A New Herb on the Market!

Horseshoe,

If you ever run out of chickweed and have a major craving, I'd be happy to pull a few pounds worth out of my beds and sent them along to you. :)

Hehehe...emilyrasmus! You are SO kind to me!! :># A few pounds will surely go a long way, eh? (Or make ME go a long way!)

Sugarweed...is pepper plant the one with the little flat seeds that some of us used to eat as kids? Or does that sound familiar? (Not quite sure what "boiler flu" is but it sounds upsetting!)

Shoe, yes, that's the plant. I want a patch of that. It's delish and holds colds at bay too.
Boiler flu is a variety of things. From industrial pneumonia, to a cold like ailment from being inside a boiler working for weeks on end. A term boilermakers use to cover any respiratory problem when we work.
I don't think I'll have any trouble finding some pepper weed.
I have pulled some big bunches in the past, washed, towel dryed. Then pull each strand between thumb and finger and pull berries off. Mix with chopped tomatoes and spring onions. Blend with cottage cheese, season with black pepper. Wish I had a pint of it right now.
What kind of flavor does chick weed have? Or should we call it Trot weed?

That sounds delicious to me! I'll be sure to keep an eye this summer for pepper weed!

chickweed flavor...mild, very mild. Not spicey in the slightest sense; not lemony like purslane or wild sorrel. Guess I'd have to say it is more like a "lettuce-y" flavor.

Maybe steeping some into a tea might bring out some flavor that I don't taste by eating it though.

Then we would have Trot Tea

I'm a believer and user of lambsquarters, poke weed and purslane as table greens. Lambsquarter is more nutritious and as delicious as spinach. Poke, when *p r o p e r l y * prepared is VERY nutritious & tasty also. Purslane, raw in salads, is good and very high in ALA which is the vegetable kingdom's "omega-3" essential fatty acid.

I guess we treat the most common plants with disdain because we don't have to plant them and nurture them. In fact, we are often ripping them out of the beds and hauling them to the compost pile.

Well pass the Dandelion wine one more time. I think we have the beginning of a Euell Gibbons garden Club.

I've made dandelion wine, too. Used dandelions I picked off an organic farm near here and it was pleasant tasting. Just an experiment... always wondered how it tasted. Probably wouldn't bother again.
TOO much work separating 1/2 gallon of the yellow petals.

Batter fried dandelion flowers are prettty good...easy to fix also. (Needs sugar though!)

I think I will stick to sugared violets thanks.

Sugarweed; Organically grown fresh Georgia Pepper weed nestled in Mother Nature's natural ice. How many pounds do you want?

Boy, that pepperweed has a seedhead like a mustard... is it in that family?

Yes, There are multiple versions but all are brassica's.
Brassicacea Capsella bursa-pastoris - Shephards Purse, cocowort, shepherd's heart, pickpocket, toywort, pick purse, St. James' weed, St. James' wort, St. Anthony's fire, pepper grass, shepherd's sprout, mother's heart, case wort, permacety
Brassicacea Lepidium perfoliatum -Clasping Pepper Weed;Pepper grass;Shield Cress
Brassicacea Lepidium virginicum var pubescens -Tall Pepper Grass; Hairy Pepper Weed;Virginia Pepper Weed

I have not been interested enough to key out which one I have yet.

Yum, and it's pretty too. I should have swung by and gathered a mess. Sidney

Oh, lord, shepherd's purse! We have our own version of that, but I've never thought of it as a green. Maybe I can eat it out of existance!

With a touch of oil and vinegar, sliced onion and black pepper. Good for you and getting rid of the weed at the same time. I'm looking for Penny's foraging book now. lol

Oh boy, get me a fork and some ranch dressing. Purslane, dandelion AND chickweed. my my my

You asked about where else chickweed survives Wheezingreens? It shows up every year in my garden where the winter lasts ~6 months (including those where we could have a month in the -50F and colder range).

I too can't believe they are selling it! Or that anyone would even consider buying it. :S

Chickweed??? I don't have it in my garden but would like to try it. I have naturalized plots of poke, lambsquarter & purslane for eating so why not chickweed too? I'm not about to $pend $ for weed seed but would appreciate a "start" from someone--- perhaps Horseshoe? Is it eaten raw like lettuce in a salad?

Don't know the greens quality of pepper weed/shepherds purse but as a herbal remedy;
"Remedies For:
Astringent, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, detergent, vulnerary, styptic.

Used wherever a gently diuretic is called for, for instance in water retention due to kidney problems. As an astringent it will prove effective in the treatment of diarrhea, wounds, nose bleeds, and other conditions. It has specific use in the stimulation of the menstrual process whilst also being of use in the reduction of excess flow.

Traditionally used for hemorrhage after child birth, and all other internal hemorrhages, bleeding from lungs, fever, kidney complaints, bleeding piles, and hemorrhoids.

Combinations : Combines well with Agrimony, Cranesbill or Periwinkle"
From Holisticonline.com

This has been a hilarious thread. Made my morning. I had read the first before but now finished the whole thing. I think I have all of the above growing in my garden. i enjoy Lambs Quarter, but it doesn't grow as well here as it did at my other place. Guess the soil isn't as good yet. I planted a Phytolacca americana from seed a couple of years ago, is that the same as what you all are referring to as Poke weed. it grew very large had lots of berries which the birds seemed to like, but then I read somewhere that it was poisonous, so I discarded the whole plant. Donna

Lilypon, my winter is at least 6 months long. Our growing season is only about 4 months at best... but the temps don't dip like yours. Our temps may drop into the teens from time to time, but zero is a rarity. Chickweed must have the ancient durability of a slug! In fact, one of the main reasons I keep the chickweed pulled is because it attracts slugs and gives them shelter from the day's sun & heat!

Well, cottonpicker, I'd love to try some salad at your house! You'd have my digestive tract working like a fine tuned engine in no time! I'll have to do some research on chickweed. Surely there is a relative that is a little less aggressive. I don't want you and your neighbors sending me bags of it COD to get revenge, should I send you some seeds!

I've been fighting the chickweed here for years now. Whenever we have a mild winter, it really gets a head start on me. I'd be willing to send it to anyone who wants any starts. :)

Also, the creeping charlie - it has purple flowers & is kinda pretty, but will take over a garden area in no time. Some of the farmers fields around here are full of it.

Well, that one seems to grow everywhere, too... but I'm not familiar with it... probably a good thing! http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi?earl=plant_profile.cgi&symbol=GLHE2 I just found a picture of it, and I believe Ceeads has a pot of it she grows every summer. We've all admired it! LOL!

WEEZINGREENS...... yep.... send me some chickweed seed. In exchange, you have an open invitation for a nice 'wild' salad at my place. I'd be mighty proud for you to put your feet under my table anytime for a healthy meal! I'm sure it'd fix you up right away!

Do I need to bring dressing, or do you have some natural stuff?

rutholive------- yep, you had the right stuff--- phytolacca americana. That's poke alright and IF you PREPARE IT CORRECTLY, it IS a GREAT **cooked ** table green... VERY nutritious and NOT poisonious! My grandmother from KY and my mother taught me how to prepare it. Mom is 87 yr. young and it's served her well all her life!!! It is best in the springtime. Cut the tender shoots and leaves... Boil in water for 5 minutes --- to inactivate and destroy the bitter constituent which is a genetic mutagen--- drain the cooking water, replace with fresh water ,,, boil 5 minutes more , drain, season with salt, pepper, and enjoy as you would spinach. My Mom likes it with cornbread & pepper sauce. Hope you'll give it a try. Folks have been eating & enjoying this delicious green for generations!! As the summer progresses, the stem will become purple colored & berries will develop. Do NOT use any part of the plant for food at this time!!!! It WILL DEFINITELY give you stomach distress!!!

weezingreens....... nothing needed 'cept olive oil & vineger. Come on over...

Maybe I should hold off time spring when I can bring along a nice batch of that chickweed to add to the bowl!

weez........... now you're talkin', feller!! it's a deal!! See ya then!

Guess I don't need to bring the dandelions, do I?

Weeze, that's cool! Shouldn't your zone be higher than mine then? I am zone 4, but we regularly get down to -30.

okay, I was playing with trying to figure out the quote box thingy, but didn't get it mastered. LOL

This message was edited Jan 30, 2005 11:01 PM

I can see what you mean, Joan, and I can grow some zone 4 or 5 perennials. The problems with zones, is that they are based on the low winter temps, but they don't address the kinds of growing seasons we have to offer. Our summers are very mild, and they are short. They are also very wet. So, delphiniums, often considered zone 5, are very happy here, but lamb's ear just rots.

Oh my word! You all are hilarious :) Loved that song, Weez! Very creative...

I have to tell ya, though, if you all start trading invasive WEEDS, well, that's over the top!!!! LOL.
*carefully placing a protective cover over the entire midwest as a preventative measure*

Pine Tree has purslane for sale, though they say it is a more cultivated variety...
Cotton picker, I have poke weed coming up everywhere and I leave it because I think it's pretty.
I always wanted to try Poke Salad, but I was afraid I'd do it wrong and get sick. Thanks for posting the "recipe!"
Cindy
Weez, loved your "Two Ubers in a weed patch!"

We're coming up with a wealth of information here. Can we add weeds to the plant files?

Yes, there are many already there, some with favorable comments.

Oh, good. I hadn't noticed that before. Thanks, sugarweed.
:)

In order to get any weeds from me, you've got to promise to eat them all before they flower, and to finish everything on your plate before you get any more!