Page 125 - The Lost Ways

abundantly everywhere. In the spring, before the plants get very big, you can take a knife
and slice below the surface to gather the whole plant, including the crown.

These young plants can be eaten raw in a salad, as can the pale leaf crown, all year. As
they get older, the leaves become bitter, so you may have to change the water if you
collect them into the late spring. By summer, older growth is inedible, so stick with the
new growth for salads.

Chicory plants yield tough roots that go deep into the soil. If you have soft soil, this isn’t

a problem, but if you live in an area that’s mostly clay, you should wait until after a good
rain to try to harvest the roots. After roasting the roots, you’ll need to grind them. Leave
them coarse like coffee instead of grinding them to a powder.

Cleavers

Annual herb; harvest in the spring and summer

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Cleavers grow everywhere, especially in moist, rich soil. Harvest the young, tender
greens early in the season. You can steam these or boil them in a little water.

19 "Cleavers" by: Peter O'Connor, (CC BY-SA 2.0)

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