This stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) soup is quick, easy to make, and full of flavor. A lot of nettle soups are made with potato but I think the nettle flavor is more noticeable without, so I use cauliflower for the creamy consistency instead. The recipe is vegan, oil-free, … [Read more...]
Healthy vegan dandelion soup
This is a healthy vegan version of my favorite dandelion soup. Called manest, it is an Italian soup traditionally made with bitter greens, vegetables, sausage, and cheese. I learned it from my father-in-law's late wife Carol, whose grandparents gathered dandelion greens in … [Read more...]
Japanese knotweed season
I’m breaking my fast this morning with stewed Japanese knotweed and peaches over Greek yogurt, topped with homemade granola. It’s a surprisingly nice combination—and beyond that, it’s very simple to make. I used last year’s harvest—which I had chopped and stewed with sugar and … [Read more...]
Spring into wintercress
Wintercress is a lovely spring vegetable, ready in late April to early May on the plains, and mid to late May in the high country. The funny thing is, before I knew how to prepare it, I used to force feed it to myself. It was edible, after all—well-liked in some circles—and yet, … [Read more...]
Fun with wild waterleaf
Waterleaf is an interesting edible wild plant that does not get a lot of attention in the wild food media. The local species I know is Fendler’s waterleaf (Hydrophyllum fendleri), a native perennial that grows from Colorado’s Front Range west, in damp to moist soil mostly from … [Read more...]