PERMACULTURE: Eating Your Weeds
- k-england
- Apr 1
- 9 min read
By Mary 'Klibs' Dralle, for Let’s Talk Plants! April 2025.
Eating Your Weeds
God bless my aunt. When I visit her home in Minnesota and the lawn is dotted with Dandelions, she always says, "Just look at that mess!" And she does not like my response when I say, "Look at all of that free food!"
As mentioned before in the article entitled Permaculture and Urban Carbon Farming, our Mother, the Earth, is very modest and does not like bare ground. She will do whatever it takes to ensure that the dirt is not exposed and dead. She wants SOIL! How is this done? One word, weeds! These are simple unsophisticated plants that do not require a lot to get them started. A seed in a patch of earth and some rain, that is all it takes.
They belong to a set of plants referred to as Pioneer Plants in Permaculture. They are here to do a job in preparing the dirt to become rich soil. While many look out and see eye-sore plants, we Permaculture practitioners see a forest in the making. The function of these plants is to breakdown minerals in the dirt, add organic material, and either break up the hard, compact dirt or pull together the sandy dirt and to prepare the way for the next plant in succession. It may take several seasons for one variety of “weed” to do its job so that the dirt can support the next, more sophisticated plant. And, that next plant may take several seasons, as well. Our Mother, the Earth, has all the time in the world to build dirt into soil. As in, several centuries.
Most of America is classified as an oak tree savanna. A savanna is a type of grassland. They may consist of grasses only or a mixture of grasses, scrubs and/or trees. For ones that contain trees, the plant spacing creates a light canopy with a lot of room between the trees. In order for the trees to establish and survive, the soil needs to be rich in minerals, fungus and able to hold water. Thus, a large variety of plants, or “weeds”, are used to upgrade the dirt into soil.
Exactly how do these “weeds” do the job of breaking down minerals in the soil? They excrete different acids from their roots that breakdown minerals. This makes it easier for the root to “drink” them in and send them up to their leaves. When the plant dies, two things happen. One, the now dead plant becomes organic matter. Two, as it undergoes decomposition, the digested minerals are readily available for the next plants to come along.
Dandelions originated in Europe while Stinging Nettle originated in Europe and West Africa. Like many weeds, they are found all over the world these days because of human travels. In this article, we will focus on these weeds in my yard. I have an assortment of plants that I revel in. Dandelions remind me that “Nature Always Wins” as it grows up through a crack; Stinging Nettle is ready to go into the kitchen for dinner; and Wood Sorrel can be pulled up for use on potted plants as green compost or used to make Apple Wood Sorrel Granitas.
Dandelions in my driveway and nettles with wood sorrel in my yard. Photo Credit: Mary Dralle.
Many of us enjoy eating our weeds! So let's get cookin':
All parts of the Dandelion are edible. Flowers can be boiled up with sugar to make Vegan Honey Syrup. The roots can be dried and chopped to make a hot drink with a taste similar to coffee. The leaves can be eaten raw in a salad or cooked up just like any other green leafy vegetable. I like grilled greens alongside a bit of polenta with Fra Diavolo sauce.
Grilled Mixed Greens with a side of Polenta and Fra Diavolo sauce
Grilled Mixed Greens
Ingredients:
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced thin
3-4 cloves of garlic, cut fine
6-8 ounces dandelion greens - rinsed, dried, chiffonade (cut into ribbons)
6-8 ounces beet greens - rinsed, dried, chiffonade (cut into ribbons). Side note: I had these on hand and wanted to cook them.
Salt
Pepper
Cooking Steps:
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, onions, garlic and greens.
2. Sauté until onions are translucent and greens are slightly brown edges, about 8-10 minutes.
3. Salt and pepper to taste then remove from heat and cover.
Polenta
Ingredients:
1 cup of water
1/2 corn meal
Cooking Steps:
1. In a pot on high heat, bring water to boil.
2. Stir in corn meal.
3. Continue to stir while cooking for about 5 minutes until polenta comes together.
Fra Diavolo Sauce
Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon of basil, heaping is always best
2-3 tablespoons of Chipotle Powder
3-4 tomatoes, chopped
Cooking Steps:
1. In a pot over medium heat, add oil, garlic, basil and chipotle powder.
2. Cook until garlic is golden
3. Add tomatoes and simmer for 15-20 minutes until sauce is “thick”.
Once all has been prepared, it is time to assemble them on a dinner plate -
· Pile mixed greens on one side and polenta on the other.
· Slather with Fra Diavolo sauce over the top.
· Add crumbled gorgonzola cheese, optional, for a creamy zip to this dish.
Fun thoughts on Dandelions:
A poem making the rounds on the internet says,
“I am the Dandelion
I am often mistaken for a mere weed, but I am a valuable ally for the earth and insects.
If I grow here, it’s because the soil needs me:
Too compact? My roots aerate it.
Lacking calcium? My leaves provide it.
Too acidic? I balance it out.
Pull me up? I will come back stronger until my mission is accomplished!
I am one of the first flowers of spring, nourishing bees and insects with my generous pollen and nectar.
My flowers are also edible and sweet, earning me the nickname ‘poor man's honey’.
So, let me grow until at least the end of May, for the sake of biodiversity.
And when my yellow petals turn into a puff of feathers, make a wish… Perhaps I will grant it!”
Many have said that the Dandelion has celestial significance as well. What other plant contains the sun, the moon and the stars?
Now, on to the pièce de résistance . . .
... Stinging Nettle, my favorite weed indeed. The first time I experienced Stinging Nettle was on an all-day hike in our local mountains. There is a program in our schools where sixth graders camp up in our local mountains. When we reached a stream, our counselor took time to point out all of the food around us. There were edible spring fern fronds curled up as fiddleheads, mallow that tasted like grape leaves and a pretty green plant that stung you. When she asked for a volunteer to be stung, my hand shot up first! She brushed the leaves on the back of my hand. I didn't think it stung me that badly. A fellow classmate tried it and they didn't like it at all!
Later in life, I created a story board about oak trees for information at a fundraiser. A woman came up to me and said she didn't know that the oak tree roots were so close to the surface. Her neighbor was spraying the Stinging Nettle with Roundup! I am certain that the look on my face said it all. She asked me what to do to get rid of the weed. My answer, “you mean besides eating it? Oh, I am sorry. Are my wildcrafting roots showing?” She was amazed to find out it was edible and very nutritious!
These days, I can hardly wait for January, February and March as there can be an abundance of the plant and I start picking, cleaning and freezing as much of it as I can.
What about the sting, you may ask. Well, I suggest a good pair of garden gloves outside and food handlers gloves inside. I use a big bowl of water to wash it and a salad spinner to dry it. All of the wash water is poured back out in my garden so more Stinging Nettle grows from any seeds.
Here are two of my favorite recipes.
Krapiva (Russian for Stinging Nettles) Soup
Ingredients:
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Stinging Nettle leaves, young shoots are more tender (Krapiva) - Rough Cut - NOTE: Wear gloves as the formic acid will sting you (once it hits the heat, it will dissipate)
6-8 smallish potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth and/or water
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Cooking Steps:
Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium heat.
Add onions and garlic. Sauté until translucent.
Photo Credit: Mary Dralle. Add the Stinging Nettle, potatoes, and stock /water to just about cover the contents.
Photo Credit: Mary Dralle. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Put the cover on the pan and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 20-22 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Test the potatoes for doneness. If they aren't quite done, add a little more stock, or water, cover, and cook for a few more minutes before testing again.
Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Soup can be made into a smooth soup with a vegetable masher, immersion blender or standard blender. Add more stock to obtain the desired consistency.
Ladle into a bowl and top with a big dollop of Greek yogurt for a bit of creamy goodness.
Stinging Nettle Rice 'a Roni’ (A base for a Meal-in-a-bowl Salad)
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup rice
1/2 cup orzo pasta
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 bell pepper, diced
3 cloves of garlic, diced fine
8 oz. of Stinging Nettle, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 1/2 quarts of stock or water, more if needed
Salt
Pepper
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
2 ounces of Mozzarella cheese, cubed
Cooking Steps:
In a large pan, heat the olive oil over moderate heat.
Add rice and pasta.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is light browned, about 5-8 minutes.
Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
Cook until onions are translucent
Add Stinging Nettle.
Add broth, cover and bring to a boil.
Turn heat down to low and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Remove pan from stove, top with cheeses and cover.
Allow latent heat to melt the cheese.
Salad
Ingredients:
Tomato, diced
Cucumber, sliced
Carrot, sliced
1/4 head of red leaf lettuce, cleaned and torn into bite sized pieces
1/2 can white beans, drained and rinsed
2-3 tablespoons sunflower seeds
2-3 tablespoons salad dressing of choice
Place about one cup of rice “a roni” pilaf into the bowl. Top with salad ingredients.
Thoughts to keep in mind when harvesting wild plants:
Use any plant for food, beverage, or medicine that you can identify with 100% certainty.
Never forage weeds from lawns or agricultural fields or gardens that have been heavily fertilized...
... or sprayed with pesticides.
Do not harvest wild greens or roots from areas frequented by animals.
When in doubt, buy weeds at your local Farmer's Market. Many farmers have some very tasty weeds.
On some farms, certain “weeds”, like Stinging Nettle or clover, are used as a cover crop on the land as the field “rests”. This is done because of their fast growth rate, high nutrient content, and ability to suppress other plants. They are very beneficial in improving soil quality and providing a natural mulch. When it is time to start planting crops, cover crops can be “chopped and dropped” by mowing them over and gently turned back into the top layer of soil as to decompose.
There are many other weeds that are edible:
Bittercress (Shotweed)
Bulrushes (aka Cattails)
Burdock
Chickweed
Chicory
Cress
Curly Dock
Galinsoga
Garlic mustard
Lamb’s-quarters
Mugwort
Pigweed
Plantain
Purslane
Quickweed
Red clover
Sheep sorrel
Shepherd’s purse
Sumac
Wild Garlic
So, scout around in your yard and pick some weeds for your next meal!
Until next time, keep those hands soiled.
~ Mary 'Klibs' Dralle
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