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mostly-under-the-radar edibles
Sep. 7th, 2019 03:16 pmSpeaking of "doing the right thing in your corner of the world," and continuing along from my earlier post, here are some of the plants with edible parts that I've planted in my front yard.
This is an extremly paltry list of plants that can double as food sources and ornamentals - I leaned heavily toward the medicinal and culinary herbs in this part of my yard, so edibles kind of got short shrift. What I have, though can be chalked up to the more drought and neglect tolerant of the edibles one might plant in a Mediterranean climate. I have a somewhat tough-love approach to gardening (which is why I'm, thus far, a vegetable gardener of middling ability. I tend to under-water and that consigns many of my plants to a hardscrabble existence) and that influences what survives and what thrives.
As I evaluate things and remove what doesn't work, I'll end up with more space. I'll try to add a few more "ornamental" edibles in the future.
This is an extremly paltry list of plants that can double as food sources and ornamentals - I leaned heavily toward the medicinal and culinary herbs in this part of my yard, so edibles kind of got short shrift. What I have, though can be chalked up to the more drought and neglect tolerant of the edibles one might plant in a Mediterranean climate. I have a somewhat tough-love approach to gardening (which is why I'm, thus far, a vegetable gardener of middling ability. I tend to under-water and that consigns many of my plants to a hardscrabble existence) and that influences what survives and what thrives.
Pineapple Guava or Feijoa (Acca sellowiana) does really well on the central coast of CA, where I first encountered it. It seems to tolerate the heat of the Sacramento Valley, though it does appreciate adequate water to help it keep its fruit. It's got a spicy sweetness, slightly gritty flesh, and is almost never available commercially. I'm wondering how the dried sliced fruit would be added to other herbs for a tea. That may be the next experiment I undertake with fresh-from-the-garden produce. Fruit ripens in winter. In the spring, the pink and white, showy, flowers can be eaten. The petals are succulent and sweet.
Onions, garlic, shallots and jiu cai (Allium tuberosum), which is a Chinese variety we call garlic chives, the leaves of which are traditionally sautéed or added to dumpling filling - it's strongly flavored, but tasty. As these are all in the Allium family, it might be wise to not allow these to regrow every year in the same spot, so as to prevent the fungal problems that some alliums are prone to. Of course, with A. tuberosum being a perennial, I may just let them stay where they are. If I lived where it was colder and wetter, I'd plant Bärlauch or the North American analog, ramps.
Soaproot (Chlorogalum pomeridianum). This is a native plant, used widely throughout the region prior to European arrival, for a great number of things. The bulbs are covered in a "mat" of course hairs that can be made into brushes and the inner flesh of the bulb contains saponins and other compounds - the products that can be made or derived from the bulb include soap, glue, fish toxin (for stun-fishing), medicines, and, when well-roasted, food. I've seen mentions that young leaves are edible as well. I've not tried it (yet) but perhaps I will when I have more than just one plant. Given how prolifically it bloomed this year, and how many seeds set, I may have several next season. This plant is an evening bloomer that's beloved by carpenter bees and bumblebees - and it's the preferred overnight spot for the sweat bees and several species of small wasps who inhabit my garden. This article provides a good introduction to the plant: https://baynature.org/article/versatile-bulb-many-uses-soaproot/.
Goji (Lycium barbarum). Technically the variety I've planted is Himalayan or Tibetan Goji - there seems to be some confusion among suppliers in the US (intentional or accidentally, I can't tell) and they're conflating the two available Chinese boxthorns we call goji. Online, photos of one are often listed under the other's name, and since everyone's hopping on the superfoods bandwagon retailers are vague about what they're selling. I bought my starts from Baker Creek Heirlooms and only after I'd planted them and tasted the fruit did I go back and find they're not being sold under their Latin name and that they've been re-branded with the common name of "Scarlet goji berry." If you taste a ripe berry (or dry it and taste it) and it's not remotely palatable, you've probably got Lycium barbarum. If you taste a packaged (imported from China) goji berry, there's a pleasant sweetness that Lycium barbarum doesn't have. Even Plants for a Future mentions a "mild sweet licorice flavor" for L. barbarum. So, buyer beware - nobody seems to know what they're talking about. I frankly have no desire to consume the berries from my plants. In fact, I cut them down last year, thinking I'd not waste time or space on the "wrong" plant. Of course, plants are who they are, and this plant re-sprouts from any root pieces left behind. Not knowing that, I just chopped it off at soil level. Therefore, I still have L. barbarum. :) Why do I add it to the edibles list if its berry flavor makes it inedible? Because you can actually eat the leaves! When it re-sprouted in spring I decided to give it another try and that's when I realized I'd overlooked the leaves' edibility. I admit, I've cultivated a fondness for bitter greens - something that's necessary if you're going to eat goji leaves. I found it enjoyable. I have not done much research into whether both varieties have been used medicinally in China, so can't claim L. barbarum is the same as L. chinense (or vice versa) in that regard. One last note - it's drylands "tolerant" but I can tell it'd be happier if I watered it more.
Olives (Olea europa spp.) I picked varieties (Arbosana and Arbequina) that are known for being dual purpose (oil and table olives). I tried brining some last year, but they were small, their pits were big, and the brine got moldy (typically that might not always stop me, but the olives were still tannic. I re-brined them, it still molded, I still have them... I might just toss them as we're approaching another harvest). I've not yet decided if or how I would process them for their oil. I have a romantic notion using it in an oil lamp on my altar. I don't think I'm quite there yet... that same daydream includes me learning basic pottery techniques to make oil lamps. But I'm also known for having a LOT of ideas and projects so... anyway, back to the edibility of olives... I have brined olives successfully in the past but they were Mission olives - the jury is still out on the Arbosana/Arbequina varieties (they pollinize each other so I planted one of each).
As I evaluate things and remove what doesn't work, I'll end up with more space. I'll try to add a few more "ornamental" edibles in the future.
