Type:Annual
Region:Native to Western North America
Used For:Food
Everyone knows about dandelions and nettle, but North America nativeMiner’s Lettuce, Claytonia perfoliata,is also an excellent wild food in temperate climates. This is my absolute favorite wild green.
So-called because it supposedly saved miners from scurvy during the California Gold Rush, Miner’s Lettuce is a hardy, winter annual that is rich in vitamin C. It has tender, spade-shaped leaves that are best to eat when they are new.
The flowers are edible also, although the stems become less tender as a mature plant. It grows about 4 to 6 inches high in damp ground and partial shade and likes forests and wooded areas, although it also grows in abandoned planter boxes and other urban spaces.
嫩叶可以生吃。它们尝起来味道扑鼻而温和,有多汁的脆脆口感。我喜欢在徒步旅行的时候,当它们出现在小径上的时候咀嚼它们。你也可以做米诺尔生菜——在任何食谱中都可以用它来代替菠菜——但我认为它生的时候真的很美味。在家里,我总是把它放在沙拉里或者当配菜。
Spring Salad with Miner’s Lettuce
Ingredients
- 6 handfuls fresh Miner’s Lettuce, chopped
- 1 handful julienned radishes
- 1 handful shaved beets or carrots
- 1 handful chopped walnuts or pecans
For dressing:
- 1 part olive oil
- 1 part balsamic vinegar
- To taste: salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, thyme, cardamom, nutmeg