Spring is in the air, but it’s still early to harvest many veggies from the garden. I am always pleasantly surprised by the plants that have weathered winter and continue to thrive into early spring.
This year, I have a single spinach plant, some greens, and herbs that are still growing well.
Between my herbs and wild greens popping up all over the place, there is still plenty to eat from the garden this time of year. Wild greens I see popping up include chickweed, purple dead nettle, plantain, dandelions, wild violets, wild onions, and more. According to Colleen Codekas of Grow Cook Forage Ferment, chickweed, in particular, is “high in vitamin C, vitamin B complex, iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc.” You may recognize chickweed by its sprawling growth and starry white flowers.
So while we wait for our gardens to take off later in spring, we may as well go ahead and eat the wild and free greens that are so readily available all around us. Wild greens can be used to create vibrant salads, they can be juiced, given to chickens as a treat, or they can be used in a variety of other creative ways. I like to make a wild greens pesto, which can be modified to accommodate what you have on hand. I recently made a version incorporating pumpkin seeds, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, chickweed and ramp leaves. One of my sons requested that I pack it in his lunch this week along with some crackers for dipping.
I encourage you to take a look around your garden, and acquaint yourself with the abundant wild greens that grow here in NE Tennessee. If you don’t know where to start, the humble dandelion is a wonderful, and often overlooked edible green that grows ubiquitously in our region.
~Jessica Gonsalves
