At 7,400 hectares, Edmonton’s River Valley is 21 times larger than New York City’s Central Park. It’s a versatile bit of real estate: a place where you can hike, cycle, kayak, golf, stroll, gambol, frolic... and scavenge for the ingredients of a sumptuous salad.
Rob Rogers, herbal educator at Grant MacEwan College and Northern Star College, estimates that over 100 wild edible plants grow in the River Valley. He says that by combining the right ingredients, you can create a locally-grown treat for your palate while improving your overall health.
Well, you could if it weren’t so perilous—those who prefer to make salad from pre-packaged lettuce may be fearful that wild greens would send our digestive systems into shock. Yes: many of us spent our childhoods watching the “Don’t ya put it in your mouth” TV commercial, so we’re more than ready to believe that it’s not okay to pick just any wild plant and eat it. As those singing blue puppets noted: “You could get sick. Real quick. Ick.”
Ron Berezan of the Urban Farmer organic gardening service says you shouldn’t eat wild plants unless you’re 100 per cent certain of what they are. For example, though edible morel mushrooms do grow in the River Valley, they have poisonous look-alikes. For a non-expert, it’s just not worth the gamble. And that’s before you consider the pesticides, herbicides, and vehicular pollution that Rogers says have rendered much of the River Valley’s plants inedible.
Dandelions Are Good
If you know what you’re picking, and you can verify that it’s not covered in harmful substances, health advantages would certainly make eating the plants worthwhile.
Take dandelions. Cherry Dodd of the Edmonton Naturalization Group says they’re packed with more Vitamin C and “nutritious goodies” than lettuce. Oh sure, people generally hate ‘em when they’re overtaking their front lawn with a sea of white and yellow fuzz, but historically, dandelions elicited celebration. Michael Kalmanovitch of Earth’s General Store explains that since they are one of the first green edible plants to appear in spring, people rejoiced to see them growing. In fact, dandelions were carefully safeguarded. Their ability to provide a liver detox caused them to be dubbed the “miracle herb.”
“We should be worshipping our dandelions,” says Kalmanovitch. So let’s hear it for dandelions! And if you don’t mind defiling a provincial symbol with your molars, Alberta’s wild rose is also replete with nutrition. According to Rob Rogers, it has the highest Vitamin C content of any rose in the world. And that’s a lot of Vitamin C: three rosehips contain as much Vitamin C as an entire orange. Fiddleheads, fireweed, and violets are also rich in both Vitamins A and C.
So: if you’re sure the plants aren’t poisonous, and you’re sure they’re not covered in toxins, then eating these wholesome, locally-grown plants is good for our health, yes?
Yes, indeed. But it’s not necessarily good for the environment.
Don’t Get Greedy
“It’s not good to transplant native plants, because you might be digging up the last one,” Dodd explains. Violets may be beautiful and delicious, but Dodd says they’ve become so uncommon that they shouldn’t be picked. “Due to habitat loss, we’ve already lost many varieties of plants.”
Rob Rogers also doesn’t advocate picking edible plants from the River Valley. He says they should be protected, if for no other reason than that animals rely on these plants and berries for sustenance.
Sure. But suppose the plants aren’t poisonous, haven’t been sprayed by herbicides or pesticides, and aren’t endangered (like the ubiquitous dandelion): Could you pick plants in the river valley then? Maybe no. Because it’s designated as a “parkland” under Bylaw 2202, technically you can’t move, remove, cut, or damage any plant, tree, or flower from the river valley.
But, says City of Edmonton Park Ranger, Greg Komarniski, as long as it’s for personal—not commercial—purposes, and you don’t damage the wildlife, they won’t enforce the rule too stringently. So if you’re willing to jump through those hoops, here are some recipe ideas for budding botanists who want to create a salad out of river valley greens.
Native Plant Salad
For a scrumptious salad comprised entirely of plants native to Edmonton, look for the plants and berries listed below. Dodd says that most have grown here since the end of the last ice age—10, 000 years ago.
Morel mushrooms
Fireweed shoots
Cattail shoots
Gooseberries
Hazelnuts
Rose petal syrup
Try morels sautéed and toss in some Cattail shoots, which have a neutral taste but provide a healthy crunch (they make a great substitute for recipes which call for hearts of palm). Fireweed shoots have edible fushia flowers for a splash of colour, and gooseberries offer a tart accent. If you can beat the squirrels to ‘em, hazelnuts are a great garnish. Jasmin Kobajica, executive chef at Edmonton’s Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe, has combined wild rosehips with honey, white wine vinegar, and canola oil to create a delectable dressing. He suggests serving it with mixed greens (which, of course, can also be found in the River Valley) alongside a chicken dish.
Non-Native Plant Salad
Non-native plants that grow in our Valley can be traced back to settlers that arrived from Russia, Ukraine, and even those who came on the Mayflower. Choose from among the following non-native plants to create a delicious salad.
Wild asparagus
Wild horseradish (found in moist soil near ditches and creeks)
Burdock root
Chickweed
Lamb’s quarters
Sorrel
Dandelions (use both flowers and roots)
Asparagus is high in folic acid, potassium, and fiber. Dodd explains that asparagus grows wildly in the river valley because it escaped from Edmonton’s first homesteads. Adding wild horseradish, with its spicy flavour, is great way to kick your salad up a notch. Burdock root has a distinctively mild yet sweet flavour, while Chickweed not only tastes great, says Rob Rogers, it also contains an enzyme called lipase which helps people to burn body fat. Lamb’s quarters is a flavourful edible green that tastes something like spinach. Ron Berezan and Courtney Lake of the Urban Farmer suggest adding sorrel for a lemony tang. And come fall, steamed dandelion has a lovely sweet flavour (it kind of tastes like carrot).
Fruit Salad
Wild raspberries
Wild strawberries
Wild rose
Saskatoons
Chokecherries
Mountain Ash
Savoury wild raspberries and strawberries are some of the best summer treats, and no true Albertan could create a fruit salad without wild roses. The flesh and skin of rosehips taste delicious, and the roses are easy to find. Saskatoons can be sun-dried and added to your salad for a milky sweet flavour. Chokecherries shouldn’t be picked until they’ve ripened in September. (Otherwise, they’ll dry your throat, giving you that eponymous choking sensation.) Cook them with honey and water to create a garnish. Mountain ash has a tart flavour, and is especially good in early fall. Cook the berries, combine with some sugar, and use their juice as a dressing.
Natural Pharma
The river valley can save you a trip not only to the grocery store, but also to the pharmacy. Rob Rogers organizes plant walks through the Valley during which he explains the medicinal benefits of the plants that grow there.
• Wild horseradish helps ease nasal congestion.
• Bind together some wild rosehips for an impromptu wilderness bandage.
• Skip off to a violet tree to relieve itchy eczema.
• Highbush cranberry bark helps drive away menstrual cramps.
• Chokecherry juice is beneficial for those with Type 2 diabetes as it facilitates microvessel circulation to the extremities.
• The seed heads of lamb’s quarters contain a natural anti-parasite which removes worms and other intestinal parasites.
• Wild strawberries contain leeagic acid, which helps prevent cancer.
• Crabapples are rich in pectin. Both their fruit and peel are believed to help prevent cancer.
• Clover’s edible leaves and flowers contain isoflavones which may protect against breast cancer.
For more on the fruitful effects of these wild plants and berries, or to attend one of Rob Rogers’ plant walks, contact him at scents@telusplanet.net.
