Spring is for greens

My foraging basket overflowing with Spring wild ramps and nettles

I live in the foothills of the Appalachain mountains in West Virginia. I've now lived her for my entire adult life, and while I don't feel comfortable calling myself an Appalachian, I can definitely say that I've learned a ton about the culture and the wild here, and its plucked my heartstrings. Life is simpler out here, slower. The folkways are still relevant here, not yet completely lost to the hustle and bustle of the modern world like so many places are. Though where I live in particular, just 60 miles from Washington D.C., the culture is shifting fast. Urban sprawl is creeping its way toward the mountains. Even still, the wilderness is a live and well here, despite the destruction it's endured over the last two centuries, she perseveres.

One of my favorite, if not my very favorite, aspects about these lands is the abundance of food here. I'm not talking grocery stores - I'm talking wild foods growing out your front door (even in your neighborhood!). As my health and culinary journey directed me toward gardening and growing my own food (which you can read about here), it also steered me toward wild foraging. Once I began learning that no, most of the greenery outside is not poison ivy (usually), and that a lot of it is actually edible and quite tasty, I couldn't get enough of it! I'm still learning new edible wild foods, and thoroughly enjoy geeking out about it with fellow foragers.

Wild blueberry foraging in Dolly Sods, WV

But beyond the simple pleasures of finding wild foods, there's another component I've been drawn to, which is seasonal eating. Since most wild foods are only available or edible during certain times of the year, you're forced to only enjoy them when their time is right. But interestingly, their harvest season is said to correlate with the needs of our bodies, too. I've primarily gained this kind of seasonal eating knowledge through my herbal teachers. Many herbalists believe in the healing powers of eating with the seasons, because many of the health benefits of wild foods are in conjunction with the seasons.

Greens are a great example of this. During the springtime, everything is new again. Most plants here die back during the winter, losing at minimum all their leaves, at most die all the way back to the ground with only their roots remaining during dormancy. Some only live for one or two years, and die completely ~ relying on the next generation to carry on their legacy. Many of the early spring greens that begin to rise in March - May are edible. Some are very tasty, some not so much, but all which are edible are also highly nutritious. Greens are generally high in vitamins and minerals. You know how Pop Eye always reminded us to eat our spinach? That's because they're loaded with essential vitamins and minerals, most famously iron. Spinach and kale are both well known greens you can buy at pretty much any grocery store. But did you know there are also plenty of greens growing outside your door? Some are picky and only grown in certain environments - so you'll have to look a bit harder to find them. Others grow readily and abundantly and can be found pretty much anywhere, and are often considered to be weeds. I'll name a handful of my favorites...

Chickweed

A crunchy, succulent-like sprawling ground cover that you can usually find in disturbed soils. It's not the tastiest on its own in my opinion, but I know its a great spring tonic, so I make a point every spring to make a chickweed pesto a few times so I can get some of its medicine. Chickweed is known for its stimulating and detoxifying properties, helping to clear out your lymphatic system after winters rest.

Stinging Nettle

A nutritional powerhouse. While technically native to England, we do also have a native version called Wood Nettle, but the two are very similar and equally as useful. Nettle as a vegetable is high in many vitamins and minerals and can be compared to seaweed. As a medicinal, a nettle tincture (alcoholic extract) is great for allergies. There are more uses for nettles, but these are my personal most useful purposes.

Sochan 

Our native kale! Kale is a brassica, and brassicas are also not native here. They come from Europe, but Sochan (also called cutleaf coneflower) is in the sunflower family, but its leafy greens are very similar in its health benefits as kale. Loaded with vitamins and minerals and highly nutritious. Sochan is a traditional green of these lands favored by the indigenous peoples.

Dandelion

Completely edible from flower to root, and can be used in so many ways! The greens are very bitter, which may not sound appetizing, but bitter flavors are actually very important in our digestion system. Bitter flavors stimulate digestion, and in a nut shell, help get the gears turning! I take bitters regularly, as my digestive tract gets bogged down easily. While Dandelion hails from Europe, it's become naturalized and isn't considered problematic, except to the chemical industry who have convinced home owners that its public enemy number one in the lawn. I'll never understand this one. Why wouldn't you want flowers growing in your yard...?!

Ramps

Our native allium! All other wild onion species are actually not native to North America. But ramps are indeed an allium, and are native here. They're sweet and spicy like a green onion. Generally, plants in the allium family contain important anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral compounds. So I wouldn't expect Ramps to be any different. Think of onions as your general immune boosters. Plus - they make every dish so much tastier! Ramps are a delicate wild plant that only grow abundantly in certain places, so I only recommend harvesting this one if you are familiar with best practices and have found a spot where it's prolific. Otherwise, stick to your garden onions, they're just as good.

Garlic Mustard

This one is sadly very prevalent, because it is highly invasive - or a less negative term, opportunistic (taught to me by a dear friend) - but good news for us is it's edible from flower to root! The name tells you its flavor profile... Spicy, garlicy-mustardy. I can't speak to its medicinal value specifically, but I'm generally of the belief that eating fresh plants both seasonally and generally is always a good thing.

Wild Garlic

You've probably noticed these onion like stalks in early spring before the grass takes off, because it is another invasive that grows pretty abundantly. So no need to feel guilty digging it up! You can use the young greens like you would chives, and dig up the root bulbs as a garlic substitute. I image its health benefits follow the other allium family plants as mentioned above.

Lambs Quarter

Another garden weed that's edible and nutritious. This one is often compared to spinach. I don't find it particularly appetizing fresh and raw, but if you toss it into your cooked foods right after you turn off the heat to slightly wilt it, I'd say it really could pass as spinach! Fun fact - it's in the quinoa family! I don't know much more about it, but again, eating greens is always a good idea.

There are lots more out there, these are just some of my favorites. But what do they all have in common? For one, they're best harvested in the spring. This is because in the springtime, plants are sending all their energy into new leaves, and those new leaves are fresh and tender. As the plants mature, they get tougher and woodier, and many send up seed stalks which makes them taste bitter.

But most importantly, all these springtime greens contain nutritional value that is especially important for our bodies as we wake from winters slumber. While most modern humans may not hibernate in the same way our ancestors used to, we still follow many of the traditions that were rooted in survival but are now merely celebratory such as indulging in heavier foods during winter holiday season. And most people don't really enjoy being outside during the winter, so the average person is probably less physically active simply for the fact of being less inspired to go outside. There are also far less social activities that involve exercise during the winter, as most occur indoors. The days are short, the nights are long, the temperatures are cold, everything is just- slower... even in our fast paced world. I'm sure in big cities winter is less notably slow, but out here in the countryside, the towns are definitely sleepy.

So in the winter we eat more, we eat denser, we move less (most of us). Then spring comes along, and we don't really change our habits... but should we? My belief is yes. One of the many ways modern culture has lost touch with the natural world is we don't even know how to listen to our bodies anymore. Many people are sadly so unwell, that they may not remember what healthy even feels like - which probably makes it more difficult to know when their body is out of tune, until the symptoms become extreme and unbearable. When you read about the major health conditions plaguing Americans today, the majority of the conditions are preventable and have to do with lifestyle choices.

If any of this strikes a chord in you, just remember, the system is to blame here, not you. We're trapped in a society that puts profit over all else, and we are suffering because of it. But I believe there is hope for a better world, and learning how to listen to our bodies is one act of rebellion toward that brighter future. Because thankfully, this isn't new, its in our bones. We know how to listen to our bodies, to track the seasons ~ we are biologically wired for it. We just have to remember. And one of my missions with this blog is to help you remember...

Anyway, before I dive too deeply into a tangent, lets focus back in on the topic for today: Spring greens.

What have we learned so far?

1. Greens are best harvested when they're young.

2. They're most readily available in the Spring (March-May where I live).

3. They're a nutritional powerhouse.

So eat your greens, I say! If you're new to foraging, I recommend going out with someone more experienced than you (if you're local to Shepherdstown or the greater DC area where I live, there are LOTS of amazing guides out there leading foraging walks and classes!), because foraging is absolutely a skill that you have to work on. But once you dapple in it, you'll likely quickly find yourself amazed at how easy it actually is to identify plants, and hopefully, you'll be filled with empowerment! And if foraging isn't it for you right now, and you don't have a garden, cultivated greens are still wonderful food sources. Spinach and kale are my two favorite most available greens you can buy at the store. Break out your salad bowl, but don't be afraid to experiment with other fun ways of getting greens in. I like making "pesto's" with different spring greens like chickweed, nettles, and/or ramps. I love putting spinach and other dense greens into soups and stews, and if you have picky eaters (I used to be one of them), sneak them into dishes by pureeing them. The point is, remember to help your body gear up for summertime by filling it with the luscious fuel of springtime.

Happy Spring, and eat your greens!