Page 94 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Nipplewort, Lapsana

communis (ASTERACEAE)

NIPPLEWORT is an annual or biennial plant. It grows
1-3 ½ ft. (0.3-1m) tall. It has a spreading, flowering top
but it only branches slightly underneath. The stout cen-
tral stem is reddish to green. It has slight ridges and is
covered in hairs, more so at the lower parts of the plant.

FLOWER: Composite yellow flowers are ½ to 1½ inches
(1-4cm) long. These parts of the stalks are round, slen-
der, and hairless. Each flower is less than ½ inch (1cm)
wide, with 18 to 20 spreading ray florets. They bloom
from midsummer to fall.

LEAF: Lower leaves are 6 inches (15cm) long and 2.5 WEED LASAGNA: In spring, gather 2 cups young
inches (6cm) wide. They have 1 large, oval, terminal lobe leaves of nipplewort along with other spring greens
with 2 small, opposite side lobes. Upper leaves are alter- (dandelion, spinach, milk thistle). Prepare as above.
nate, smaller in size and fewer in number. Dry and rough chop. Season with salt and pepper. Mix

EDIBLE PARTS: young leaves and shoots with 4 cups ricotta or cottage cheese. Build lasagna in
layers with cooked lasagna noodles, weed and cheese
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Young leaves and shoots
mixture, tomato sauce, and grated mozzarella and
are best harvested before the flower stems appear in
parmesan cheese. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 60 min.
spring. They taste like radish and can be bitter; can be
Enjoy hot, maybe with a fresh spring greens salad.
eaten raw or cooked. Best plunged in cold salted water
for 10-15 min. to improve flavor and texture.
Northern Water Plantain, Alisma

triviale (ALISMATACEAE)

NORTHERN or LARGE-FLOWERED WATER PLAN-
TAIN is a wetland plant found in shallow muddy areas
that tend to dry up during the summer months such as
shallow marshes, pond and lake edges, sloughs, slow
moving waterways, and temporary pools in wet prai-
ries or meadows. It has a basal rosette of leaves, with
a large whorl of branched flowers reaching 3 ft. (1 m).
FLOWER: Flowers appear at the tips of stalks and are
small, about ¼ inch (0.6cm) across, with 3 white petals,
each with a yellow patch at the base, around a green cen- Matt Lavin, CC-BY-SA-2.0
ter. They bloom from late spring through the summer.
NORTHERN WATER PLANTAIN MISO SOUP: Pre-
LEAF: Basal leaves are 7 inches (17cm) long and 4 inch-
pare ⅛ cup leaves per serving as above. Chop into
es (10cm) wide. They are oval, hairless, with smooth
1-inch (2.5cm) squares. Make miso soup by adding
margins.
1 tbsp. of prepared miso paste to 1 cup of high-qual-
EDIBLE PARTS: leaves and roots ity boiling water per serving. Let stand 5 min. Add
KEY MEDICINAL USES: Leaves are antibacterial, diuret- chopped plantain leaves. Enjoy hot.
ic, hypoglycemic, and hypotensive. WARNING: Fresh leaves and roots are toxic but tox-
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Leaves and roots are best ic compounds are destroyed by heat or drying. May
harvested before flower stalks appear in early summer. cause skin reaction and may be poisonous to some
Using a rake or shovel, dig roots. All parts must be boiled people. People taking heart or diabetic medication
in 2 changes of water for 30 min. each and then dried. should be cautious.
They can then be cooked for use.

93