them. I've been eating and enjoying beneficial weeds for over 20 years in addition to more "normal" foods, for their flavor, freshness, and nutritional value. They're also free—another inescapable attribute.

By using those weeds as food, you will realize a number of benefits: One, You get an "early harvest" at a time when most gardens are just getting started. Two, you increase the productivity of your garden. (Weeds, you'll come to see, are not pests—they're homegrown food.) Three, as with most other homegrown food, you'll save money. This particular food is especially economical—it's totally free (you didn't even have to pay for the seeds). Four, you'll expand your own culinary horizons. There are approximately 50,000 edible plant species in the world, but the average American eats only 30. Hence, if you only use three kinds of weeds as part of your diet, you've probably increased your food choices by 10%! And five, it's easier to avoid using herbicides once you view weeds as food, helping the environment.

Although wild plant life varies in different climate zones, there are quite a number of weeds that are considered "cosmopolitan"— they thrive nearly everywhere. Here are just a few of the most pervasive garden, or "lawn" weeds. If you are familiar with these plants, feel free to experiment with them. But don't try eating anything you're not sure of. Check its identity with a good field guide, your local agricultural extension agent or park ranger. By the way, many nature centers and state parks offer edible plant walks. This is one of the best ways to learn more about wild foods.

Purslane, Portulaca oleracea