This is chickweed, also known as hen's inheritance or stitchwort. It has tiny, opposite leaves that are oval to heart-shaped. Once established, it grows in dense mats throughout the U.S. and Canada, and in many places in the world. Chickweed is related to another edible flower, the carnation. Raw, some people think chickweed tastes a bit like corn, but though I think it's very tasty, it doesn't taste like corn to me. It is a very mild green with no bitterness and it can be eaten raw or cooked (steamed or stir fried for just a few minutes). A variety called mouse-ear chickweed is coarsely hairy, giving it an unpleasant mouth feel, so it's best cooked. (Above: Chickweed by wide eyed lib)
 
In my area, some of it has just started to develop tiny white flowers, like the ones on the left, two of which could fit on the end of a pencil eraser. Although there are only five petals, each petal is divided in two almost all the way to the base, so the flowers appear, at first glance, to have 10 petals. Below the flowers is a tiny, hairy flower bud. All parts of chickweed are edible, but other things grow in chickweed mats (like the blade of grass shown) so be careful that you are only collecting chickweed. (Above left: Chickweed Flower; Above right: Chickweed Stem, both by wide eyed lib)
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 The various species of wild lettuce are the ancestors of all the lettuces we see in the supermarket. Wild lettuces have wildly varied leaves-- some, such as the one shown, have tiny teeth on the edges and others have very deep lobes. They are also more or less hairy, with some of the lettuces even being spiny. It's probably best to have an expert identify the species near you and explain its defining characteristics. The good news is that there's definitely at least one species near you, since they grow in sunny fields and disturbed areas on every continent except Antarctica. (Right: Wild Lettuce by wide eyed lib)
 The main things that distinguish wild lettuces from other, similar-looking plants are the white midrib and the fact that a milky sap exudes from the flower stems when cut. Most species have at least some small hairs along the back of the midrib, such as those barely visible in the closeup. Wild lettuce leaves are much stronger and more bitter than their domesticated cousins. They are best as early in Spring as possible. By the time the flower stalk develops, they are too bitter for most palates, though boiling in at least two changes of water would probably help somewhat. Needless to say, at any time of year they are probably best paired with milder greens. (Left: Wild Lettuce Leaf Underside by wide eyed lib)
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To the right is wallpepper, a small succulent that grows in full sun, especially on walls and rocks, in most of the northern U.S. and Canada. Later in Spring it will burst into tiny yellow flowers. It's a little difficult to see the scale of this plant in the photo, but it's quite small. Each of the little clusters is only about 3/4 inch long and 1/4 inch wide. (Right: Wallpepper by wide eyed lib)
Like most succulents the leaves are comparatively thick, and they pile one on top of the next so that they appear not to have stems. The leaves grow in a whirl along all four sides of the stem. This makes them look, especially toward the ends, like green flowers.
Wallpepper has a wonderful spicy flavor that is similar to black pepper but a little more floral. Minced, a piece between 1/2 and 1 inch long is enough to flavor a meal for 4 people. Use it anywhere you would use black pepper. It lasts quite a while in the fridge.
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 The last plant I'm going to cover today is the common spicebush. This bush is a relative of laurel and grows all over the Eastern U.S. in damp, shady places, especially in woodlands. It has smooth bark and during the winter the buds look like brown BBs, in pairs, one on each side of the branch. (Above: Common Spicebush Flowers by wide eyed lib)
In early Spring, the BBs become tiny yellow flowers which appear before the alternate, elliptical, toothless leaves which can grow from 2 to 6 inches long and end in a point. The easiest way to make sure you've got the right plant is to scratch the bark. If it smells like it belongs on your spice shelf between cinnamon and nutmeg, you've got the right shrub. (Left: Common Spicebush by wide eyed lib)
All above-ground parts of the common spicebush are useful. From Fall to Spring, collect twigs (including the flowers and buds, if present) lightly crush then and then steep about 1/2 cup of twigs in a mug of hot water for a single serving of delicious, spicy tea with lemongrass overtones. Once the leaves appear, they can be used instead of the twigs in the same proportion. Finally, in autumn the bush grows many firm, oval, crimson berries on small stalks. Each berry contains a single dark seed. The berries are stronger than the leaves and twigs and can be crushed and used as a seasoning similar to allspice. For long term storage, the berries can be frozen. (If dried they go rancid.) Two tablespoons of crushed or chopped berries will yield a cup of tea, and about half a teaspoon of ground berries will season most desserts that serve 4-6. I also like to chew on the twigs while hiking, but the berries are a bit too strong to eat that way.
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That's it for this week. Please feel free to post photos in the comments, and I'll try to help identify anything you've foraged. (No guarantees, though.)
For more information about foraging, the websites of "Wildman" Steve Brill and "Green" Deane Jordan are fantastic resources. Steve lives in NY and Green Deane is in Florida. I'm a huge fan of Green Deane's foraging how-to clips on youtube, and Steve Brill's book, Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places, has been my foraging bible (read reviews here, but if you're feeling generous, please buy from Steve's website. It's more expensive, but he's a good guy and he earns considerably more money that way. He also sells other books and jeweler's loupes, the latter being a good value.) If anyone reading this lives in the NYC area and is interested in guided foraging tours, Steve offers such tours in NYC-area parks almost every weekend from the end of February to the beginning of December. Details and contact info are on his website.
The USDA plants database is also a great place to look up info.
I hope you'll join me again next Sunday. I plan to cover sheep's sorrel, common blue violets and pine trees, and maybe the Japanese knotweed will finally be big enough to harvest. In the meantime, happy foraging!
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