Spring Edibles
Japanese Knotweed is a terrible invasive destroying the park's woodland. But its young shoots look like a reddish asparagus stalk and make a tasty spring treat. Check out the Knotweed Crumble recipe. The knotweed tastes a little like rhubarb. The shoots start to emerge in late April. The giraffes at the Franklin Park Zoo enjoy the green leaves all summer long.
Here's a list of Spring edibles that grow in the park:
(click on plant names for a photo to help you identify it in the park)
Amaranth - cook the leaves for about 10-12 minutes and season with vinegor or lemon. Here's an amaranth stir fry recipe.
Burdock - harvest small, young spring leaves. Add soda to the cooking water, then cook again in fresh water.
Chickweed - an old remedy for obesity. Making tea with the leaves helps when you have a cold or the flu.
Garlic Mustard - an innocuous looking, small plant that is a terrible invasive. It changes the chemistry of the soil around it, harming native plants. The subtle, bitter taste is delicious when mixed in raw salads or cooked greens.
Plantain - the pungent green leaves go well in a salad of wild greens. It can also be cooked and served alone, but you'll need plenty as it cooks down. Here's how to gather and prepare plantain leaves for cooking. You can find it amongst the grass along park paths.
Violet - makes salads look pretty! Since Greek and Roman times have been used as a source of vitamin C.
