It's true that a bundle of salad mixings can be bought pre-bagged at the neighborhood supermarket. But gathering greens in the most familiar places is much more fun and rewarding for the home cook.
Wild greens and fruits like prickly pears, miner's lettuce, dandelion and New Zealand spinach (plantain) are more flavorful and have a higher nutritional value than commercially cultivated counterparts. Many of these plants and herbs that are commonly disregarded can offer an exciting break from the same old fare.
Glossy, emerald green rosettes of plantain, a spinach substitute, and chickweed, the mild-tasting, common garden pest, can make a delicious salad, alone or combined with mustard and dandelion.
Chickweed grows commonly in moist areas near oak trees, most often on north-facing slopes. Experts suggest gathering non-native plants such as chickweed whenever possible, to preserve native species. Dandelions can be found on lawns between mowings. They should be gathered when young with yellow flowers, and should be drained of their milky sap.
Prickly pear cactus grows commonly in the West and and Southwest United States. The edible (best when bright red) fruit contains fine, hair-like spines that must be removed with a vegetable scrubbing brush before preparing. Use rubber gloves while handling and make sure to avoid transferring spines or barbs into the pulp when cutting fruit.
Special Note: Confirm the identity of anything you pick by consulting a reliable field reference guide such as The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants (Forager Press)
Wild Greens Salad Recipe
Ingredients for Salad Mix:
- 4 oz. miner's lettuce
- 4 oz. chickweed
- 4 oz. watercress
- 4 oz. New Zealand spinach
- 2 oz. mustard flowers for garnish
Directions for Salad Mix:
- Clean and mix all greens.
Ingredients For Vinaigrette dressing:
- 1 cup whole shallots (peeled)
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cups port
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (good quality)
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt, fresh ground pepper
- Toss shallots in olive oil, place in covered container in 250 degree oven for 1 hour.
- Reduce port by three-fourths in nonreactive saucepan.
- Place shallots and juices from roasting in blender.
- Add port and vinegar and blend on low speed.
- Add olive oil slowly to incorporate.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss greens and vinaigrette in large bowl.
- Garnish with mustard flowers.
Ingredients for the Salmon Fillets:
- 4 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each
- 8 ounces dandelion greens and crowns
- 2 ounces olive oil
- 2 ounces white wine
- salt and pepper
Directions for the Salmon Fillets:
- In a very hot pan, place 2 ounces of oil.
- Season salmon fillets with salt and fresh ground pepper.
- Place in pan and sear both sides.
- Remove and place in 400 degree oven for 4 minutes.
- Place greens and crowns into the saute pan and season with salt and pepper.
- Add 2 ounces white wine and saute until liquid is dissipated.
- Place greens in a bed on serving plates.
- Remove salmon from oven and set upon greens. Drizzle salmon with sauce and serve.
Ingredients for the Prickly Pear Sauce:
- 1 tbsp. shallot (minced)
- 2 cups white wine
- 1 cup fish stock
- 3 prickly pears
- 1/4 cup cream
- 4 ounce + tbsp. butter
- salt, white pepper
- 1 tbsp. sugar
Directions for the Prickly Pear Sauce:
- In a nonreactive saucepan, sweat shallots in 1 tbsp. butter.
- Hold the fruit (that has been well scrubbed) with metal tongs and rinse under cold running water.
- Cut off the ends, and cut in half lengthwise, scoop out interior, discarding rinds.
- Place the meat of the fruit into the pan.
- Add the sugar and stir until light caramelization occurs.
- Deglaze with white wine, reduce by half.
- Add stock and reduce by half again. Add cream and reduce until small bubbles form. Stir in butter and strain through a mesh sieve. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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