Eating healthy for next to nothing!
One of the biggest expenses that many people have in life is food, and unlike some creature comforts, it is a necessity. Far too often, good, nutrient rich food can be expensive, and often where and how the food was grown can be questionable.
A hobby of mine is foraging, and I think that it is an incredibly beneficial hobby for many reasons. For one, it is a learning experience, which is good for the brain. Also, it gets you outdoors and into the wild. Free food is the natural byproduct of foraging, and the skills learned just may save your life later.
I’ll be doing an URBAN SURVIVAL post soon about wild edibles and also EDIBLE OUTDOORS posts soon featuring Chickweed and Redbuds, but for now I just wanted to share a simple and cheap recipe for an incredible salad.
CHICKWEED & PLANTAIN SALAD FEATURING REDBUD
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups chopped Chickweed
- 1 cup chopped Plantain
- 2 tablespoons chopped Wild Chives
- 2 tablespoons Redbud Flowers
- Dressing of choice
DIRECTIONS:
Once you locate appropriate amounts of each wild edible, rinse them and pat dry. Chop all ingredients except the Redbud Flowers and mix in a serving bowl. Drizzle with salad dressing of your choice and enjoy.
This is a single serving for one person, but the quantity can easily be increased to include others. Since all of the food is free, the only expense is the salad dressing, which I estimate to be about 10 cents worth, at the most.
THE FLAVOR!
I have really been enjoying fresh Chickweed lately. It has a crisp, juicy crunch that reminds me of Iceberg Lettuce. The young Plantain leaves bring a lot of nutrition to the table and mix in well with the other ingredients. Redbud Flowers have an intriguing taste and top the salad off very well, and the Wild Chives complimented the zesty Italian Dressing that I chose excellently.
HERE IS A VIDEO OF ME SHARING MORE ABOUT THIS SALAD:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TLG0jhjE8AU
As always I'm @papa-pepper and here's the proof:
Until next time…
FULL STEEM AHEAD!
This was post # 13333 for @papa-pepper!
This is an important post and you are right. Right now, people eat only forty different vegetables and fruits at the most on average. This was not always the case. American Indians, Settlers, Pioneers, and average people used to know all the different plants you can eat and people's diets used to consist of hundreds of plants and fruits.
Did you know that before tumbleweed gets large it is delicious? I saw cattle and chickens eating, deer, elk, pronghorn antelope and one time the dog and so I though, what the heck? Out here in the Western Desert, believe it or not there are about a thousand different plants. I only know three but a Paiute told me that all the plants out here are either edible or can be used for medicines. Who knew?
Great Post!
Amazing! Very cool, thanks for sharing that. No time like the present to learn!
I will attest to the deliciousness of young tumbleweeds (Salsola tragus). They are restaurant-quality in stir-fry when they are about 3 inches high, in my opinion. They are worth blanching and freezing, too. They can grow too large really fast, but if a person is quick to react to seeing them sprout all over - they are in for a good spring green.
nice let make use of what our Lord has given us to eat , for that is best for us
Fully agreed! Thank you!
Yummy and looks pretty!
It is and it does. Delicious & beautiful!
Good for you. Free healthy food.
Yes it is!!!
It is not only tasty, but also useful!
Absolutely!
Eating healthy is really important :-)
Very! Thank you!
Great post, nothing like living off the land and knowing what to eat. Do you remember or have you seen the film "Into The Wild" ? Many things can be eaten but its important to double check because even the best can make mistakes.
Not sure about that movie, but I've already made mistakes! LOL!
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That's the right idea, for sure! Chickweed is such a good base for a salad. And Redbud flowers make everything better, lol! Chives, too. I think your Boradleaf Plantain toughens up a little sooner than the Narrowleaf Plantain that's more common in my area. But it's spring -- and so many things are wonderful for salads! Here's to lots of great wild eating for you and your family this spring! :D
Eat on! Wild and free!