Wild Edibles Become Spring Treats for Kids

Early Spring is a great time for harvesting wild edibles. Most of the plants haven't flowered yet, so the flavor and nutrient content is at the peak of perfection! In a recent session of Kids Cook at the Hub, we went to the garden to check out the wild chickweed popping up on paths and in containers. Together we examined the plants for identifying details (fuzzy stem, symmetrical leave pattern, watery, lettuce-like leaves) then harvested a basketful for pesto making in the kitchen.

The Hub just offered our annual Spring Wild Edibles Workshop, but look for another workshop in September to learn more about what you can snack on in your own yard.

Garden Fresh Pesto

Pesto is a delicious and versatile way to pack in tons of greens in one meal. There's no need to wait for basil season, you can make pesto with all kinds of greens and fresh herbs. Use pine nuts, sunflower seeds, walnuts or no nuts. Go vegan, and omit the cheese! Make a big batch during the summer and freeze it for a lovely hit of green in the dead of winter.  Here are some recipes, but feel free to experiment.  This week in the pantry, our pesto features chives, baby spinach and kale leaves, freshly harvested from the Hub Gardens. 

Basil Pesto

Kale Pesto

Arugula Pesto 

A Rose by Any Other Name...

…still tastes as sweet!

Roses have been used as food and medicine for centuries – like at least back to First Century Greece. Rose petals and rose hips were collected and eaten in Britain during WWII because of the food shortages there. The hips especially are high in several vitamins, especially Vitamin C. But the best thing about them is the taste. Different varieties of roses used to have different scents and thus different flavors, but the modern hybridized roses tend to all smell and taste alike and have much less odor and flavor than the old ones. Another example of progress. Sigh.

Whatever roses you use, be sure that they haven’t been sprayed. Most roses have been well doused with pesticides, which you probably don’t want to eat. Wild roses, too, may have been sprayed with various chemicals and may have absorbed gas fumes if they are near a road or highway.

When my family moved to Idaho, our house had lots of roses out back, and I made rose petal jam and jelly the first summer. We didn’t much like the jam; we found the texture of the rose petals unpleasant. But the WILD ROSE PETAL JELLY was good. The recipe called for wild roses, but we just used the ones in the backyard.

ROSE WATER is used in many Middle Eastern and Indian recipes. You can buy it, but it’s easy to make yourself. Rose Water is an ingredient in the following recipes.

HONEY AND ROSE COOLER is a refreshing and cooling drink, perfect for a hot summer day. For an elegant (and yes, definitely girly!) afternoon snack, serve it with ROSEWATER COOKIES and ROSE PETAL SANDWICHES. Maybe for an engagement party or a shower?

The most unusual recipe I found is for ROSE PETAL PESTO. I don’t have a problem with roses and basil, or even with roses and cheese. But roses and garlic? I’ll leave that one to you. Let me know if you try it and what you think.

Roses can be used in other ways, too. Rose Hip Tea can be made by pouring boiling water over crushed rose hips and letting it steep. A few rose petals can be added to lemonade or to salads. Rose petals can be added to honey or to butter or can be crystalized and used to decorate cakes, cookies, etc. You can find recipes for these and other delicacies online by googling rose recipes.

Don't forget to take time to smell - and taste! - the roses!

Mary Anne

Herb Gardening with the Hub

This June, the Hub offered our annual Herb Gardening workshop.  We were thrilled to show off the many herbs on site at MHC, and to offer participants cuttings of oregano, pineapple sage, thyme, and mint, as well as divisions of our comfrey and chive plants to grow at home.  We covered the basics of planting, tending and propagating herbs, as well as discussing the many uses of garden herbs.  Here are some of the highlights from the workshop:

Cooking with Herbs

We started the class with a tasting of pesto pasta, one of our favorite Hub meals using fresh herbs from the garden.  See our pesto recipes here.  We talked about the many delicious uses of herbs we can grow and cook with, and a few participants had attended our recent Pie for Dinner workshop, and were excited to grow Herbs de Provence to bake the Provencal Tart with Gruyere and Herbs.  The Herbs de Provence mix includes basil, fennel seed, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sage, summer savory, and thyme, all herbs that grow well in our part of Indiana.    

Growing Herbs

Herbs are a great entry point to gardening, and most of the class participants were interested in starting small containers of herbs either on a windowsill or on a porch.  We discussed the basics of container gardening, including offering adequate drainage, sun exposure, and watering.  See our container gardening handout here.  We also discussed the plant families of common herbs, and their growing habits and needs.  We discussed the growing habits of mint family plants in particular, as all the cuttings participants were bringing home were from the mint family.  One tip that was a workshop favorite was to save eggshells and spent coffee grounds to add to herb containers and offer plants a nutrient boost.

Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard Garden Tour

We took a tour around the Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard garden, identifying herbs and talking about their growing needs and uses.  We took a longer look at the MHC Herb Spiral, a permaculture inspired planting design that offers multiple microclimates for herbs.   The Hub garden has a wide variety of herbs, from cooking herbs like rosemary and tarragon to those used medicinally like calendula and comfrey.  Comfrey is one of our favorite herbs at MHC.  We grow it in all 4 of our community gardens and use it as a mulch or ferment it into a fertilizer.  Join us during our open garden volunteer hours to learn more about the Hub’s herbs and their essential role in our community gardens.

Rose Petal Pesto

(from chickensintheroad.com)

2 cups Fresh Basil
1 cup Rose Petals
4 large Garlic Cloves
1 cup Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Rosewater
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Romano Cheese
Salt and freshly ground Pepper to taste

Rinse Rose Petals and Basil thoroughly and pat dry. Cup up Rose Petals with sharp scissors. Peel and chop garlic. Combine the basil, garlic and Pine nuts, chop in either a food processor or blender. While still processing add olive oil and rose water slowly. Add the Parmesan and Romano, salt and pepper, blend lightly.

Pesto Recipes

Pesto is a delicious and versatile way to pack in tons of greens in one meal. You can make it with all kinds of greens and fresh herbs, you can use pine nuts, sunflower seeds, walnuts or no nuts. You can go vegan, and omit the cheese. Make a big batch during the summer, and freeze it for a lovely hit of green in the dead of winter.  Here are some recipes, but feel free to experiment

Basil Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves (no stems), packed

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds)

½ cup grated parmesan or romano cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

This can be made quickly with a blender or food processor, and it can also be made into a chunky pesto by hand with a lot of chopping.  Combine basil, nuts and garlic in the blender.  Add the olive oil until blended and then add the romano cheese in small pieces.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Serving: Add this pesto to cooked pasta, cooked potatoes, spread it on a sandwich, or use it on pizza. 

Freezing: If you want to freeze the pesto you make, omit the cheese (it doesn't freeze well). Line an ice cube tray with plastic wrap, and fill each pocket with the pesto. Freeze and then remove from the ice tray and store in a freezer bag. When you want to use, defrost and add in grated Parmesan or Romano.

Kale Pesto

1 cup fresh kale leaves, chopped

2 garlic cloves

2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup sunflower seeds

¾ cup olive oil

salt

freshly ground pepper

Combine kale, garlic, cheese and sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor, and blend. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil. Season to taste with salt an pepper, process to desired texture. Enjoy over pasta, on toast, in scrambled eggs…etc.

Arugula Pesto

2 cups of packed arugula leaves, stems removed

1/2 cup of shelled walnuts

1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1/2 garlic clove peeled and minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Brown 6 garlic cloves with their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins.

Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown, or heat in a microwave on high heat for a minute or two until you get that roasted flavor. In our microwave it takes 2 minutes.

 Food processor method (the fast way): Combine the arugula, salt, walnuts, roasted and raw garlic into a food processor. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Mortar and pestle method: Combine the nuts, salt and garlic in a mortar. With the pestle, grind until smooth. Add the cheese and olive oil, grind again until smooth. Finely chop the arugula and add it to the mortar. Grind up with the other ingredients until smooth.

Because the pesto is so dependent on the individual ingredients, and the strength of the ingredients depends on the season or variety, test it and add more of the ingredients to taste.

Serve with pasta, over freshly roasted potatoes, or as a sauce for pizza.

Yield: Makes 1 heaping cup.

Dandelion Pesto

Yield: 3-1/2 cups

2 cups tightly packed dandelion leaves, well-rinsed and dried (harvest the small, young leaves, before the plant flowers)

1 dozen large basil leaves

2 garlic cloves

1 cup lightly toasted hazelnuts (skins removed), or toasted almonds, pine nuts, or walnuts

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 In the bowl of a food processor or blender, pulse together dandelion leaves, basil, garlic, and nuts. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the motor running, add olive oil and process until a smooth paste forms. Pulse in cheese if you like. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Basil Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves (no stems), packed

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds)

½ cup grated parmesan or romano cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

This can be made quickly with a blender or food processor, and it can also be made into a chunky pesto by hand with a lot of chopping.  Combine basil, nuts and garlic in the blender.  Add the olive oil until blended and then add the romano cheese in small pieces.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Serving: Add this pesto to cooked pasta, cooked potatoes, spread it on a sandwich, or use it on pizza. 

Freezing: If you want to freeze the pesto you make, omit the cheese (it doesn't freeze well). Line an ice cube tray with plastic wrap, and fill each pocket with the pesto. Freeze and then remove from the ice tray and store in a freezer bag. When you want to use, defrost and add in grated Parmesan or Romano.

Kale Pesto

1 cup fresh kale leaves, chopped

2 garlic cloves

2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup sunflower seeds

¾ cup olive oil

salt

freshly ground pepper

Combine kale, garlic, cheese and sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor, and blend. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil. Season to taste with salt an pepper, process to desired texture. Enjoy over pasta, on toast, in scrambled eggs…etc.

Arugula Pesto

2 cups of packed arugula leaves, stems removed

1/2 cup of shelled walnuts

1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1/2 garlic clove peeled and minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Brown 6 garlic cloves with their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins.

Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown, or heat in a microwave on high heat for a minute or two until you get that roasted flavor. 

Food processor method (the fast way): Combine the arugula, salt, walnuts, roasted and raw garlic into a food processor. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Mortar and pestle method: Combine the nuts, salt and garlic in a mortar. With the pestle, grind until smooth. Add the cheese and olive oil, grind again until smooth. Finely chop the arugula and add it to the mortar. Grind up with the other ingredients until smooth.

Because the pesto is so dependent on the individual ingredients, and the strength of the ingredients depends on the season or variety, test it and add more of the ingredients to taste.

Serve with pasta, over freshly roasted potatoes, or as a sauce for pizza.

Yield: Makes 1 heaping cup.

Chickweed & Arugula Pesto

A variation on basic pesto, this sauce is perfect in late winter/early spring when chickweed is one of the few fresh greens available in the garden.

1 cup of packed arugula leaves, stems removed

1 cup packed chickweed leaves

1/2 cup of toasted sunflower seeds

1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 garlic clove peeled and minced (or a few garlic cloves un peeled, if you have time to roast them)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Brown garlic cloves with their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins.

Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown.

Food processor method (the fast way): Combine the arugula, chickweed, salt, sunflowers, roasted garlic into a food processor. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl.

Mortar and pestle method: Combine the nuts, salt and garlic in a mortar. With the pestle, grind until smooth. Add the cheese and olive oil, grind again until smooth. Finely chop the arugula and add it to the mortar. Grind up with the other ingredients until smooth.

Because the pesto is so dependent on the individual ingredients, and the strength of the ingredients depends on the season or variety, test it and add more of the ingredients to taste.

Serve with pasta, over freshly roasted potatoes, or as a sauce for pizza. 

Yield: Makes 1 heaping cup.