First up is Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale). They sometimes persist through the winter and are always one of the first to appear in spring. I’ll be the leaves raw in salads, the roots for a flavoursome coffee substitute and when the flowers appear I’ll be making wine.
You can find a video recording of the Dandelions Wednesday Weed Waffle here, also included are an audio recording and an accompanying eBook.
Scarlet Elf Cup fungus (Sarcoscypha coccinea) love to grow on dead wood, particularly silver birch, and in wet conditions. They grow up to 5cm and are deep red. They’re edible raw or cooked, and because of their shape and colour I like to float them in bowls of mushroom and bittercress soup.
Chickweed (Stellaria media) is nutrient and medicinal component rich, and grows just about everywhere, and in large quantities. It tastes like a mild rocket leaf raw, and is so freely available that it’s a surprise that we don’t use it more.
