One of the best things I love doing around this time is brisk walking and collecting micro-salad greens every morning. The weather has improved, and I can definitely feel spring coming. Some plants have already started to sprout, which makes this season extra exciting.
The surroundings are starting to look greener.
Walking and foraging for these early sprouters is such a joy. Not only do I get a lot of exercise, but I also nourish myself with the goodness these fresh microgreens and young shoots offer.
On my walk, I visited a woodland I believe is hardly visited. Most of the nearby woods are seldom visited, so I enjoy pottering about there; it satisfies my desire for peaceful time in nature.
Here are a few of the early sprouters I found:
Dandelion, the young leaves are delicious. As they mature, they become bitter, but at this stage, they are mild and nutrient-rich.
Dandelions contain taraxacin and chicoric acid, compounds known for their antioxidant, liver-supportive, and anti-inflammatory properties, which make them a powerful early spring tonic.
They are also rich in vitamins A, C, and K, iron, calcium and potassium. Supports liver, digestion, and skin; antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
Bittercress, I love these clusters of leaves; they are peppery with a hint of cucumber, reminding me of rocket.
Bittercress contains glucotropaeolin and sinigrin, natural compounds that provide antimicrobial, antioxidant, and liver-supportive effects, which make it a nutritious and healing microgreen.
They are also high in vitamin C, A, potassium, and calcium. Antioxidant, antimicrobial, supports liver and digestion.
Narrow-leaf plantain, when young, tastes wonderful. I shred them or chop them in salad, and they look good.
Plantain is well-known for its medicinal properties, including compounds like vescacoside and aucubin, which make it an exceptionally healing herb.
Cleavers are one of my favourite microgreens after winter when they are tender; it gets bristly when mature.
They help with body detox, especially after the slower winter months.
Cleavers contain asperuloside, a compound with strong anti-inflammatory, lymphatic, and diuretic effects, making it excellent for lymph and kidney health.
Also rich in vitamins C and A, potassium, and calcium.
Cow parsley, I like its herby aroma. The young ones have a delicate parsley-like flavour.
Cow parsley contains flavonoids such as quercetin and polyacetylenes, compounds known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Traditionally, it has been valued as a gentle spring green that is great as a gentle digestive tonic and for overall vitality. Also rich in vitamins C and A, iron, and calcium.
Always ensure correct identification, as cow parsley belongs to the carrot family (Apiaceae) and has several poisonous look-alikes. The stem should have a fine fuzz, especially towards the lower part, with no purple blotches. It is faintly grooved and slightly ridged, becoming hollow as it matures. When crushed, it should have a mild parsley-like scent, and it typically grows in hedgerows and woodland edges, not in marshes or standing water.
馃崈 Foraging Note:
Always be completely certain of your identification before consuming any wild plant. Many edible species have poisonous look-alikes, especially within the carrot family. If in doubt, leave it out.
After collecting enough for my salad, I briskly walked back home. I have also picked a few mushrooms and berries along the way.
One of the things I love about these wild foods is that I never have to worry about pesticides, as they grow deep in the woods where hardly anyone steps.
At home, I wash them thoroughly and spin them dry.
I chopped the large ones into smaller pieces.
I like to add a few fruits, such as mandarins, sometimes mangoes or cucumbers, carrots and cheese, along with nuts and seeds.
Then I drizzle them with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Sometimes I add a little berry syrup if I want some sweetness.
Toss them nicely.
The result is a salad far better than anything you can buy at the store. One thing I notice is that every time I eat a plateful of these wild greens, my skin looks radiant the very next day, and my mood is uplifted.
I topped them with fried tofu and sprinkled some red chillie slices.
Wild foods like these are packed with nutrition, including minerals that are hard to find in store-bought vegetables. Their nutrient content varies by season, and this time of year is when they are most nutritionally dense.
And they are absolutely delicious!
Have a lovely day.
Mariah 馃挌
