Wake-Up Call

Image Gallery Wild greens, once gathered and used as spring tonics, can add flavor and nutrition to salads and soups. iStockphoto.com/PhotoGartner

While reading a 17th-century book on gardening, I was struck by the way modern gardeners and cooks have lost touch with the world of edible wild plants all around us.

In former times, wild greens were not looked down upon as weeds, but instead were gathered up as potherbs for good eating and health. In the Old World and in early America, wild greens gathered from woodlots, pasturelands and meadows were an important part of the daily diet. But when 19th-century industrialization shifted eating habits toward beef, white bread and processed foods, attitudes toward plants like chickweed and dandelion changed. These wild potherbs, once relished even by the wealthy, became branded as poverty food.

The truth is, wild greens still are treasure troves of good flavor and health. You simply need to know when to gather them and how to prepare them to bring out their best qualities.

Flavor Factors

Throughout much of Europe, particularly parts of the eastern Mediterranean, farm markets still sell wild plants during their brief season of availability. Plants like bladder campion and white mustard are appreciated as much as new wine or freshly pressed olive oil.

Although some authors describe the flavor of all wild greens as something akin to spinach, each of these plants offers a distinctive flavor and texture not found in garden vegetables. Most importantly, they have terroir: Their flavor is determined largely by the soil in which they grow. Wild plants, which usually have to struggle in poor or rocky soil, contain less water in their leaves, so their flavor is more concentrated than that of garden plants.

Three Potherbs to Try

North America contains an abundance of wild edible greens, but I particularly like bladder campion, chickweed and dandelion. All three can be found in every region of the United States, or, if you prefer, could be grown in your own garden. Dandelion greens also are sold in most markets. For additional wild greens commonly found in the United States, see “A Sampler of Edible Wild Greens.”

BLADDER CAMPION (Silene vulgaris)

This escapee from the Old World originally was cultivated in colonial kitchen gardens because it was considered good for digestion (not to mention its whispered reputation as an aphrodisiac). In the wild, this highly nutritious plant grows in well-drained, gravelly locations, producing attractive white flowers from April through September.

The name comes from its distinctive bladder-like seed pods, which look attractive in dried floral arrangements. I’ve always wondered why this pretty plant with silvery-green leaves hasn’t been developed into something more spectacular, but then, the first thing to be sacrificed would be its flavor, which I like to describe as a mixture of cabbage and walnuts. Bladder campion tastes best before it blooms. Gather it in early spring, when the plants first emerge, or late fal. when new leaves appear. Pick the smallest, most tender shoots from plants no more than 3 to 4 inches high. Avoid the largest leaves, which can be stringy and tough. Eat the young shoots raw in salads, add them to stir-fries or cook them in omelets (see “Breakfast of Champions”).