The Unusual Edibles
On this page, we have a little fun. As witches, some of us are vegetarians (like me) while most are at least interested in nature and plants (we'd like to hope). So, I have decided to throw together a list of the unusual things in nature we can eat. Now, I know everyone knows about them eating monkey brains and baby snakes in some countries, and who could ever forget good ol' cannibals? But, these things aside, we'll discuss some unusual things you can eat in your own backyard.
First, though, before we get to the fun stuff, I have to warn you that the things I mention here have lots of plants that look similar to them, but are very different. Even if you think you know what it is, you can never be absolutely sure. Some things are obviously what they look like, but some aren't. To be safe, check out one of these books:Guide to Wild Foods by Christopher Nyerges, The Wild Food Trailguide by Alan Hall, and Wild Greens and Salads-A Cookbook also by Christopher Nyerges to help you identify these plants further. Also, make sure none of these are sprayed with any kinds of pesticides, if they are DO NOT eat them or use them at all. If you aren't sure, still don't use them, it's better to be safe than sorry. Also, try to rinse everything before use. Be sure to check out the list of things you should never eat below! There, now that that's all out of the way, we can get to the fun stuff.
Try these...
in your salad.
Dock For the wild salad. The vinegery, tart taste of these leaves can be used to add a punch to any boring salad.
Sweet Alyssum For the spicy salad. Use the flowers of this mustard relative to add a little zing to your greens.
Young Dandelion For this, you must gather the dandelions when they're still tiny, preferably when they just come up in the spring. If they're any bigger, you must cook them. See plants on their own below.
Check out more salad additions in the sweetheart section.
as a soup.
Watercress Here's a recipe for you. Heat three cups of milk with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Add to this one cup of the chopped watercress, cover and simmer, then add one cup of milk or cream. Cover again and heat for five minutes without boiling. Add spices (recommended: paprika) and enjoy a unique soup.
for your sweetheart.
For a romantic pre-dinner salad, you can combine the following or use them seperately.Roses To use the roses, you must gather them early in the morning when there's still dew drops on the petals. Pick the petals off and toss them with a fresh salad for a tasty, beautiful treat.
Shepard's Purse Use the seed pods of this plant. They are tiny heart-shaped replacements of the less romantic bacon bits or croutons. They have a peppery flavor to help add some spice to the evening :)
as a tea.
Horehound Use the leaves to make a tea. I tastes strong, bitter, and minty. Try adding honey.
Pine Needles Make sure you use the needles only, none of the bark. You can steep them in boiling water to make a Christmas (or Yule) scented tea that is rich in vitamin C. Also, see plants on their own for more pine usage.
Spearmint The most common mint found in North America, this makes a very aromatic tea.
White Sage This tea is good for an after-dinner drink.
plants on their own (or as a side dish)
Acorns This nut from the oak tree is really hard to chew. It has a good flavor but can sometimes give you a stomach ache. If you decide to eat these, eat only one at first, then wait to make sure you don't get sick from it. They can also be used to make a type of flour mixture.
Amaranth You can use the leaves and stems of these plants. You must cook them first and try adding a touch of onion.
Cattail While these grow up to eight feet tall, you can only eat the underground shoots. They taste like a mix of celery and cucumber. They can be eaten raw, baked, or boiled.
Blackberries They look like black raspberries. Do not eat the red or green ones. They aren't ripe. They have a very sweet taste and are good in cobblers.
Dandelion While you can eat the younger dandelion shoots without cooking them, the older ones must be cooked. They're good with butter, salt, and pepper.
Grapes These are better not eaten in the wild as there are many look-alikes. The main word of advice is to first break the fruit open. If it has a moon-shaped seed, DO NOT eat it. It's poisonous.
Lamb's Quarter Steam the leaves of his plant with onion or garlic and season with herbs.
Pine Needles These make a nice tea, but can also be chewed on their own. You can pick the needles and chew or eat them. They have a strong taste. It's kind of like an orange, but really strong and kinda bitter. It's unusual. I recommend you suck on the needles and see if you like the flavor before biting them, because when you chew them, they are a whole lot stronger tasting. They are very high in vitamin C. which makes this little snack healthy.
Poppy The poppy flowers in your garden are also edible. You can pick and eat the petals from the flower.
Thistle This is a relatve of the artichoke. Be careful with the thorns. Pick and cook the whole flower, then peel away the thorns and skin and eat the inside.
Things you should never eat!
Never eat anything you aren't sure about. Some of the main things people, especially children, may be attracted to are things that look like berries (of course). Some of the common ones are the blue "berries" on cedar trees. These are not edible, they are poisonous. Another thing is polk berries. They hang like grapes and are a bright purple. These are also poisonous. Mother nature can make some beautiful things, but they can also be deadly. Take care and have fun!Poisonous For Pets!
Humans aren't the only ones who need to worry about plants they shouldn't be munching on. Plants can also be poisonous for your beloved pet. There is a list below of things you should always try to avoid.List of Poisonous Plants Aloe Vera, Amaryllis, Apple (seeds), Apple Leaf Croton, Apricot (pit), Asparagus Fern, Autumn Crocus, Azalea, Baby's Breath, Bird of Paradise, Branching Ivy, Buckeye, Buddhist Pine, Caladium, Calla Lily, Castor Bean, Ceriman, Charming Dieffenbachia, Cherry (seeds and wilting leaves), Chinese Evergreen, Christmas Rose, Cineraria, Clematis, Cordatum, Corn Plant, Cornstalk Plant, Croton, Cuban Laurel, Cutleaf Philodendron, Cycads, Cyclamen, Daffodil, Devil's Ivy, Dieffenbachia, Dracaena Palm, Dragon Tree, Dumb Cane, Easter Lily (especially for cats!), Elaine, Elephant Ears, Emerald Feather, English Ivy, Eucalyptus, Fiddle-leaf fig, Florida Beauty, Foxglove, Fruit Sald Plant, Geranium, German Ivy, Giant Dumb Cane, Glacier Ivy, Gold Dust Dracaena, Golden Pothos, Hann`s Self branching ivy, heartland Pilodendron, Hurrican Plant, Indian Rubber Plant, janet Craig Dracaena, Japanese Show Lily, Jerusalem Cherry, Kalanchoe(pAnda Bear Plant), Lacy Tree philodendron, Lily of the valley, Madagascar Dragon Tree, Marble Queeen, Marijuana, Mexican Breadfruit, Miniature Croton, Mistletoe, Morning Glory, Mother-in Law`s Tongue, Narcissus, Needlepoint Ivy, Nephthytis, Nightshade, Oleander, Onions, Oriental Lily(especially for cats), Peace Lily, Peach(wilting leaves and pits), Pencil Cactus, Plumosa Fern, Poinsettia (low toxicity), Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, Pothos, Precatory Bean, Primrose, Red Emerald, Red Princess, Red-Margined Dracaena, Rhododendron, Ribbon Plant, Saddle Leaf Philodendron, Sago Palm, Satin Pothos, Schefflera, Silver Pothos, Spotted Dumb Cane, String of Pearls, Striped Dracaena, Sweetheart Ivy, Swiss Cheese Plant, Taro Vine, Tiger Lily (especially cats!!!), Tomato Plant (green fruit, stem and leaves), Tree Philodendron, Tropic Snow Dieffenbachia, Weeping Fig, Yew
This information is courtesy of Smokey The Bear's poster of foods to help you survive in the forest from the US department of Agriculture.