Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

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Weed Salad

Weed Salad

My friend Annie makes weed salad.

She gathers the weeds in a field.

Weeds.

She eats them.

And tells me, "..they are good for you, high in vitamins."

Weeds that I walk on without given them a thought.

Bitter weeds.

 

Pissanli, fennel, salade de chasseur

Weeds with names such as:

Salade de Chasseur, or Hunter's Greens in English.

Fenouil, or Fennel's first shots. Not to be confused with older, later in the season's more substantial growth.

Pissanli (I won't tell you what that sounds like in French… oh dang I have to tell you… It sounds like Peeing in the Bed!) better known as: Dandelion! Bitter is what it is!

And the fourth cutie weed… Much to my shame, I forgot its name.

 

Annie's Weed Salad

I went over to Annie's yesterday to cut her hair.

Entering her kitchen there was an overwhelming garlicky aroma.

Annie told me she had made her Weed Salad. I tasted her weeds before without seasoning, and it was not my favorite. Annie reassured me, "…I know you don't like my wild salad…."

"You mean weed salad?""

"Yes, but you should taste it with my vinaigrette!"

"Is garlic the main ingredient?"

She laughed, "Can you smell it?"

Annie collects the weeds, then trims, washes and seasons them:

Olive oil, salt, apple vinegar and a fist full of crushed garlic.

I love garlic. I have heard the the reason escargot tastes good is because of the butter and garlic. Weed salad falls in the same catagory. The garlic won me over.

Annie was happy that I am now a fan of her weed salad. I'll never walk on a weed again without my tastebuds watering…. well, that is if garlic dressing is close behind.

Comments

39 responses to “Weed Salad”

  1. Janet

    Pissenlit, Corey pisse-en-lit !

    Reply
  2. Julie M ~ The Little Red Shop

    What is the appetizer which weed salad & escargot follow? Garlic-marinated ants? : )
    : p
    Julie M.

    Reply
  3. jend’isère

    Similar to a brocante…one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure. Such a pair in finding the the good in the “bad”. French: Mal+herbe=bad herb,
    Swedish: O+gräss=nongrass.

    Reply
  4. Chris Kerr

    How wonderful! I never thought of “weed salad”…and leave it to the wonderful Annie to make a dressing that wins you over. 🙂

    Reply
  5. Merisi, Vienna

    This truly must be a sign of spring approaching in Provence, what bounty already!
    I remember an Italian farmer, selling her vegetables in Rome, one of the open air markets. On Saturday mornings she used to sell “erbe di campo” – herbs from the fields. She collected them herself, and one needed to be at the market early, they were always gone quickly. They tasted good in salads and also cooked, in a fritatta or una “torta salata” (the fritatta has no crust, while the torta is similar to French quiche, sans cream).

    Reply
  6. jackie

    love Annie stories! Thanks!
    jackie

    Reply
  7. Rhonda P.

    Sweet Annie, I love the photos you took of her. Even the weeds are beautiful in your photos. Only you can capture such beauty.

    Reply
  8. Penny

    I loved this, Corey! Not that I like weed salad, but, because I so enjoy hearing about Annie. She reminds me so much of my paternal grandmother, my yia yia, who lived with us and who was also Greek. We ate weed salad from dandelion greens, one of the very few things in life I don’t care for. I don’t know what I disliked more; the dandelion salad in spring or the trek out to pick the weeds, afraid all my friends would see.
    One can now buy dandelion greens in upscale specialty markets and ethnic grocers here. ha!

    Reply
  9. Beverly

    Thank you, thank you, thank you.
    I love reading your musings on Annie.
    She reminds me of my late Mother who was Flemish.
    I wish I had an Annie in my life.
    Blessings to both of you. x

    Reply
  10. Cheryl ~ Casual Cottage Chic

    Mr CCC calls “spring salad” weeds or rabbit food. With the variety of leaves he’s just sure they are weeds and won’t eat it. We are big fans of romaine so don’t think I would be eating Annie’s salad, even with all the garlic dressing. BTW, perhaps it’s the garlic she eats that keeps her going at 90+ 🙂

    Reply
  11. Kathie B

    Just make sure not to pick weeds too close to the side of the road, as they absorb pollution from motor vehicle exhaust.
    The level of such pollutants is inverse to the square of the distance from the source. E.g., a plant 30 meters from the road typically has only 1/100 (= 0.01 = 1%) the pollutant level of a plant that’s only 3 meters from the road, because the ratio 3/30 = 1/10, and the square of 1/10 = 1/10 x 1/10 = 1/100.
    Yes, I used to be a math teacher — and am proud of it 🙂

    Reply
  12. Alena

    When I look outside of the window I dream of seeing weeds but all I see is snow..
    Oahhhh, I can bathe myself in garlic..
    Annie looks wonderful!

    Reply
  13. Gail Sullivan

    I love Annie and pix of her. She is a delight.
    Gail

    Reply
  14. Stacy

    I love hearing stories about Annie. She is so vibrant and full of life.
    One question about your pictures of Annie. I have been seeing an ad online (maybe for Geiko insurance?). The ad shows a picture of an older woman with large, dark sunglasses on. I think the woman looks just like Annie. I was wondering if you sold or licensed one of your pictures to them? If not, I hope they didn’t borrow it without your knowing!
    Of course I could be wrong. Maybe it’s not Annie at all, just someone who looks like her. But I wanted to mention it just in case.
    By the way, I am envious that thngs are already starting to grow in your area. We still have the gray colors of winter here. I am tired of the monotone look. Maybe I need to ask people to share pictures of spring with me over on my blog to keep me going until our lush colors come back. Now there’s a thought…

    Reply
  15. Ellen at American Homestead

    Annie must know something about the benefits of vitamin rich foods because she has lived a long life.
    I have walked into cafes all over Europe and the scent of the vinaigrette stirs my taste buds ~ I can’t wait to have a lovely salad and then sop up the remaining vinaigrette with good bread. Yum.

    Reply
  16. Amy Kortuem

    What beautiful pictures of Annie, what a lovely relationship you have with her. And yes, everything’s better with butter and garlic!
    The man who gave me my first harp still calls me “Weed”. I was little when I met him, but I’m 43 now. He even called me “Weed” when I was a 200-pound college student.
    Sweet, weeds.

    Reply
  17. Lemon Tree Tami

    My mother would tell me stories of how she saw my great grandparents in the fields of the San Fernando Valley picking wild mustard greens and dandelions to eat. 🙂 I don’t recall ever trying that but instead I’d sample my great grandmother’s handmade raviolis and her yummy biscotti. Now my grandmother makes the biscotti in the family.

    Reply
  18. Tongue in Cheek

    Hi
    No I did not sell an image of Annie. Can you send me a link so I can be sure it is not her.
    Thank you,

    Reply
  19. Jenna

    Yum, I’ve had a dandelion salad before, it was delicious! Could Annie be more radiant in that picture, enjoy each others company, ladies. Life is good.

    Reply
  20. katiebell

    Thats sounds great! No wonder Annie is so young and sparkly and healthy. Bitter greens, garlic, olive oil and apple vinegar are all incredible good for you! Must try it, maybe we’ll all live for a hundred years and still dance to the eat of the fire inside us.

    Reply
  21. annette

    Once again I will tell you how much I love “Annie” stories. She has to be such an amazing friend. The picture of her hand told volumes about her. These are busy hands that have always done good things.

    Reply
  22. Kiki

    yes, pissenlit, and it really means ‘bed pisser’ because they draw the water in your body and make you go to the loo…. I KNOW the name of that 4th herb (NOT WEED!!!) it just has escaped my tired brain…. lol – I’ll let you know if it comes back!
    Lovely shots of Annie; in summer she should add some flowers of nasturtiums, gives colour and a lovely tangy taste, also lavender flowers (just the tiny bits) give colour and a fine taste…. And since you too love garlic, you mustn’t ignore the young shoots of ‘Baerlauch’ = wild/bear garlic, to be eaten in modest quantities or as a light soup…. fantastic!

    Reply
  23. Star

    I love that woman. She really lives life to the fullest. Thank you for sharing about the weed salad; I’m afraid I would be like you and not care for it plain but with her garlic dressing it might be good!

    Reply
  24. Karen@PasGrand-Chose

    Annie is beautiful at 90 and must have been a stunner in her youth.

    Reply
  25. Kathie B

    Evidently those of my father’s ancestors who hailed from the west coast of Flores, the westernmost island in Portugal’s Azores archipelago, used to harvest the wild-growing watercress that grew (and still grows!) along the riffles up above the ribbon waterfalls along the coast, in order to make a simple watercress soup. Since the main ingredient was the free cress, with lots of dried bread and only small amounts of other ingredients, I infer that they were probably quite poor and trying to stretch their meager food supply and garden crops. Of course, here in the US if one buys watercress at the market, it’s the most expensive ingredient in the soup!
    * * * * *
    FLORES WATERCRESS SOUP (SOPA DE AGRIÃO)
    (Recipe can be doubled successfully)
    1 bunch watercress, washed very(!) thoroughly
    4 cups water
    1-2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
    ½ cup white or yellow onion, peeled and chopped
    1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
    ½ pound potatoes, washed and peeled
    Salt and pepper to taste
    Crusty Portuguese (or French) bread, torn into chunks
    1. In a medium-large non-corrosive saucepan (I use a 4-quart All-Clad® pan), sauté the chopped onion and garlic in oil over low heat till translucent.
    2. Add the 4 cups of water, then heat to boiling.
    3. While the liquid is heating, finely chop the stems of the watercress and thin-slice the potatoes 1/8″ thick, then add them to the boiling liquid and cook till done, about 15-20 minutes (test by gingerly forking a slice of potato — when pierced, it should not fall apart). A bit of the potatoes’ starchiness should slightly thicken the broth.
    4. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper (warning: watercress is a slightly peppery-tasting green).
    5. Serve the soup in individual bowls, poured over chunks of crusty bread.
    NOTE 1: My late aunt blanched in horror when I inquired if it was permissible to include, say, sliced carrots or a few hydrated soup beans in the soup for additional color and nutrition; I guess it depends on how preoccupied one is with authenticity.
    NOTE 2: You can also make this recipe with other greens (fresh or frozen), including Portuguese cabbage (kale) and spinach — although you might want to add a bit more pepper since kale and spinach are blander than watercress.

    Reply
  26. Marilyn

    My daughter and I once went for a walk in our park with a botanist and she showed us all the weeds we could eat. Annie’s weed salad sounds very good. I would love to try some.

    Reply
  27. LaurieSF

    Hi Corey,
    Grass fed husband. Tonight’s dinner will be Annie’s weed salad…oxox

    Reply
  28. Franca Bollo

    Mm … bitter greens Je like ’em, mucho. They’re very big in the Sicilian diet. Any type lightly sautéed in a little olive oil and garlic. Squizizitto!

    Reply
  29. Betty K

    I would like to know what else Annie eats. I hope that I can live so long, be in my own home making my meals, and have a twinkle in my eyes. I would not even ask to be as lovely as she is.

    Reply
  30. Alan

    In my hippie days in Iowa, we used to eat a weed called Lamb’s quarters. It was a bit like spinach. It was also free for the picking.

    Reply
  31. Bramble

    I grew up with a Gran who made dandelion tonic and wild Spring greens salads and fiddlehead (fern) soup. As a kid I thought them bitter and yucky but as an adult I have had similar salads in very nice restaurants and it always makes me smile!I think Annie has learned a great many things in her rich life that gives her that twinkle and we love hearing about her! Be well you two,and enjoy that special friendship you share!

    Reply
  32. bee

    We used to eat these growing up. Mom used to take the dandelion flowers and steep them to put on her hair as a rinse also. I know purslane was one green that grew wild and was wondering if that was the one you were thinking about, as I forgot what it looked like.
    They are so good for us. If there isn’t any insecticide, who knows what is in the dirt these days.
    betsy

    Reply
  33. Marie

    It sounds kind of yucky but I’m a picky eater so maybe that’s why. 🙂

    Reply
  34. suz

    Wonderful post! I love it!

    Reply
  35. Marie-Noëlle

    Your friend Annie is a pure jewel !!!
    My great grand mother used to go out very early in the morning to pick pissenlits, nettles or mushrooms. She was quite a character !
    I too pick nettles … to make a nettle-and-snail soup.
    I think about dandelions only when I see the flowers out – which means “too late” !!!
    By the way, Corey, “pissenlit” does MEAN “peeing in
    bed” !!!
    The plant has been called so since the Middle Ages because of its medicinal properties : diuretics !!!

    Reply
  36. Veronica

    While my mother was interred in a labour camp during WWII she had a good feed on wild sorrel which unfortunatley ended in a serious belly ache. What an unfortuante end to a meal that was thoroughly enjoyed.

    Reply
  37. Brenda, Kindred Hearts Antiques

    Dear Corey, Thank you for Annie story! All of us need a friend like her! Absorb all the knowledge she has to share and write about it, record it!
    She has kept herself cleansed by all the wild herbs and olive oil and garlic!
    My older sister married a French/German man 20 years older than her who lived on a working plantation in a place called Bayou Goula. I had never met such people, full of life, french speaking! They called us “City Tomatoes”! The kids I met then would pick wild greens too. One was “Thistle”, cut at the base, flower removed, strip the stalk and cut like celery, only the taste is stronger. Wild garlic and salt, pepper and vinegar, and you had a nice salad! I have gotten a similar salad as Annies at “Le Madelaine” in Baton Rouge!( www.lamadeleine.com )

    Reply
  38. Stacy

    It is one of those ads that changes every time I am on my home page (msn), so of course it is different today. I will keep watch for it and if I see it again will send it your way.
    The picture showed the woman in 3/4 profile wearing large, almost wrap around black sunglasses. Do you know if you have any pictures like that of Annie that you posted here?
    I am an artist so copyright infringement is a sensitive subject for me. Hopefully I am wrong about this picture. I’ll let you know if I see it again.
    Best regards,
    Stacy
    P.S. I love everything about your blog and have been reading it every day for two or three years.

    Reply
  39. Stacy

    I have been checking my home page every day watching for the ad I saw that I thought looked like Annie. And finally it was posted again! I’ve copied the image and will email it to you in an email with the title “Annie picture”.
    I hope I am wrong and it is not her. And I hope you haven’t been worrying about it since I mentioned it. Enjoy the rest of your trip. The pictures you are posting are fabulous!

    Reply

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