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Edible Weeds Forage Walk with Sparkles of Odd Fodder Cook Book 06/06/16

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Edible Weeds Forage Walk with Sparkles of Odd Fodder Cook Book 6th June 2016

See the trek here

Notes:
– WARNING: Please do your own research as I will be doing on each plant as I was taking as many notes, in the short time, as I could.

– Please also read this article on why weeds are not bad, very nutritious and good for our soil – 3 Important Things I Have Learned About Weeds

– Sparkles gave us a card with a weed so if we spotted one we’d read out it’s stats. Like baseball cards for weeds. She also forages for a living to provide nutrient rich greens to local restaurants.

– In summer when making energy they lose water.

– 8 plant families make up average Oz diet.

– Our soils are deficient of selenium and copper.

– So Cape gooseberry is considered a weed here but when it’s sold at high prices in organic food shops it’s packaged as inca berry from South America.

Amaranth – is better than spinach. The red colour is anti tumour cancer etc
Sunflower – I didn’t know it was a weed!
Storksbill – Remember if it’s by the streets it will have dogs pee so pick them away from the streets
Purslane – Good source of omega 3 and supplement for type 2 diabetes
Nasturtiums – one of the best circulation and immune stimulant. Yummy flowers and leaves!
Pig face – can be used like aloe Vera, fruit is similar to figs and leaves are edible too
Chickweed – anti-inflammatory & more than enough Vitamin C
Sow thistle – pest attractant. Maoris call it puha and use it with pork, the sap is regenerative. May come with yellow flowers or the white puffs of dandelion
Groundsel – The whole plant is medicinal
Petty spurge – NOT EDIBLE! The sap is used for medicinal purposes and mostly for skin issues
Brazilian cherries – We picked some of these on the way and they were very tasty
Wild lettuce / Milk thistle – origin of all lettuce
Warrigal greens – quite salty, has a lot of oxalic acid which binds with calcium so go easy as we produce our own
Honey locust – good fodder, tasted good, soak overnight and then boil to make a drink. Paras update: I did the soak and boil and have to say apart from the honey/toffee sweetness it does have a very strong taste so maybe try it in small amounts.
Borage – good bee food, flowers are edible
Comfrey – make good wraps and compresses. Blend it
Sour grass – it’s Vitamin C. Clovers look similar but red and white clovers are safe. Taste like the ‘khatamitha’ we used to eat from the school playground and hear stories or how they were tangy because of pee.
Cats ears – little hairy and they hyper accumulate heavy metals so be careful
Black Nightshade – Oz ones are not deadly. Leaves and berries are edible. Forefather of the tomato family. Highest nutrient dense leaves, never eat green berries unprocessed. Eat the black berries.
Prickly pear – fruit is edible cooked or raw. All of it is edible. Don’t harvest from above or windy day for safety.
Mallow – totally edible, mucilage thing, Vitamin C and A, raw or cooked, root too
Dandelion – very nutritious, botanists dedicated just to this plant, very edible
Nettles – good for tonics, the sting is used for arthritic treatment, stingers are silica, natural antidepressants blend it. Paras note: Before I ate one I rubbed it on my face for the sting, didn’t get much
Goosefoot / Fat hen – highest calcium, gets big and lives in 42 degree heat, spinach substitute

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