We are lucky to live in a country that is so lush with greenery many plants that you may see every day are not only edible but delicious!
Our ancestors recognised this and for nearly every plant you see whether it be in a hedgerow at the side of the road or your own back garden has lore and superstition attached as well as tasty recipes! Here are just a few:
The Rowan Tree (Sorbus)
Also known as mountain ash this native tree is a common sight in Ireland. Rowan, which means 'red head' in Irish, can be spotted by it's bright red berries and serrated leaflets. It is said to be the Irish tree of life an symbolises wisdom and courage. Quite often found at the driveway entrance to a house it is thought to protect the household from ill will and evil spirits.
It's berries are extremely high in vitamin C however should only be eaten after cooking as raw they can upset the stomach and are extremely bitter. You can make fabulous jelly to go with lamb or game or they can be made into Rowan berry wine.
Gorse
It often looks as if gorse is constantly in flower however this is only because of the amount of different species that we have. Thought to protect
against witches and bad luck it is associated with the Celtic god of light Lugh and the spring equinox . If brought into the house in early may is is said to bring in the summer (I would quite happily bring in a number of bushes in if I thought it would make this rain go away).
The gorse flower can be used in salads and taste like coconut and peas, or they can be used to make a gorse wine
Elder Tree/Shrub
Steeped in Lore the Elder tree was planted at the back of the house for protection against fairies and evil spirits much like the rowan is at the front. It's large white flower crowns are easy to spot right now as is it's heavy berry laden crown in the late summer early autumn.
They say that a baby's crib should never be made from the
wood of an elder tree as it's an invitation to the fairies to steal your baby. If you were foolish enough to fall asleep under the full blooms of an elder it was said that you would see the fairies that lived in the area going to their midsummer feast.
In Scandinavian countries woodcutters would have to ask the 'Elder Mother' before cutting it down or else bad luck would attach to whatever was made from the wood.
The berries can be made into cordials or jelly but must not be eaten raw as they contain cyanide inducing glycoside which is only counteracted by being cooked.
The flower crowns can be deep fried to make fritters or can be made into elder flower champagne or cordial.
Dandelion
Even though we love to hate this little weed it's uses are many. It's fluffy seeds are sought after by Finches in particular and when few things are in flower they are a blessing for the hungry bees.
The name comes from the latin 'Dens Leonis' which means lions teeth due to the jagged shape of it's leaf.
In a number of different countries they are known as 'wet the bed' in Holland 'pissenlit' it is thought that picking them would cause children to wet their beds. This is actually partially fact based as the leaves contain a diuretic and are thought to be very beneficial to the kidneys.
The leaf can be picked and sauteed with a little olive oil and put into salads and have a peppery taste much like nasturtium. The whole plant is edible however the stalk can be very bitter.
This is just a very few of the edible plants around us in Ireland, try spotting your own but be sure to do your research to make sure you know what you have and that it is indeed edible!
Sophie X
