Dandelion {Zeontodon Taraxacum). — A na-
tive of Britain, a hard}^ perennial, well known
to every one, and regarded by gardeners as a
troublesome weed. It may be used as salad,
and the root is much employed by the poor in
some continental districts as a substitute for
coffee. The young roots and also the blanched
leaves, which considerably resemble those of
endive, are sometimes eaten in France with
thin slices of bread and butter.
Ox-eye Daisy [Chrysanthemum Icucanthe-
mum). — A perennial plant common in dry
pastures.
Salad Burnet [Poterium Sanguisorba) . — The
leaves of the salad burnet smeU and taste just
like cucirmber.
Se.^ Bindweed [Convolvulus soldanella). — This
plant is plentiful on the sea-coasts, where the
natives gather the tender stalks and pickle them.
Stonecrop, or Orpine [Sedum telephium). —
The leaves of the stonecrop are eaten in salads
like those of piu'slane, to which the French hold
it to be equal.
Sweet Cicely [Scandix odorata). — The leaves
of this plant used to be employed like those of
the chervil. The green seeds ground small and
used with lettuce and other cold salads impart to
them a warm agreeable taste.
Wild Plants furnishing a Substitute for
Tea.
Speedwell [Veronica spieata). — This is occa-
sionally employed as a substitute for tea : it is
said to have an astringent taste like green tea.
Spring Grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum). — A
decoction of this highly odoriferous grass is said
strongly to resemble tea.
Black-currant leaves also furnish a very good
substitute for green tea, and those of Saxifraga
crassifolia are reported to be used as tea in
Siberia. Betonica officinalis is held by some to
have the taste and all the good qualities of
foreign tea without the bad ones.
Miscellaneous Edible Wild Plants.
Butterworth [Pinguicula vulgaris).— InLaTp-
land and the north of Sweden the inhabitants
poui- milk warm from the cow on this plant,
thus giving it the consistency of cream. They
then strain it immediately, and laj' it aside for
two or three days till it acquires a degree of
acidity. ' ' This milk they are extremely fond
of ; and once made they need not repeat the
use of the leaves as above, for a spoonful or
less of it will coagulate another quantity of
warm milk, and make it like the first, and so
on as often as they please to renew their food.
Cow-PARSNiP [Heraclcum sphondylium) . — In
Kamschatka, about the beginning of July, the
natives collect the footstalks of the radical leaves
of this plant, peel off the rind, and dry them
separately in the sun. They then fasten them
in bundles, and lay them up carefully in the
shade. Shortly afterwards these di-ied stalks
are covered over with a yellow saccharine
efflorescence tasting like liquorice, and in this
state they are eaten as a delicacy. The Russians
not only eat the stalks thus prepared, but
manage to get a very intoxicating spirit from
them.
Heath [Erica vulgaris) . — The young tops of
the heath are said to have been once used alone
to brew a kind of ale, and even now the inhabi-
tants of some of the Scottish isles manufacture
a very potable liquor by mixing two-thirds of
the tops of the heath with one of malt.
Substitutes for Capers. — Amongst these
are the flower-buds of the marsh marigold, the
young seed-pods of the common radish, and the
unripe seeds of the garden nasturtium.
Poisonous Plants to be avoided in searching
FOR Edible Wild Plants.
Page 1239
Presented as published in 1892. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Dandelion {Leontodon Taraxacum). — A native of Britain, a hard}^ perennial, well known to every one, and regarded by gardeners as a troublesome weed. It may be used as salad, and the root is much employed by the poor in some continental districts as a substitute for coffee. The young roots and also the blanched leaves, which considerably resemble those of endive, are sometimes eaten in France with thin slices of bread and butter.
Ox-eye Daisy [Chrysanthemum leucanthemum). — A perennial plant common in dry pastures.
Salad Burnet [Poterium Sanguisorba) . — The
leaves of the salad burnet smeU and taste just like cucumber.
Sea Bindweed [Convolvulus soldanella). — This plant is plentiful on the sea-coasts, where the natives gather the tender stalks and pickle them.
Stonecrop, or Orpine [Sedum telephium). — The leaves of the stonecrop are eaten in salads like those of purslane, to which the French hold it to be equal.
Sweet Cicely [Scandix odorata). — The leaves of this plant used to be employed like those of the chervil. The green seeds ground small and used with lettuce and other cold salads impart to them a warm agreeable taste. Wild Plants furnishing a Substitute for Tea.
Speedwell [Veronica spicata). — This is occasionally employed as a substitute for tea : it is said to have an astringent taste like green tea.
Spring Grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum). — A decoction of this highly odoriferous grass is said strongly to resemble tea.
Black-currant leaves also furnish a very good substitute for green tea, and those of Saxifraga crassifolia are reported to be used as tea in Siberia. Betonica officinalis is held by some to have the taste and all the good qualities of foreign tea without the bad ones.
Miscellaneous Edible Wild Plants.
Butterworth [Pinguicula vulgaris).— InLaTpland and the north of Sweden the inhabitants poui- milk warm from the cow on this plant, thus giving it the consistency of cream. They then strain it immediately, and laj' it aside for two or three days till it acquires a degree of acidity. ' ' This milk they are extremely fond of ; and once made they need not repeat the use of the leaves as above, for a spoonful or less of it will coagulate another quantity of warm milk, and make it like the first, and so on as often as they please to renew their food.
Cow-PARSNiP [Heracleum sphondylium) . — In Kamschatka, about the beginning of July, the natives collect the footstalks of the radical leaves of this plant, peel off the rind, and dry them separately in the sun. They then fasten them in bundles, and lay them up carefully in the shade. Shortly afterwards these di-ied stalks are covered over with a yellow saccharine efflorescence tasting like liquorice, and in this state they are eaten as a delicacy. The Russians not only eat the stalks thus prepared, but manage to get a very intoxicating spirit from them.
Heath [Erica vulgaris) . — The young tops of the heath are said to have been once used alone to brew a kind of ale, and even now the inhabitants of some of the Scottish isles manufacture a very potable liquor by mixing two-thirds of the tops of the heath with one of malt.
Substitutes for Capers. — Amongst these are the flower-buds of the marsh marigold, the young seed-pods of the common radish, and the unripe seeds of the garden nasturtium. Poisonous Plants to be avoided in searching FOR Edible Wild Plants.