In Crete, the heavily spined leaf rosettes of the Stamnagathi (Cichorium spinosum) are eaten raw or cooked in spring. Around the Mediterranean, people gather some of the plants themselves, notorious for their toxicity, in spring. They are still young and tender enough to eat.
After winter, people thirst for light, freshness, and color, and they flock to nature. The culinary monotony of winter is over. The vegetable offerings at the markets are becoming more colorful with each passing week, and in the cold frames and greenhouses of hobby gardeners, the first pre-grown plants are becoming ready for harvest. Those in the know make direct use of nature's diversity.
In the past, wild herbs were collected as a matter of course, until the necessary knowledge was forgotten in many places. Today, the tradition of nourishing oneself from nature is being revived.
Wild plants only edible when young
Many wild plants are only edible in spring, in their earliest stages of development. Then, the texture of their leaves is supple, and the hairs and spines that have already formed are still soft enough not to disturb the mouthfeel when eaten. Their bitterness is low. In Crete, even the thorny leaf rosettes of the Stamnagathi (Cichorium spinosum) are cooked. Even some plants otherwise notorious for their toxicity find their way into the cooking pot. In Apulia, it is the leaves of the autumn crocus (Colchicum spec.), and in southwest France, the traditional “la cueillette” involves harvesting the shoot tips of the poisonous bryony (Bryonia alba) (after Richard Mabey: Weeds – the story of outlaw plants. 2010). The asparagus-tasting shoots of wild hops (Bruscandoli in Italian) flavor a herbal broth used to refine risotto and other dishes.
Frankfurt Green Sauce and Nine-Herb Soup
In Germany, asparagus is often served with "Frankfurt Green Sauce," made from herbs with a long-standing culinary tradition. However, with the exception of burnet and sorrel, these herbs originate from more southern regions and only thrive here under horticultural care. Everything points to the recipe being of Roman origin. The nine-herb soup is different. It is prepared according to availability. Nettle, ground ivy, ribwort plantain, daisies, dandelions, chickweed, lesser celandine, wild garlic, ground elder, yarrow, primroses, violets, bedstraw and dead nettle The number nine is associated with numerical magic and rituals from Celtic/Germanic times. There is also a connection to the Christian Easter celebration. Herbs made their appearance on Maundy Thursday, when, in accordance with the fasting rules for Holy Week, special emphasis was placed on green vegetables. My own culinary experiences are limited to herbs from the garden, especially Ground elder (in salads and as a vegetable), nettle (prepared like spinach), wild garlic (a perhaps somewhat overrated vegetable)
and dandelion as a salad. Something very special is the Watercress (Nasturtium officinale), which in taste is only rivalled by the allegedly poisonous bittercress (Cardamine amara) But I've also eaten that as a salad without any problems.
The nine-herb soup is prepared from local herbs such as nettle, ground ivy, ribwort plantain, daisies, dandelions, chickweed, lesser celandine, wild garlic, ground elder, yarrow, primroses, violets, bedstraw and dead nettle, depending on availability.
