French la Vie

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 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 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.

 

 

 

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 reason escargot tastes good is because of the butter and garlic. Weed salad falls in 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.

 

(Repost Annie's birthday was a few days ago.)