Spring is the perennial vegetable in time and right now it's harvest time for several really nice vegetables. A few days ago it became jätterams (Polygonatum x hybdridum) for dinner. It belongs to the family of asparagus plants and reminiscent of wild asparagus to taste. The advantage of jätterams is that it matures earlier and thrive in deep shade. It spreads slowly and can over time produce substantial holdings, as shown in the picture below. Jätterams harvested before the leaves unfold. Later in the season it becomes toxic (like asparagus) and it is the berries that are the most toxic plant part (just like the asparagus ice berries are toxic).
I usually cook jätterams by steaming in 5-10 minutes, depending on the consistency you like. They can be used like asparagus and fits well with melted butter or omelette.
Yesterday it was time for a real tasty and health-giving soup of spring vegetables. It contained leaves of garden sorrel (Rumex rugosa), kirskål (Aegopodium podagraria), large Bistort (Bistorta officinalis), spenatskräppa (Rumes patience), kajplök (Allium scorodoprasum), nettle (Urtica dioica) and large quantities of the new favorite Cumin leaves (Caraway), a biennial plant that we have sown in as green manure plant in Putt Myra forest garden. Thanks to Stephen Barstow for the tip of cumin leaves!
Within a few weeks, it is time to harvesting ostrich fern, one of my favorite vegetables in the spring and this year's edible perennial 2014. I can also tell if a previous post, where I did a compilation of the nutrition in a number of perennial vegetables and a post about the earliest vegetables we can harvest the forest garden. If you want to know the full width of perennial vegetables we can grow in many parts of the country, Game of perennial vegetables be a great entry.
Next post will be about some exciting newcomers to the forest garden – Plant collecting is never ending!
Hi
Are all frame-species edible?
Getrams, great-frame and jätterams…(which of course is apparently a hybrid between goat and big)
wondering Ylva
If any frame-species are edible, I do not, but please check at pfaf.org the keyword Polygonatum, so you can find edible safety assessments in a variety of species. Most have 2 of 5 edible safety point, which I think is a bit low considering how good they are.
Jätteramsen sounded too exciting. Do you know if getramsen, Polygonatum odoratum also is ok to eat. I Wheat seventeen which of them I have. Must check whether it is possible to separate them and what herbiaries says about the matter.
Thanks for the great post!
Inger
SOLOMON'S SEAL equal edible which jätterams, but of course gives a significantly smaller harvest.
Tack!
What a lovely blog this is. I eat a lot of wild plants but only in the raw state. Is jätterrams ok to eat raw? Have eaten SOLOMON'S SEAL sometimes and it feels alright.
Just got the name of spenatskräppa and I seek the seed or seedling. Someone who knows the? Should be very good and the plant seed easily. Sure common in Poland, Ukraina etc.
Renrot (Maralrot) will certainly Siberia, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Does anyone know of it and have seed or seedling? Must be very energizing, good memory and concentration, well-being and immune system.
In the winter I eat about 20 % fresh pine sprigs…Moose eat 70-90%…..
Hej And!
I would not recommend eating raw SOLOMON'S SEAL, but have not found any source that says you can not eat them. Only the berries seem to be toxic.
Spenatskräppa (Rumes patience) We grow here in Stjärnsund and you are passing you like to receive a seedling. I also think that they have been in association Sesame SEED CATALOGUE.
Renrot I feel unable to.
Please
Philipp
Maralrot (Rhaponticum carthamoides) is a perennial of the aster family that apparently has medicinala characteristics similar to the powerful Rose Root (Rhodiola rosea). Exciting! 🙂