It's Foraging Time Again! DayTwo, Chickweed

I like to stroll through the yard barefoot. I love the feel of the cool grass and I like to take this time to look carefully and see what good things are growing beneath my feet. Today I found a small patch of chickweed. I had a bunch growing last year but haven't found much in my yard this year. Fortunately, I have a friend whose whole back yard it a tall variety of chickweed. She is happy for me to come cut it down. The chickweed from her yard will supply me with what I need for making salves and maybe even enough for a couple of salads. When my permanent medicinal herb beds are finished, I will transplant some of her variety to a bed of its very own in my garden!

Chickweed is both edible and medicinal. It is rich in vitamin C which boosts immune function, conditions connective tissue, and helps prevent cancer, (particularly effective in the treatment of stomach cancer). It is high in beta carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin, (B1,B2 and B3), and contains the minerals, copper, iron, zinc, magnesium, manganese, calcium and silicon. The flavor is slightly lemony, (probably due to the high vitamin C content), and is quite tasty when added to a salad.

Chickweed took up residence in last years
 flower pot that was left outside over the winter

Chickweed appears in the spring as soon as the ground thaws, and grows vigorously until the weather starts to heat up, then it goes to seed and recedes into the soil. Since it is short lived the window of opportunity for harvesting it is limited. So when you see it lush and green, thriving in the warming spring sun that is the time to harvest it. Since drying chickweed causes a loss of some of its properties, I freeze what I won't be using immediately to make medicaments. then I cut some every day for eating fresh in salads until it starts to get leggy and yellow.

Some species of chickweed grow very close to the ground others sprawl out and grow to 12", but all species have leggy intertwined stems with rows of tiny hairs in a weave-like pattern. The leaves are small and oval with pointy tips that can be smooth or slightly hairy, (depending on the species), The flowers are tiny and white, produced on the tips of the stems and in the angles between branching stems.There 5 lobed petals, that may look like 10 petals due to the lobes. It is very tender and leggy and is found in most places in the USA. You will often find it growing in last year's flower pots, or up against the foundation of the house in a sunny area.

For use externally, chickweed is valuable in treating skin infections like boils; it works well on varicose veins, varicose ulcers, eczema, and diaper rash. It can be used in a compress, or made into a salve. Decocted in hot water, and then added to a both, it will soothe the skin of a child with chicken pox. The mashed herb mixed with rolled oats can be used as a plaster to shrink chicken pox eruptions. It also helpful with other forms of herpes simplex. Chickweed made into a tea that has been steeped 10 minutes, will alleviate respiratory distress from asthma and other respiratory problems, eases urinary tract discomfort from cystitis, and is a circulatory tonic.*Chickweed should not be used if pregnant.

Here is the recipe for a light and delicious salad that can be put together in minutes and is packed full of nutrition.

                              Light and Sweet Chickweed Salad
                                                  Serves two

Salad Ingredients

Romaine, one head cut into thin ribbons
Chickweed, a large handful, washed, well, spun and crisped in a towel in the fridge
Pea Sprouts, one generous handful per serving
Strawberries, capped and quartered
Champagne Mango, cut into cubes
Carrot, grated
Red Onion, 1/4 onion cut into slivers

Assembly

Arrange Romaine, pea sprouts and chickweed on chilled plates. divide and arrange shredded carrots, and red onion between plates.Top with strawberries and mangoes. Stir dressing well and drizzle over the salads. Serve immediately

Dressing Ingredients

Apple mint, 3 sprigs
Lemon Balm, 4 sprigs
Maruchan rice wine vinegar, 1/4 cup
Maple Syrup, The real stuff, 2 Tblsp.
Sunflower oil, 2 Tblsp. (or other light flavored oil)
Salt, a good pinch
*Note if you can't find apple mint and lemon balm, use 1/4 of an apple peeled and seeded and a sprig of spearmint, (most groceries carry fresh mint in the produce section). Make sure to blend until apple is liquified.

In a bullet blender put the apple mint sprigs, lemon balm sprigs,  Maruchan rice wine vinegar, real maple syrup, (preferably grade B, the dark stuff), sunflower oil, (you get it at the Indian market it is half the price of the health food store), and salt. Blend together well, until the herbs are part of the liquid. Will need to be stirred as it is served.


** This information is intended for educational purposes only and is not intended as suggested treatment for illness. Do your own research and make educated decisions about whether on not to use Chickweed or any other herb as a medicine. **