Food is Everywhere

I've been interested in foraging for a long time, because I believe that these wild plants, found somewhere deep in nature, uncultivated and grown in clean soil, are the best superfoods available for us - much better than the so modern nowadays supplements and strange foods from the other part of the world. I don't practice it often even though I spent a lot of time in nature simply because I never remember to pick something with me to put the plants in and also gloves for my favorite nettle. I was outside in nature several days ago and I had both by chance in my car so I took the opportunity to do a little foraging for the first time in Rila mountain. By "interested in foraging" I mean I recognize several edible weeds, two mushrooms, no more than 3 herbs and of course the well-known forest fruits :D . After that day though I spent some time reading more about the edible weeds so now I the number of the weeds is significantely bigger and when I am walking somewhere in nature I am constantly looking around trying to identify them and sometimes tasting them. Maybe I am turning slowly into a mountain goat, who knows.

I was actually surprised to learn how many many weeds are edible. Many people believe that they are neither tasty, nor nutritious - that's not true at all. They are generally far more nutritious than just about everything from the modern supermarket. Also they are:

• local ( and local food is always the best)
• can be consumed soon after picking - which don't happen so often, if you don't grow your own food
• naturally organic, bio etc, if you pick them from a clean place
• an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. For example only 100g nettle contain 481 mg calcium, which is four times more than in 100g milk, almost as much potassium as the bananas, 76 mg vitamin C (oranges have 50mg). Mallow has a significant amount of iron, dandelion - of vitamin A, and so on.
• in addition it is a pleasant way to learn more about your surrounding and to connect with nature, and also it could be helpful if you get lost somewhere. Wood sorrel not only taste really good, but also is a great thirst quencher and plantain is great for healing wounds or insect bites.

The taste of the edible wild weeds is usually different than the common leafy greens we eat and it take some time to get used to it. The strange thing is that after some time I started to prefer them and even miss their taste in my salads. I read it is a common "side effect" and happens to most people. They have usually far stronger "green" taste, which is for sure strange at the beginning, but if you don't give up, you'll start to love them.

And that was my "catch".

These were my places for “hunting”. I do believe that it matters where your food grows and I am sure that when it’s in some beautiful places in nature, it carries good vibes. The same like “cooked with love”, in this case cooked by nature with love, but raw.

I picked some thyme, St John's wort, strawberries, nettle, sorrel, dandelion and plantain.

Did you know that these weeds are edible? I had no idea before, even though I recognize them and know their names since I was a child.

The thyme turned into an amazing tea as long as I got home. It's so simple - just put it in hot water for 15-20 minutes, sweeten(or not) with honey and that's all. I don't drink tea often, but this is one of my favorites.

I used the strawberries for a simple light dessert - just strawberries, chia seeds and honey. It was great.

And the leafy greens turned into a tasty salad with whatever other vegetables I had. Cooking them is also an option, of course, but I don’t like them cooked and they are also far healthier raw.

The stinging nettle too! Maybe some of you would be surprised, that it can be consumed raw. At least I was when I found out. You just have to smash it very well for example with a glove and it doesn’t sting at all after that. I add salt, olive oil and vinegar before that, then smash it, and that cut it. Dandelion has bitter taste and I wouldn't add a lot of it in a salad, but when mixed with other kinds of greens, the flavor becomes quite balanced. The plantain has interesting flavor - its savor reminds me a little bit of some mushroom. The nettle is not strange for me anymore, but I remember that it was the first time I taste it in a salad long time ago.

I ate my amazing wild leafy greens salad with some new baked potatoes, which was the perfect combination - so simple and so delicious.

A forager I met once in the woods told me about the nettle - “if people knew how great it is for their health, they would eat only nettle” and then grabbed some from his basket, smash it, rolling it between his hands, and directly ate it. He was almost eighty years old and foraging around the mountains and selling leafy greens and mushrooms to some restaurants and on the market was his way to earn money. I wouldn't eat only nettle, but from what I've read it looks like it is a great plant to add to your diet.

I haven’t used the St. John’s wart still, because I couldn’t find any information if it is alright to use it fresh for tea, so probably I have to dry it first.

Other plants that I was surprised to find out that are edible are for example clovers and wood sorrel. You can see the wood sorrel in the photo above (the front one). As I wrote in the beginning they are claimed to be an excellent thirst quencher, which is good to know if you get lost in the woods, as it is abundant there. And for the fern leaves - I don't know, I couldn't find enough information, so probably they are not edible. And on the photo bellow - marrow - the great iron source.

Have you tried any wild edible plants?