Edible plants you can forage in the Red Bank area

by Eryka Andrex

Lots of plants are coming up now because it's spring. I wanted to share some information on edible wild plants, AKA weeds.  I am an avid gardener and I'm interested in food permaculture.  I am also a fan of foraging, which is collecting wild plants for various uses.  Many of our local "weeds" here in New Jersey are actually edible.  Today I'm sharing information on plants that I find, pick, and use on a daily basis in Red Bank, New Jersey.  I am also including links to articles and recipes about these plants.

If you want to try collecting wild plants, make sure you pick plants from a location that IS NOT sprayed or treated with any type of chemicals (pesticide, herbicide, like Round Up, or fertilizer, etc).  Ask the owner, park staff, landlord, resident etc., or look in your own yard.  Make sure you wash all plants, and harvest carefully, so you are only picking the plant you are interested in. Make sure you are absolutely positive you KNOW what a plant is before you eat it! 

My favorite way to use foraged wild greens is in smoothies, but they can also be added to salads, soups, stews, and stir frys.  

There are many plant identification apps now available for Androids and iPhones.  

If you ever get the chance, Wildman Steve Brill gives great foraging walks/tours in NJ and NY.

1. Violets (New Jersey State Flower)

The flowers and leaves of the violet plant are edible.  Wild Violets grow abundantly all over New Jersey.  People use the flowers to make candied blossoms, syrups, and jelly.  You can make lemonade and add violet syrup as the sweetener, and it turns a beautiful red-violet color.  Violet leaves are mild tasting and I use them in: smoothies, salads and soups.  Wild violet blossoms are usually purple, but also come in other colors.  The purple violet flowers are most prized for making candied violet flowers and violet syrup.

Violet Syrup Recipe

2. Chickweed

This early spring plant is everywhere right now in New Jersey.  Chickweed has little white flowers and is quite invasive, meaning it grows fast and everywhere.  The leaves, stems, and flowers of Chickweed are edible.  Chickweed is fairly mild tasting (some people find it to taste like sweet corn).   Chickweed stems are a little bit crunchy and I think they make a good salad with lettuce and baby spinach.  I use chickweed in  smoothies for my kids, because it is not as bitter as other wild greens.

Chickweed Pesto Recipe 

3. Purple Dead Nettle

Purple Dead Nettle is a beautiful little plant that is a quick growing ground cover.  Purple Dead Nettle can be found all over New Jersey.  The leaves, flowers, and stems of Purple Dead Nettle are edible.  Purple Dead nettle is not a type of nettle plant.  It is actually in the mint family, but it doesn't taste minty.  Purple Dead Nettle has an earthy flavor and some people find it bitter.  The flowers tops are beautiful in salads.  I use Purple Dead Nettle as an ingredient in smoothies.  It is also used as a salad green, in soups, and to make an herbal tea.

Purple Dead Nettle Soup Recipe

4. Mallow

Mallow is a plant that can be found growing wild in many yards and open spaces in New Jersey.  Mallow has white, lavender or yellowish flowers which are followed by little fruits that sort of resemble tiny pumpkins or cheese wheels. Mallow is sometimes called "cheese plant" because of the appearance of the fruits. It does NOT taste like cheese.  Mallow contains a lot of mucilage, similar to okra, and it is slimey/slippery.  The stems, flowers, seeds, and leaves of mallow are edible. The flavor is earthy but mild, and mallow takes on flavor of other stronger things in a stir fry (like garlic)! Mallow is also good for thickening stews because of the mucilage. I'm told the roots are edible too, but I have never tried them.  I found this plant growing in my front yard and use the leaves in smoothies.  

Mallow Patty (Chubeza)  Recipe

5. Dandelion Greens

Dandelions grow everywhere.  The leaves have a strong earthy and bitter flavor.  The leaves are mildest when small (like the ones in my photo), less than 6 inches long.  I use dandelion greens daily in my smoothies.  My kids don't like raw dandelion greens in smoothies or salads because of the strong bitter flavor. However, the greens are very tasty when sauteed in a little bacon fat, and then we eat them with rice or potatoes.  You can also eat the dandelion flowers, or make them into herbal tea, fritters, jam, or wine.  I'm making dandelion wine for the first time this year.  The roots of dandelions are also edible and can be used to make herbal tea/coffee substitute. Dandelions are everywhere and reproduce with white puff ball flowers, sometimes called "wish flowers." Dandelion greens are my favorite foraged greens in the early spring.  I always make sure to leave some dandelion flowers for the bees, because the flowers are one of the earliest sources of food for bees in the springtime.

Tasty Dandelion Greens Recipes

Dandelion Fritter Recipe

Dandelion Wine Recipe

---

Eryka Andrex teaches Zumba and Belly Dancing classes at the Red Bank Public Library. She and her daughter Natalya (an RBPL employee) are also currently making facemasks for the community.