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October 28, 1962 - Wild Edible Vegetables Wild Edible Vegetables Exclusive Sunday Review Sketch by Melita Hofmann of Orient. Focus on Nature by Paul Stoutenburgh, Cutchogue Guest Writer: Melita Hofmann Those of you who have been following this column will remem- ber Melita Hofmann for her re- cent articles and sketches on Wild Flowers, Turkey Vultures and Fruits and Berries. Today, she reminisces .about the interesting world of wild vegetables of which so many of us are unfamiliar. Nature's garden helped k e e p alive those hardy early settlers of our country, those who !had been fortunate enough to with- stand the many hardships. Many were half starved when they reached our shores since t e i r food supply which they were able to carry aboard ship, soon dwind- led, spoiled or was washed away by the severe storms which were encountered at sea. Before gar- dens could be planted it was nec- essary to become acquainted with any readily available source of food. The sea furnished a var- iety of choice sea food and the friendly Indians told them of fruits and berries, dealt with in a previous article, and vegetables, many of which proved delicious as well as nourishing. A number j of these are still available grow- ing wild even in our locality, while others have been cultivated and grow in our gardens. A wild sunflower, often called Earth Apple or Canada Potato, and known to us as Jerusalem Artichoke, has roots which a r e very good to eat. The Indians told the Colonists about these and they thrived on them for a long time before the Common Potato took their place as a food staple. In those early days some of these 'plants were sent to Europe on retun ships to be planted in gar- dens of England and Italy, and from the curious name "Girasote" which the Italians gave the roots came our name, — Jerusalem — a place, doubtless, where the plant has n e v e r been seen. It is a perennial plant that lives from year to year by means of its, tubers, which are edible and have a flavor somewhat re- sembling tl:e Glove Artichoke's. This is probably -the reason it is called artichoke rather than po- tato which its tubers so closely resemble. The plants grow to a height of six feet or more mak- ing a splended showing in late fall along the roadsides, in w a s t e places, or back of old gardens with their many petalled, daisy - ,hke, yellow flowers. The tubers begin to form in mid- August and are ready to eat after they have been chilled in the soil. Boys will sometimes eat the roots of this artichoke without even washing or cooking them. Many people have planted these sunflowers in their gardens for food and for decoration. The Indian Cucumber -Root is another plant known to the early settlers through the Indians. It is not the climbing Wild Cucumber Vine, but a plant three feet high growing in marshy places and thickets. A circle or whorl of light green 'eaves, tapering to points at both ends, surrounds a stem topped with three m o r e leaves from which shoot t h r e e small yellowish flowers. The root, shaped like a long pointed cone, tastes like raw cucumber. T he plant is one of the lily family, along with the also edible Wild Onion and the Wild Asparagus whose name and use are ancient. A berry- bearing plant, whose berries are not edible, but whose tender shoots are asparagus -like and have been used by native Americans since earliest times, is the shrub known as the P o k e- Berry. These young shoots, in spring, when boiled, taste like asparagus. They are often seen today in Amish Markets in Penn- sylvania. However, great care s h o u l d be taken in gathering them in order not to include any of the root as roots and seeds of the berries are decidedly poison- ous to humans. Among old -time pot herbs used by Indians and. early settlers are various plants known to us as wild flowers or wild herbs. Most of these are better used in early spring when '.eaves are t e n d e r and juicy. Among them are Wild Dock, Wild Mustard and Shep- herd's Purse, Wild Cabbage, Wild Lettuce, Dandelion and m a n,y others. Dandelion is one of the first wild flowers that you will find in the spring, needing no in- troduction. Despite the b i t t e r flavor, the leaves are highly priz- ed in the spring for greens. Bitter tasting plants were often consid- ered to have medicinal qualities merely because they were bitter. This is probably a reason for the g e n e r a! idea that dandelion greens are a good spring tonic. Like other p l a n t s, dandelion leaves probably have a few extra vitamins in them which g i v e s some justification for their use for medicinal purposes. Wild Dock or Field Sorrel, whose long ar- row -head shaped leaves are acid to the taste, is also one of the early spring favorites for cooked greens. Oth: rs are the Wild Mus- tard, and the small lance - shaped leaves of the Shepherd's Purse, one of the cress family whose Latin name literally describes the shape of the tiny seed pods. Also Good King Henry, f o u n d growing among the grasses, makes an excellent pot herb like spinach. Its leaves, shaped like arrow - .'heads, form a cluster of green foliage at the ground. Fennel, sold in vegetable mar- kets under the name of Finocchio has bright green feathery foliage. The bulbous base of these leaves may be eaten raw or boiled, served with sauce made of meat stock. Another variety of W i I d Fennel, Carosei'.a, taller growing, has stalks which are cut and .eat- en like celery. Both are recog= nized by their bright foliage and yellow umbels of , flowers. The leaves are used in fish sauce;, garnish, soup, salad, in s o f t cheese, and spiced beets. T he seeds, too, are used in soup, pud- ding and cake. Wild Cabbage probably was known to ancient peoples a long time before Christ, although it is not definitely known -whether the cabbage mentioned in ancient times was the heading type or the wU form having only a head of loose leaves. There is also a Wild Lettuce which is ed- ible but which has been develop. ed and with which cultivated let,- tuce readily crosses. Borage, a luxuriant beautiful plant w i t h drooping clusters of pure b I u e flowers has leaves which are cucumber- flavored and w h i c h when young can be cooked as greens or used in salads; when steeped they provide a cooling summer iced drink. This plant has been cultivated to grow in our gardens. Purslane, a very common weed on moist sandy soils, also has been developed into garden var- ieties for salad purposes. T he plant, which grows flat on the ground, has fleshy, watery stems and leaves, mildly flavored and faintly acid. Another is Chicory - sometimes called B'ue Dandelion because of its clear blue flowers. Its leaves, which resemble those of the dandelion, may be blanch- ed for salads and are sometimes marketed under the name of Wit - loof. The roots of the plant have long been used to adulterate cof- fee when roasted and ground, giv- ing it a bitter taste which some people enjoy. For flavoring these salads and as a garnish the Wild Chive, with miniature onion -'.ike leaves and bulbs, gives a mild onion flavor. It is also good in such cooked dishes as omelettes and stews. And the Water Cress, found growing in running water, or in wet, shady paces, provides a refreshing garnish and adds zest to salads. There are many more of these edible wild plants, not mentioned here, but . in closing Common Tansy must not be omitted for to many of the older generation the dough mixture which resulted in "Tansy Cakes" is one of the delectables remembered f r o m childhood. The leaves and f'.owers of this once wild p'ant, now of- ten seen in gardens, h a v e a strong aromatic smell and bitter taste. The young leaves we r e used for flavoring , puddings, cakes and omelettes, etc. Tansy tea was an old popular medicine. 'Some curious old customs still linger in many parts of England connected with the use of "tansy cakes" and "tansy puddings" at Easter which was originally in- tended to represent the use of critter herbs at the paschal. feast. FIELD OBSERVATIONS L Ernest reports: Southampton — Oct 13-16 Yellow - bellied Flycatcher Hermit Thrush Golden - crowned Kinglets (4) Yeb]ow- throated Vireo Purple Finch (8) Bald Eagle Mecox — Oct 13-16 Green - winged Teal Pied_ billed Grebes (2) Dennis Puleston reports: Brookhaven — Oct 15 Sora Rail Yellow- breasted Chat Coot (65) Quogue Sanctuary — Oct 21 American Bittern Palm Warblers (6) Wild Turkey (2) Brookhaven — Oct 21 Horned Grebe Short -eared Owl LeRoy Wilcox reports: Quogue (Mist Nets) — Oct 22 Blue Grosbeak TERSE VERSE The only thing that's worse .Than paying income tax Is when you do not •have To pay an income tax.