Watching: I've started watching Battlestar
Galactica (2004). As a kid, I devowered the
original series and so far (ep 5) this one is even
better.
[ Day 32 since last purchasing food. ]
[ 13 Days until I'm restocked. ]
Garlic Mustard (Alliara petiolata)...
Garlic Mustard is a biennial flowering plant
native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia as far
east as Western China. "Jack-in-the-Hedge" is one
common name for it in the UK. It's a common herb,
posessed of pests to keep it under control like
all natives in an eco-system (76 species at last
count). In the Americas, it's an invasive with no
fauna adapted to keep it in check.
It can quickly carpet forest floors over-competing
native plants. It also poisons beneficial soil
fungi. Such mycorrhizal dependencies are essential
to the healthy growth of native tree species
including several types of maple as well as ash.
So it's a bad dude, and it's successful enough
that there's no way we're eradicating it. It's
the new normal. That said we can still drink of
it's blood!!! ...or at least use it at a potherb.
A quick survey of "Garlic Mustard Recipie" on the
intertubes will lean hevily toward pesto. It seems
LOTS of folks try this and it's aparently quite
good. I have not. There seems to be more cyanide
compounds in the leaves than is REALLY best for
your system. But the good news is cyanides are
soluble in water and boiling the herb for five
minutes and disgarding the water drastically
reduces the CN content.
Below is a recipie. But as always learn to
identify the plant and any inpersonators. Use at
least two sources! Too, sample only small amounts
at first - this is because you have no idea if
you're actually allergic to it. The last thing you
want is a visit to the hospital right now.
Garlic Mustard Couscous: Serves 4
10 Oz Dry Couscous
2 Cup Broth
1 Tbsp Oil
2 Qt Garlic Mustard Leaved & Stems
Pepper to taste
Boil herb in water for 5 minutes.
Drain.
In Blender, combine herb, broth & oil.
Blend to slurry (is that even a culinary word?)
Pour into saucepan and bring to boil.
Stir in couscous and remove from heat.
Let stand for 5 minutes.
Serve.
