By Kimberly Patterson – Silver Sage Cottage
Hello fellow wild food foragers, my name is Kimberly and I am the owner of Silver Sage Cottage. I study edible plants in our local area for basic survival and fun. It’s surprising the amount of wild food, medicine and useful plant resources that are available to us in nature. I will be showcasing one, safe, easy to identify, wild edible plant each month. I will provide a photo, a common name, a botanical name, some basic information about the plant and a recipe to try. I forage and eat the plants showcased and know them to be safe, however I encourage you to do your own research and ensure that you have the correct plant before eating it.
Disclaimer: I am not responsible for what you ingest, you are wholly responsible for your own safety. If you are unsure, please feel free to contact me for help with identification at Silver Sage Cottage 0498076683.
Bauhinia/Orchid Tree
(Bauhinia blakeana/purpurea/variegata)
Hello again foraging friends, we have a beautiful tree on the menu this month. It grows everywhere here, and even has local streets and buildings named after it. the whole tree is
useful. It has a hard and durable wood and the bark is used to extract a dye. It is a nitrogen fixing legume tree so it is beneficial to the garden too.
FLOWERS: can be eaten raw in small amounts added to salads but can have a bitter flavour. Can be eaten in larger amounts and with better flavour cooked into fritters or omelettes.
FLOWER BUDS: can be eaten raw in small amounts, but has better flavour pickled similar to capers, gherkins, chutneys or added into soups, stews and stir fry’s.
LEAVES: very young new growth leaves can be eaten raw in small amounts added into salads or eaten in larger amounts cooked as a vegetable.
SEED PODS: very young new growth seed pods can be eaten raw in small amounts or cooked similarly to beans. Slightly older pods can be shelled and the soft young green seeds cooked and eaten similarly to broad beans.
NUTRITION: rich in protein, starches and fibre as well as amino acids, beneficial fatty acids
and minerals iron, calcium and potassium.
