When I was a kid my dad would forage for food and feed us what we called "Weed Salad". I amused my high school friends by describing the dandelions and purslane he'd collect from between the rows of "real vegetables" and around the edges of the alfa alfa field behind our house. Or, when he'd stop the car to climb down into an irrigation ditch and come up with handfuls of watercress. (I have to say I always liked the baby cattails because you boil them and eat them with butter like baby corn.)
Well, little did he know that he was a rustic gourmet. Today, I will be feeding my family weed salad. I will just call it "Tiny Spicy Salad". I planted watercress at the point where the soaker hoses fork off the garden hose and its always damp there - kind of like an irrigation ditch bank. I also have purslane growing as a "volunteer" plant in between the rows of conscripted vegetables. It has a lemony flavor. I took the opportunity to thin the lettuce and cilantro seedlings and add them to the mix. I have a sweet but very light honey-pear salad dressing that will balance the flavors I think.
These are the first radishes of the season. I'll chop them fine and add them to the salad for color and zing. I love how pretty they are. They make a great bouquet for giving away. Looks like Nathaniel's teacher will get a bunch of radishes Monday (since we forgot to bring flowers for teacher appreciation day this week.)
Speaking of flowers - these are the blooms that were intended for teacher appreciation week. The are Amyrillis. They are the bulbs that many people buy at Christmas and grow indoors because their long stalk grows so quickly. They grow right behind the house and appreciate the regular water we provide for the lawns. There are more blooms every year. I need to divide them and share the wealth.
Well, little did he know that he was a rustic gourmet. Today, I will be feeding my family weed salad. I will just call it "Tiny Spicy Salad". I planted watercress at the point where the soaker hoses fork off the garden hose and its always damp there - kind of like an irrigation ditch bank. I also have purslane growing as a "volunteer" plant in between the rows of conscripted vegetables. It has a lemony flavor. I took the opportunity to thin the lettuce and cilantro seedlings and add them to the mix. I have a sweet but very light honey-pear salad dressing that will balance the flavors I think.
These are the first radishes of the season. I'll chop them fine and add them to the salad for color and zing. I love how pretty they are. They make a great bouquet for giving away. Looks like Nathaniel's teacher will get a bunch of radishes Monday (since we forgot to bring flowers for teacher appreciation day this week.)
Speaking of flowers - these are the blooms that were intended for teacher appreciation week. The are Amyrillis. They are the bulbs that many people buy at Christmas and grow indoors because their long stalk grows so quickly. They grow right behind the house and appreciate the regular water we provide for the lawns. There are more blooms every year. I need to divide them and share the wealth. 
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