Plants and Herbs as Food

Harvesting in the garden

One of my most wonderful joys is being able to walk on our property at the Middle Path and pick a bowl full of greens for a salad without having to go to the shops to buy them.

We have a modest vegetable garden - the final version is waiting for us to build a retaining wall - which supplies some of our salad needs. There are many edible weeds about - and more growing every moment! - which supply the balance. The taste of each of these weeds is unique and quite different from the ubiquitous lettuce, yet when mixed together they make a wonderful salad combination.

It is especially pleasing to realize that these salads are our medicine as well as our food - I think this diet must be one of the most effective examples of preventative medicine in action.

I use different salad dressings to compliment them and everyone who eats these "weeds" has commented on their rich and stimulating flavour compared to the usual salads we find in homes and eateries.

There is a page on Edible Flowers for adding visual delight to salads and stri-frys in our Quality of Life section.

These weeds are full of nutrients and life-giving natural energy, a lot of them I use in herbal teas as well.

They are not genetically modified or sprayed with chemicals and are available to you all, in most areas that have not been mowed. Not only are they edible but each weed has medicinal properties for your wellbeing and immune system.

You can send any weed on your property or garden or lawn to your nearest Herbarium at your Capital city, Botanical Gardens for identification. They will (in Australia that is) identify it free of charge up to about 5 specimens. You will need to send the plant in blotting paper, number it and keep a copy in blotting paper and the same number for yourself. I always advise people if in doubt to have the weed identified.

Some of the common edible plants and weeds that we use at Middle Path include:

Herbs we eat at Middle Path include:

		Alfalfa Medicago sativa A superb nutritional source which is known as read more .....
		Broadleaf Plantain Plantago major A potent broad-spectrum healer: unsurpassed for treating menopause, cancers, infections, inflammations, eliminating heavy metal toxicity, blood detoxing, asthma, tumours, allergies, aging - a strong antioxidant and tonic which helps you stay at your peak read more .....
		Catsear Hypochaeris radicata a close relative of Dandelion with similar properties read more .....
		Cayenne Pepper Capsicum frutescens a superb tonic and conditioner for the blood and everything to do with the circulatory system - which affects every organ and function in your body read more .....
		Chickweed Stellaria media natures fat-buster: treats many disorders - acne, appetite, asthma, allergys, bronchitis, cancer, inflammation, rheumatism, skin conditions and ulcerations to name just a few read more .....
		Cobblers Pegs Bidens Pilosa a great healer for the digestive tract; read more .....
		Coconut Cocos nucifera the tree of life, another broad spectrum miracle of nature read more .....
		Coriander Coriandrum Sativum culinary cure, stimulant and tonic read more .....
		Dandelion Taraxacum Officinale used in salads, soups and stir frys and herbal tinctures read more .....
		Edible Flowers various edible plant flowers edible flowers for flavour and garnishing from many different plants which can add visual and nutritional delight to any salad read more .....
		Ginger root Zingiber officinale An age-old remedy for all forms of sickness (nausea) now being shown to have excellent results as a powerful anti-inflammatory herb used for joint problems such as arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, tendonitis. read more .....
		Gutu Kola Hydrocotyle asiatica an anti-aging herb - tonic and revitaliser for the memory and libido read more .....
		Herb Robert Geranium Robertianum an irrepressible, joyous addition to any garden or salad which adds beauty, health, healing to any environment - internal and external read more .....
		Lemon Citrus limon another of natures broad-spectrum miracles - we had to write an ebook to list its benefits and uses read more .....
		Loquat Eriobotrya japonica luscious fruit loaded with Laetrile - another of natures cancer-busters read more .....
		Narrowleaf Plantain Plantago Lanceolata a great all-round blood purifier and tonic which, like its sibling broad-leafed plantain, is unsurpassed for dealing with menopause, lung problems and bed-wetting as well as skin, bladder and kidney disorders read more .....
		Nasturtium Tropaeolum majus a Potent, Fast-working natural antibiotic and culinary delight, a favourite of the bees and so effective in dealing with many conditions that synthetic drugs seem incapable of treating read more .....
		Papaya aka Pawpaw Carica papaya ancient traditional cancer cure regaining popularity, also very useful for a whole range of internal imbalances and diseases read more .....
		Passion Flower Passiflora incarnata potent calmative qualities make it invaluable for treating stress in all its forms read more .....
		Shepherds Purse Capsella bursa-pastoris used as a vegetable in many countries, can be used in stir frys or salads read more .....
		Spices various spice up your life and enjoy some little-known outstanding health and nutritional benefits. read more .....
		Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica a superb blood tonic and conditioner, used for arthritis, painful muscles and joints, eczema, gout, anemia, urinary problems and infections. read more .....
		Thickhead Crassocephalum Crepidioides a traditional native addition to our salad greens read more .....
		Turmeric Curcuma Longa a tasty and colourful antioxidant and immune system booster read more .....
		Wild Raspberry Rubus rosifolius the guardian angel of pregnancy and birth is a powerful cancer-buster as well read more .....
		Yellow Dock Rumex crispus whips the blood into shape restoring its ability to distribute nutrients and eliminate toxins from the system. Can ease abscess-induced toothache in minutes - a must in the medicine chest and marvellous on the meal table read more .....