My friend Annie use to make a weed salad.
Not marijuana weed, but actually a salad made of weeds.
She would gather the weeds from the local fields.
Weeds.
She eats them.
She would tell me, "..they are good for you, high in vitamins."
Weeds that I walked on without giving them a thought.
Bitter weeds.
Weeds with names such as:
Salade de Chasseur, or Hunter's Greens in English.
Fenouil, or Fennel's first shoots. Not to be confused with the older, later in the season's which have 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 taste like.
And the fourth weed… Much to my shame, I forgot its name.
Years ago I went over to Annie's 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, not a pinch but a fist.
I love garlic. I have heard the reason escargot tastes good is because of the butter and garlic. Weed salad falls into the same category. 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.
In Memory of Annie xx
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