Edible Plants A to Z // Chicory

Chicory is as versatile as a foraged plant can get. You can use just about every part of it: the fibrous leaves, the hearty root, and even the dandelion-like flower. Since it was first cultivated in ancient Egypt—and, by the way, also in ancient Greece and Rome—this plant has been developed for many different uses. You'll find it in a variety of sizes and colors, and it is known by several different names: radicchio, sugarloaf, and Belgian endive, to name a few.

Although chicory is mostly consider a weed in the United States, the plant's root is the not-so-secret ingredient in the coffee brewed at Café Du Monde in New Orleans. As the story goes, the endive was used to stretch out meager supplies when coffee was scarce during the French civil war. The French brought it to Louisiana, and today, you can still order up a cup of the coffee/chicory mix with the cafe's world-famous beignets.

Using this Plant

• Greens: used for salads, juices, and other recipes; can be harvested through the growing season but will be most tender and less bitter before flowering in Spring
• Roots: can be roasted, ground, and used as a coffee substitute; best harvested autumn through winter
• Flowers: can be used for dye and have many medicinal qualities; flowering can happen April through October, depending on the variety and zone

chicory recipes

Chicory Recipes from Around the Web:

1. Braised Chicory (gluten free, meat free)
2. Chicory and Grapefruit Green Smoothie (dairy free, gluten free, meat free)
3. Chicory, Leek, and Chicken Stew (dairy free, gluten free)
4. Chicory Salad with Anchovy Dressing (dairy free, gluten free, meat free)
5. Raw Salad with Fennel, Seville Orange, Chicory, and Kohlrabi (dairy free, gluten free, meat free)
6. Pickled Eggs with Mayonnaise on Chicory Leaves (dairy free, gluten free)

Warning: Only consume plants you can positively identify and know are safe to eat.

Top photo by joeldinda, Flickr. All recipe images are copyright their original owner. Sources: Hungry Native, Temperate Climate Permaculture, and Wikipedia.

Edible Plants A to Z // Brambles

Blackberries. Raspberries. Boysenberries. Marion berries. These are just a few of the hundreds — if not thousands — of flowering, fruiting plants more commonly known as brambles.

As a whole, the berries that grow on brambles are probably the most well-known wild food. They can be eaten fresh, or easily turned into syrup, used as pie filling, or prepared a number of other different ways.

Brambles are extremely common. The plants are usually found on the edges of meadows and fields, but can grow almost anywhere, including woodlands, hedgerows, gardens, and even landfills.

Brambles are easy to identify. The most obviously clue are the berries themselves, which turn from green to juicy red, purple, or black. Technically in the rose family, brambles have thick, woody stems with prickles or thorns. The leaves have jagged edges.

The berries are easy to harvest. If you plan on collecting a huge batch, wear gloves and use pinking shears. Having both hands free for picking might help, too, so consider attaching a container to your belt.

The berries are flavorful and nutritious. This feel-good food is not only an antioxidant, but it's an excellent source of vitamin C, maganese, and potassium.

This plant isn't just for humans. Many species of birds love to eat the berries and they also often find protection for their nests in the dense bushes — which is why a range of other small animals also find their homes in brambles.

Recipes using brambles: Although these recipes call for specific berries, most fruits that come from brambles can be substituted for one another.

• Blackberry Jam and a Breakfast Cake (meat free)
• Blackberry Bramble Cocktail (dairy free, gluten free, meat free)
• Brambleberry Shortbread Tart with Marscapone (meat free)
• Gluten-free Boysenberry Peach Pie (gluten free, meat free)
• Homemade Boysenberry Sorbet with Verbena (dairy free, gluten free, meat free)
• Raspberry Infused Vodka (dairy free, gluten free, meat free)

Warning: Only consume plants you can positively identify and know are safe to eat.

Photo by gingerboximages, Flickr.  Sources: Wikipedia, The Wildlife Trusts, and Wild Man Steve Brill.

Edible Plants A to Z // Amaranth

If the name amaranth doesn't ring a bell, perhaps you've heard of the Southeast Asian dish saag or you've had the opportunity to eat the Mexican treat alegría. Or maybe you've heard of quinoa, a similar ancient wonder food that was a staple of the Aztec and Maya diet.

Amaranth is the common name for more than 60 different species of amaranthus — plants that are easily recognizable by their broad leaves and bright-colored flowers. It's been cultivated for more than 6,000 years and, despite being nearly eliminated during the Spanish conquest, it remains an important food source in Central America and South America, as well as Africa, India and Nepal. It's also growing in popularity in China, Russia, Thailand, and Nigeria.

You can eat the buds, leaves, seeds, and roots of this plant. The seeds are used to make amaranth flour and cereal, while the leaves are nutritionally similar to beets, Swiss chard, and spinach — and they can also be used in salads.

• In many South American countries, it is popped like corn and sold on the streets.
• In India, Mexico, Nepal, and Peru, it's a traditional ingredient in breakfast porridge.
• In Mexico, popped amaranth is mixed with sugar and honey to make a sugary treat called alegría.

The plant is packed with nutrients. The seeds are high in potassium, zinc, and Vitamin B, and can contain more than 20 percent protein. The leaves, on the other hand, contain three times as much more calcium and niacin (vitamin B3) than spinach leaves. Plus, it's naturally gluten-free.

Amaranth is easy to harvest, prepare, and cook.

• A single dried flower head produces thousands of seeds.
• These seeds can be roasted, popped, boiled, or turned into flour.
• Young leaves are mild in flavor and good to use in salads.
• Mature leaves can be substituted in any recipe that calls for spinach.

Amaranth recipes:

• Alegrías (gluten free, dairy free, meat free)
• Amaranth-Honey Bread (meat free)
• Amaranth, Cranberry, and Mint Salad (gluten free, dairy free, meat free)
• Amaranth, Quinoa, and Polenta Porridge (gluten free, dairy free, meat free)
• Amaranth Bread with Cumin-Spiced Potatoes (gluten free, dairy free, meat free)
• Amaranth Eggplant Burgers with Sriracha Tahini Sauce (gluten free, dairy free, meat free)
• Popped Amaranth Crunch (gluten free, dairy free, meat free)
• Tofu Amaranth Salad (gluten free, dairy free, meat free)

Warning: Only consume plants you can positively identify and know are safe to eat.

Photo by Nomadic Lass, Flickr.  Sources: Tropical Permaculture, Whole Grains Council, and Wikipedia.