Wild Backyard Stir-Fry

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Who says tasty organic food has to be expensive… or bought from the store?!?   With a few standard staples, a little imagination, and use of what Mother Nature has sprouting in your own back yard, you can have wholesome, healthy meals quickly, easily and inexpensively!

Here is a recipe that we just tossed together today, turned out very yummy!!   You can vary it with staples you keep in your home, and any veggies you may have growing in your garden.

This recipe is great because it includes clover blossoms and rice.  Clover blossoms are a legume (like beans), and when combined with the rice provide a complete protein.  Clover blossoms are also very tasty when sauteed with onion and crushed red peppers, as they absorb the flavors of both!

The other thing that keeps coming to mind when I eat these wild treasures is from one of my Clayton College textbooks, something along the lines of  “When you eat a plant that naturally thrives in your ecosystem, you body absorbs the nutrients that will make it thrive as well.” (I wish I could remember which book, and the exact quote to share with you…if I do I’ll update!)

And remember, too, many wild edibles are also herbs, and when you ingest these you obtain the healing properties of the herbs — these plants are a wonderful gift from our creator!

Remember the following when picking wild edibles:

• Only use plants you are positive that you can itentify correctly.  (Some plants are poisonous!)
• Avoid plants touched by animal droppings.
• Use undamaged plants, and plants not partially eaten by bugs.
• The young leaves are usually more tender and less bitter.
• Always wash your plants before cooking.
• Make sure to pick plants from areas that have not been sprayed with pesticide.
• Avoid picking plants from the side of the road and where cars have been parked, as they may be contaminated with exhaust and/or fuel/oil leaks.

WILD BACKYARD STIR-FRY

2 T Olive Oil

1 C Cooked Rice

1 Onion, peeled and sliced

1 t Crushed Red Pepper

1 C White Dutch Clover Flowers (for White Dutch Clover information and pictures click here)

1 C Violet Leaves (for Violet information and pictures click here)

1 C Plantain Leaves (for Plantain information and pictures click here)

1 C Dandelion Leaves (for Dandelion informaton and pictures click here)

Any other garden items or seasonings you want!

Directions:

Heat oil in pan. Sautee onion, crushed red pepper, and white clover flowers until onion is tender. (If adding items from your garden, time when you add these items at your own discretion depending on how fast they cook.) Add the remaining greens and cook until tender. Enjoy!!

In this photo, we also added one Live-Forever (Sedum) Plant and Wild Strawberries. Live-Forevers are edible, they taste like peppers. The stalk is tough, so we strip the leaves (toss the stalk), slice  the leaves lengthwise, and cook like peppers.  We seasoned with freshly ground sea salt and peppercorn.

Coming soon: Edible Landscaping!!  Please keep our site in your favorites!

VISIT LUMINEARTH’S GUIDE TO WILD EDIBLE & MEDICINAL PLANTS

Here is a list of the reference books I’ve used so far to learn about wild edibles:

• The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants
• Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places
• A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and central North America (Peterson Field Guide)
• Flowers: A Golden Guide
• Concise Illustrated Book of Wild Flowers
• Wildflowers of the Central South
• Peterson Field Guide(R) to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers (Peterson Field Guides)
• Concise Illustrated Book of Wild Flowers
• An Instant Guide to Trees
• Rocky Mountain Wildflowers
• Wild Flowers of North Carolina: Also covering Virginia, South Carolina, and areas of Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware

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Disclaimer: The statements in this article are for educational purposes only and have not been evaluated by or sanctioned by the FDA. Only your doctor can properly diagnose and treat any disease or disorder. The remedies discussed herein are not meant to treat or cure any type of disease. The user understands that the above information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician or a pharmacist.