A Springtime Wild Harvest Egg Drop Miso Soup

This is the season for spring soups! For me, so many of our wild friends have so much nutrition and flavor to offer us, it would be shameful not to leverage, honor and appreciate their generous offerings!

Last night I harvested some leaves of Rumex crispus (curly dock), Taraxacum officinalis (dandelion) and more tops from the patch of Urtica dioica (nettles) for an egg drop miso soup. I also snagged some alliums ~ chives and egyptian onions from the cultivated gardens.

To me, this is "fast food." Fast food that is Good for you and virtually free! I chopped and simmered the wild greens for about thirty minutes in water salted with alaea sea salt, added the alliums and simmered another few minutes. I cracked two fresh-laid eggs, whisked them with some water, stirred them in, removed the soup from the heat and stirred in a tablespoon (or so) of mellow miso.

Just one bowl of this soup with a side of spring salad greens was remarkably filling, not to mention delicious and nutrient rich!

What are your favored wild harvested foods in this vernal season? We'd love to hear. Leave us a comment and let us know!

Peace.

Urtica dioica radix - Nettles Root

It's autumn in my little corner of the world and that means it's root-digging season. With this help of friend Sheena I was able to, among other things, start a jar of Urtica dioica radix (Nettle root) tincture.

I've not yet worked with this root, so I'm not in a space where I can share much about my experience with it, short of digging the roots. It didn't take long to get to know this part of the plant. I have an intimate and loving relationship with the aerial part of the plant, but the roots are new to me and I'm already glad that we've met.

Once the lovely, pale roots were cleaned, I quickly learned that chopping them up was best left to the kitchen sheers. Clearly, this is one tough cookie.

My reason for wanting to play with this medicinal rests in its affinity for men's health, specifically to prostate health. I love the men in my life, and if the aerial parts of this plant offer any clue to the actions of the rooted parts, I suspect they will love the men in my life also.

~ rose

Nettles are Up!

While clearing and burning the cut brush from under the cedar yesterday we discovered the beautiful Urtica dioica - nettles! - flourishing away. The tallest of the plants are about two inches high and I suspect that when I get back from easter travels they'll be ready for a first full harvest for a nice nutritional simmered side dish. Oh, how nice to have this to look forward to when I return!