Field Trip : Join Me on a Taste Test of Wild & Ornamental Plants at TheDCH
Aubree Davis shows us lovely orange Nasturtiums are not just the centerpiece!
If I ever land on “Survivor”, I want Aubree Davis by my side to reveal what wild things are good to eat! A life-long naturalist who works for the American Public Gardens Association, Aubree can create a feast out of roots, seed pods and weeds that you wouldn’t believe!
Not only did she tell us that wild day lily buds, Rose of Sharon flower petals, Sassafras tree roots and sweet violets were edible, we got to taste some even more unusual and exotic plants. What a delightful time we all had, munching and learning about eating from our yards and nature. For recipes and more edible plant ideas, see Aubree’s Edible Plant Course Pinterest Board. Join me below on the tasting!
First the Appetizers…
Looking like something from outer space, the Kousa Dogwood tree fruits had a grainy outer skin you don’t want to eat. But we opened them up and the flesh tasted like peaches! No wonder the cardinals are so wild for them!
Cornelian Cherries ~ more commonly known as native dogwood berries ~ were used to make a yummy jam spread appetizer served on crackers.
Dandelion greens were complemented by spinach, apples, and toasted seeds and topped with a sweet raspberry vinaigrette served as a beautiful salad.
Next Came the Main Course…
As pretty as it was delicious, the stir fried sliced lotus roots and bamboo shoots mixed with carrots and green beans hit the spot.
My favorite was the sauteed prickly pear cactus simmered with Roma tomatoes and a little chili. What flavor!
And Of Course, What We Had All Been Waiting For…Dessert
Lavender cupcakes
Aubree whipped up a delightful group of dishes from wild and ornamental plants for us to taste test. To wash it all down, there was a lovely red hibiscus flower tea, which turns out to be quite tasty and caffeine free. Lovely orange Nasturtiums turned out to be part of the meal, not just the centerpiece! And for dessert, lavender cupcakes!
Aubree recommended some further references for us all to learn more:
- Eat the Weeds by Green Deanne, the most watched forager in the world
- Plants for a Future, search the Edible Plants Database
- Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods by Thomas Elias & Peter Dykeman
- Edible Wild Plants : Wild Foods From Dirt to Plate by John Kallas
- Longwood Gardens Continuing Education Program, plant identification course in edibles
For recipes and more edible plant ideas, see Aubree’s Edible Plant Course Pinterest Board!
