Monday, May 3, 2010

Miner's Lettuce

Free wild salad greens!  The miner's lettuce usually peaks a little earlier than it did this year, but we had wonderful salads twice last week. It looks like this:


And grows all over our yard and garden in spring.

The gold miners picked it and ate it for the  Vitamin C.  I pick it by pulling up the entire plant, (it is not rooted very deeply) and fill a large paper grocery bag full to make two salads.  I then lay newspaper on the table and sit and pick off the round leaf are below the little flowers.  I discard the stems and flowers although if a few get in it is OK.  As I pluck them, I put them into a bowl of cold water.  When I'm done I usually push all the leaves under water to help rinse any floating debris (or little critters) and then run them thru the spinner.   A simple dressing of balsamic vinegar and good olive oil is all that is needed.

I have notice large beds of miners lettuce growing along the road, but I would not want to pick it from there because of the exhaust film from the cars.

I wonder if we will find it in other parts of the country.


I hope all of you who are traveling in the current stormy weather are safe.




4 comments:

  1. I've had good traveling weather. I drive a 30' Winnebago Sighteer with a Ford Focus as my toad.

    I'd like to try some of that miner's lettuce. :)

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  2. Mmmm...Merikay, that lettuce looks yummy.

    We've had last year's arugula plants sprouting for some time now and have been adding their leaves as accents to salad. Miner's lettuce sounds lovely.

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  3. I was wondering how you offset the slightly sour taste of the leaves. It would make a pleasant addition, but I am not sure I would enjoy a salad of just Miner's lettuce.

    My sons tell me the chickens at Hidden Villa really like it too.

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