Forget the Lettuce Recall, Harvest Organic Greens from Your Backyard

With the increase and recent news of beef, poultry and egg recalls, it's enough to motivate one to research and take matters into one's own hands, literally. For starters, look no further than your own backyard for the best organic greens.

Recently Woody posted about cutting back on the frequency of lawn mowing for the purpose of saving money and water conservation. Why not take it a step further and change your perspective on those pesky weeds by harvesting them for dinner?

Tips for pulling, prepping and cooking...

Safety tips for beginners:

Identify the plant before eating
Do not eat weeds from high traffic areas (near foot paths)
Do not gather from polluted areas (near roads and highways)
Know the area and have permission to gather from public places
When in doubt, research and get advice from wild food and forage experts

Some common edible plants:

Purslane

A great substitute for spinach, this succulent has edible leaves and stems. Use them for soups and salads. Full of vitamins and antioxidants  including vitamins A, C and good for you omega-3 fatty acids.

Bamboo

These are most commonly planted to create privacy in your yard and can be a nightmare to remove if you want to re-landscape. Dice the bamboo shoots up and use them in Asian recipes. Their taste is similar to corn and packed full of fiber. See link in next section on how to prepare them.

Dandelions

One of the easiest to recognize across the U.S., this plant was originally used as a salad green. The dandelions bitter taste can be offset by sauteing with sherry vinegar or try to use smaller portions of the leaves and stems as to not overwhelm the rest of the dish.

And the list goes on, so research for sites with databases on edible plants by region.

Prep and recipe ideas:

• Purslane recipes
• Bamboo shoot preparation
• Dandelion recipes
• Martha Stewart's Edible-Weed Salad Recipe
• More edible plant recipes

Drooling yet? Whatever your motivation for adding these to your frugal menu, it might be less risky than most salad items in the grocery stores these days!