Home of edible weed walks in Melbourne, and the publication:
The Weed Forager's Handbook: A Guide to Edible and Medicinal Weeds in Australia

Author: annie (Page 2 of 2)

chickweed pesto in a bowl

Chickweed and Cashew Pesto

2 Aug 2019 /

3 cups of firmly-compressed chickweed tops
3/4 cup raw cashews
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste – probably about ½ a teaspoon
pepper

1. Chop your chickweed across the stem so that it ends up in sections no more than 2cm long.

chickweed tips
chopped finely

2. Put one cup of the chickweed into a food processor (or blender if you don’t have one) along with the oil, vinegar and lemon juice. Add about a tablespoon of water and blend until you have a consistent texture (but not until smooth). If it’s not happening add a little more water or oil (very gradually).
Tip: If you’re using a blender, you’ll need to stop it every few seconds, take the lid off and give everything a stir. This stops you ending up with puree on the bottom and unblended leaves sitting on top.
3. Add the garlic and the cashews, then give the blender a few pulses until they break up very roughly. Add the rest of the chickweed, and the salt and pepper.
4. Blend until all the chickweed is broken down, but stop while you still have a nice chunky pesto. If you’re using a blender and it still won’t blend, add a dash more of whichever of the liquids your taste-buds tell you is missing.

mallow soup

Mallow, coriander, and garlic soup

2 Aug 2019 /

Serves 4 as a starter

2 large onions
3 cups of firmly-compressed mallow leaves
2 cups gently-compressed coriander leaves
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 for sautéing the onions
3 cloves of crushed garlic
salt to taste – probably about 2 teaspoons
pepper
sourdough bread – stale is best

  1. Sauté the onions until tender in large saucepan.
  2. Wash the mallow leaves, then chop roughly. Add to the pot along with the stock and salt. Simmer until the mallow is very tender.
  3. Remove from the heat and stir through the chopped coriander. Allow to cool a little then puree until smooth* – ideally let the soup rest until the next day at this point.
  4. Mix together the lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. Spoon a quarter of this mixture into each bowl immediately before serving, and then add the hot or cold soup. Top with torn chunks of stale toasted good sourdough, lots of cracked black pepper, and drizzle with more olive oil.

Variations: Don’t puree, but instead leave this as a chunky soup – you could add quartered small potatoes at the same stage as you add the mallow leaves. No coriander? Replace with more mallow, and then add toasted cumin seeds right before serving to add that extra flavor dimension.

Chickweed Quinoa Salad

2 Aug 2019 /

2 cups of cooked quinoa
2 medium carrots, cut into 1cm slices and steamed until tender
1 cup of gently-compressed chickweed tops
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
Salt to taste – probably about a teaspoon
generous pepper
½ cup almonds

  1. Roast the almonds until nicely browned (you can do this over a low heat in a frypan, or on a baking tray in a low oven) then allow them to completely cool. It’s nice to chop them in half first as they roast more evenly AND you’ll be sure to get some in every mouthful.
  2. Chop the chickweed finely across the grain (across the stem).
  3. Make sure the carrots and quinoa are fully cooled, then mix all the ingredients except the almonds together thoroughly. Add the almonds just before eating to maintain maximum crunch.
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