Galinsoga parviflora is a herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae (daisy) family. It has several common names including Guasca (Colombia), Mielcilla (Costa Rica), Galinsoga (NZ), gallant soldier^[2] (USA).

Galinsoga parviflora was brought from Peru to Kew Gardens in 1796, and later escaped to the wild in Britain. In Britain its name Galinsoga is sometimes popularly rendered as “gallant soldiers”, and then sometimes altered to “soldiers of the Queen”. In Germany it is called Franzosenkraut.

Gallant Soldier (Galinsoga parviflora) is an ANNUAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft). It is in flower from May to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects, self.The plant is self-fertile.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils..It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.It requires moist soil.

In Colombia it is used as a spice herb in the soup Ajiaco. It can also be used as an ingredient in leaf salads. In much of the world it is considered a weed.

Treatment

Galinsoga is extremely effective in treatment of wounds. The juice of galinsoga helps blood to coagulate faster and also acts as an antibiotic agent. Some people claim that usage of galinsoga helps wounds heal faster. Even though galinsoga is considered a weed, it is an extremely useful herb.

You can eat the leaves. It has it’s own flavor. I like it. It is full of iron, too.

Source: www.pfaf.org, www.wikipedia.com

Well, then let’s look at the Ground Elder a little closer. The name itself sounds very wise . The elder…may be we should go and ask it if we need help… Anyway, Ground Elder is often used as ground cover or it decides by itself .

It’s Latin name is aegopodium podagraria and is PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate.
It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies. The plant is self-fertile.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil. Ground elder is native to Europe, naturalized inNorth America and found in woodlands.  It was also cultivated as a food crop in the Middle Ages, especially in Russia (and in Siberia in particular – the Russian Saint Seraphim of Sarov is said to have survived three years on eating mainly ground-elder while on self-exposed exile in a deep forest), Scandinavia, in Central Europe. Old Finno-Ugric peoples were keen consumers of ground-elder, too. According to some sources, old traders wrapped their vegetables into ground-elder leaves to keep them fresh looking and smelling – the leaves are high in essential oils and helped to keep the other produce fresh and aromatic, too. Ground elder is a rampant weed that grows in any soil and almost impossible to eradicate once established.

Ground elder has a long history of medicinal use and was cultivated as a food crop and medicinal herb in the Middle Ages. The plant was used mainly as a food that could counteract gout, one of the effects of the rich foods eaten by monks, bishops etc. at this time. The plant is little used in modern herbalism. All parts of the plant are antirheumatic, diuretic, sedative and vulnerary. An infusion is used in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis and disorders of the bladder and intestines. Externally, it is used as a poultice on burns, stings, wounds, painful joints etc. The plant is harvested when it is in flower in late spring to mid-summer and can be used fresh or be dried for later use. A homeopathic remedy is made from the flowering plant. It is used in the treatment of arthritis and rheumatism.

The leaves are high on Vitamin E, as well as vitamin C, they’re rich in antioxidants, minerals, flavonoids and fibre. Dishes containing ground-elder are easily digestible, and have cleansing properties – so they’re good for that spring-time detoxing .

 Edible Parts: Leaves and stems.

Leaves – raw or cooked. Eaten raw they are more nutritious though! The taste reminds me of celery. The leaves are best harvested before the plant comes into flower, they can be used in salads, soups, or cooked as a vegetable. If you cut it down once in a while or pick it it will come back young and tender. Yummy! 

Now – go out and pick it!

Here are some pictures to help you identify it:

Watch the triangle stem. Once you smell it you will remember it, too! I do anyway …

The leaves are interesting, too. You might want to eat the young ones only. I do eat both:

The whole plant – Umbels of white flowers rise on long stems to 90cm above the leaves.

This is what I use for my Super Green Smoothies in the morning:

Dandelion, ground elders, silverweed, cleaver, plantain, common hogweed, lady’s mantle, lambsquarters, malva, leaves of apple/cherry trees, leaves of hawthorn and more…depending on what’s available at that time… and fruit.

And this is how my Superdrink looks like then:

It takes soooo good and gives energy for the whole day … Try it and report back!

If you are interested in great books about gardening & wild foods: http://bit.ly/nGEXXs

References:
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Aegopodium+podagraria
http://www.allaboutherbs.org/ground-elder-aegopodium-podagraria
http://nami-nami.blogspot.com/2011/05/gardeners-revenge-ground-elder-and.html
http://www.finlandinsider.com/picking-wild-foods.html

If you find ticks just take them off as soon as possible. It’s said they only transfer illnesses after being “stuck” on you for over 24 hours. The sooner you find them the better. If you are worried about lyme disease, etc. you might also check this out: http://www.klinghardtneurobiology.com/chronicillness.htm (Dr. Klinghardt also did a lot of research on heavy metal toxity, another very important topic.)

The fox tapeworm is in my eyes another try to put fear out. We should rather buy our produce (loaded with chemicals) in a store rather than pick them for free in the forest . It’s up to you what you believe and do. Many generations got their berries from the forest (and snacked a good part of it right there) and surely didn’t have more problems than we do have nowadays.  I do believe our bodies can deal just fine with eggs of all kinds of worms as we surely can’t avoid them everywhere…or we’d have to stop breathing…and I rather choose to breathe, live and enjoy my life without fears. Plus, it’s known eggs and worms of all types are a good source of nutrition . In some countries they eat them daily as delicacies. Of course, those tiny ones you hardly see you just breathe in…hihi.

Well, about poop and pee… I don’t pick my wild edibles right next or under poop . I make sure it’s clear of poop. And if an animal peed on it…oh well…good I didn’t know . Come on…people sometimes treat themselves with their pee…and that’s often loaded with medication… I am sure a little pee from a deer is ok if you really picked that one plant that got some . Some animals eat poop in order to get more nutrients… At the end it’s just processed food. See it as more nutrients and enjoy . I just don’t worry too much .

Now, go outside and enjoy those wild greens – instead of getting sick of worries !!

I am sooo excited about the fresh young greens!! Here you can see my first “bouquet” of stinging nettles… Soooo yummy …and recharging.

Oh and if you are looking for me – I’ll be out there hoping from nettles to thistles…to dandilion…to wood sorrel…and so many more… Those young ones are especially good. Have you tried gras yet? If not this is the time. It’s so sweet! Like stevia almost. Very good. Now I know why it’s called spring…because I am so happy that I jump around like a spring . What do you like best in spring time?

If you want to learn more about them just look here: http://bit.ly/cQysnY

Have fun jumping around & eating greens! Now is the time if you want to start with them!
Sonja

Winter brings lots of fun but also times of not feeling so well. Remember to eat simple, juicy fruits and greens and keep picking wild edibles for all those wonderful minerals and vitamins. Also try rose hips (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_hips) which are loaded with vitamin C. Other berries like the red ones from hawthorn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crataegus) and the blue blackthorn berries (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackthorn) are wonderful as well – the blackthorn berries only after freezing. They are all edible raw, of course. The best “sweets” you can give your children and keep them healthy on top of it. Remember to take them outside picking, too! Fresh air is very important – even in winter time!

Enjoy this time of year – go out and have fun!!

Cyperus esculentus (Chufa Sedge, Yellow Nutsedge, Tigernut Sedge, Earthalmond) is a species of sedge native to warm temperate to subtropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It is an annual or perennial plant, growing to 90 cm tall, with solitary stems growing from a tuber. The stems are triangular in section, and bear slender leaves 3-10 mm wide. The flowers of the plant are distinctive, with a cluster of flat oval seeds surrounded by four hanging leaf-like bracts positioned 90 degrees from each other. The plant foliage is very tough and fibrous, and is often mistaken for a grass.

History

Zohary and Hopf consider this tuber “ranks among the oldest cultivated plants in Ancient Egypt.” Although noting that “Chufa was no doubt an important food element in ancient Egypt during dynastic times, its cultivation in ancient times seems to have remained (totally or almost totally) an Egyptian specialty.” They were used to make cakes in ancient Egypt. Presently, they are cultivated mainly, at least for extended and common commercial purposes, in Spain, where they were introduced by Arabs, almost exclusively in the Valencia region. Tiger nuts are also grown in Ghana.

 Use as food

The tubers are edible, with a slightly sweet, nutty flavour. They are quite hard and are generally soaked in water before they can be eaten. They are sometimes known by their Spanish name, “chufa”.

Tigernuts have excellent nutritional qualities with a fat composition similar to olives and a rich mineral content, especially phosphorus and potassium. Tigernuts are also gluten- and cholesterol-free, and have a very low sodium content. The oil of the tuber was found to contain 18% saturated (palmitic acid and stearic acid) and 82% unsaturated (oleic acid and linoleic acid) fatty acids.

According to the Consejo Regulador de Chufa de Valencia (Regulating Council for Valencia’s Tigernuts), the nutritional composition/100 ml of a classical Horchata de Chufas, or Orxata de Xufes in Valencian language, is as follows: energy content around 66 kcal, proteins around 0.5 g, carbohydrates over 10 g with starch at least 1.9 g, fats at least 2 g.

It can replace milk in the diet of people intolerant to lactose. Also good for people with nut allergies! It is a seed.

Buy in ground up and use it for your smoothies, cakes, etc. So yummy!!

This time I want to introduce the stinging nettle…which is a wonderful plant, too…and very nutritious food that is easily digested. It is high in minerals (especially iron) and vitamins (especially A and C).

Only use young leaves (older leaves develop gritty particles called cystoliths which act as an irritant to the kidneys).  Old leaves can be laxative.

It is antiasthmatic; antidandruff; astringent; diuretic; calactogogue; haemostatic; hypoglycaemic; stings; tonic. All around a very good plant.

When picking it watch the video… Even if it stings you it will go away soon and is also used for arthritis. So, it only helps .

It is also good for your garden (use the soak water).

I will give you more information and pictures soon…

I am sorry for the quality of the movie. The next ones will be better. Hang in…the other movies will be uploaded soon, too! Please let me know what you think. I am constantly looking for ways to make it better for you.

More about nettle and co. soon…

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