Leaves, vines, stems, and peels

[ChanellG]

How many things do you throw out that are actually edible? A few days ago, my honey came home with a plastic grocery bag full of pea shoots. I've only recently learned - scratch that - heard about pea shoots being something that was consumed as food, though I had not eaten them myself.

A few weeks back I had learned that the leaves and vines of sweet potato were also edible and planned to start some slips so I could try eating the leaves and possibly using the vines in soups. A while ago I'd read an article about edible parts of food that we usually throw out that we should be eating. It was stuff like the stems on chard which you can chop and saute and cook down a bit before adding the leaves.

I had so much stem once after a visit to the farmer's market that I had enough for a separate dish after I cleaned the leaves and chopped the stems. It was like getting bonus food as the stems are just as nutritious as the leaves and you get even more beneficial fiber.

I love the greens from beets and have started to eat them from radishes and turnips as well. A friend took me to a Chinese restaurant once to have snow pea leaves sauteed in oil with garlic and it was quite tasty. When I steam asparagus, I discard the very tough bottom of the stem, but I puree the middles to make soup.

One of my favorite ingredients to work with is lemon skin, and anything that doesn't get eaten outright either goes in the stock pot or into the compost.

What have you recently discovered you could be eating?

 

[ChanellG]

Hmmm... nobody? Is this thing on? @zigs ? @claudine? @gata montes? @Trellum? @Shellyann36?

C'mon, somebody must have something to say on this topic?

 

[gata montes]

To be honest ChanellG - I think you've already mentioned most things that I was already aware of and do actually eat quite regularly too - especially as where I live - it has for centuries been very common to eat sweet potato leaves as well as the stems, beet greens, snow pea leaves, radish tops and every part of swiss chard too - in fact the only thing that springs to mind at the moment that hasn't been mentioned is garlic leaves - otherwise known as garlic scrapes - which I often use in much the same way as chives.

 

[zigs]

Missed this one, a bit wary of eating bits of plants that you shouldn't, like don't eat runner bean vines or Rhubarb leaves or you'll die of death.

I eat sugar beet leaves as spinage though

 

[gata montes]

I just realized I forgot to add grape vine leaves - which can be stuffed with almost anything and then either baked in the oven, steamed or microwaved - squash and zucchini blossoms too - which can be used in much the same way as vine leaves or added to salads and of course pumpkin seeds which can be ground into flour, made into oil, roasted or eaten raw.

 

[Philphine]

my mother made turnip greens, but they weren't a favorite of mine. and at one time or another, i've also had fried pumpkin seeds, but again, they're nothing i'd go out of my way to get. i'm really an unhealthy and unadventurous eater.

 

[claudine]

Recently, I learned that radish greens are edible and very tasty, but I haven't tried them yet. There are no fresh radishes here
Orange skins are delicious, I dip them in dark chocolate

 

[Cereus]

I've had turnip greens and they're alright, I guess it depends on how they're prepared that can make them taste alright or unappealing. I use citrus peels for a lot of different things. I tend to dry peels and use them for cooking and with tea. When I want to clean out something that has a lingering odor, like a tubberware container, I tend to stick a few citrus peels in there and let it soak in hot water.

 

[ChanellG]

To be honest ChanellG - I think you've already mentioned most things that I was already aware of and do actually eat quite regularly too - especially as where I live - it has for centuries been very common to eat sweet potato leaves as well as the stems, beet greens, snow pea leaves, radish tops and every part of swiss chard too - in fact the only thing that springs to mind at the moment that hasn't been mentioned is garlic leaves - otherwise known as garlic scrapes - which I often use in much the same way as chives.

I can't believe I didn't have an alert for this thread! I was just about to give up.

Please tell me more about the sweet potato leaves and and vines how they are prepared/consumed. What is your favorite way to use them?

I also plant garlic bulbs and use the leaves for chives. You've reminded me that I need to go out and take a look at them and see how thy are progressing.

 

[ChanellG]

I just realized I forgot to add grape vine leaves - which can be stuffed with almost anything and then either baked in the oven, steamed or microwaved - squash and zucchini blossoms too - which can be used in much the same way as vine leaves or added to salads and of course pumpkin seeds which can be ground into flour, made into oil, roasted or eaten raw.

I love dolmas! I want to try making them at home, but I haven't found a source for grape leaves. My My mother has grape vines, but te leaves are very small so we've never attempted making anything with them. Is it the leaves of all grape vines?

I also love stuffed squash blossoms. I made them two summers ago filled with my own herbed cream cheese. I tried making them on the stove as well as in the oven. The second time I did them I put them atop fried green tomatoes.

 

[claudine]

My mother makes dolmas with cooked cabbage leaves. Unfortunately, the stuffing contains meat, so I've never eaten them. I'm a vegetarian
In Poland, we call this dish 'little pigeons'

 

[Momhardatwork]

I have tried raddish greens as well as sweet potato greens and they are both very tasty. I know a lot of these are often packed with just as much nutrition as the vegetables themselves. They also can make a great fresh salad. I agree that we can not eat all greens but I like to go from the recommendations of others regarding which ones to try.

 

[ChanellG]

my mother made turnip greens, but they weren't a favorite of mine. and at one time or another, i've also had fried pumpkin seeds, but again, they're nothing i'd go out of my way to get. i'm really an unhealthy and unadventurous eater.

I never liked greens growing up, except for spinach. As I learned about bitter greens and the proper way to prepare them, I realized my family never followed those steps. Also, they added meat, which I don't like. I had turnips and greens in my "box" from the farmer's market last year and I tried a leaf raw. It wasn't bad, so now I sautee them with herbs and garlic, mushrooms, onions, or whatever I have (white wine is a good addition to some dishes).

You need to work on your eating habits, Philphine!

Recently, I learned that radish greens are edible and very tasty, but I haven't tried them yet. There are no fresh radishes here
Orange skins are delicious, I dip them in dark chocolate

I learned about the radish greens recently as well, Claudine. It amazes me that with so many options for edible plants that people can be going hungry in the world. If each family could grow a few plants and have clean water, we could eradicate hunger and finally get a grip on malnutrition.

I have some orange skins in the fridge right now! I love to use lemon skins so recently I decided to figure out what I could do with orange skins. I take the skin off in strips with a vegetable peeler and then keep it in a zip bag in the fridge. I wanted to get more oranges today, but the ones at the store didn't look good.

 

[ChanellG]

My mother makes dolmas with cooked cabbage leaves. Unfortunately, the stuffing contains meat, so I've never eaten them. I'm a vegetarian
In Poland, we call this dish 'little pigeons'

I had something similar last spring! It was bigger than a dolmas, but it was rice and some other vegetarian ingredients rolled up inside a cabbage leaf and it was soooooo good! I pinned the closest thing I could find on Pinterest, but I haven't tried making it yet. Cabbage time is coming up though...

I have tried raddish greens as well as sweet potato greens and they are both very tasty. I know a lot of these are often packed with just as much nutrition as the vegetables themselves. They also can make a great fresh salad. I agree that we can not eat all greens but I like to go from the recommendations of others regarding which ones to try.

I just tried pea shoots about a week ago, I had malabar spinach last summer, and now my sweet potato slips are ready for planting and I should be able to get a few weeks worth of food out of them before the winter cold settles in once and for all. It's fun finding out what new things you can do for/with food!

If it comes from a plant, chances are I will try it. However, when it comes to stuff like eating bugs, "they" can keep that, lol. I hope I am never that hungry!

 

[gata montes]

Please tell me more about the sweet potato leaves and and vines how they are prepared/consumed. What is your favorite way to use them?

As sweet potato leaves are very much like spinach and do in fact taste very similar - but better - as they are more tender and less astringent than actual spinach - they are prepared in just the same way as you would prepare spinach.

However although there are many Asian and African recipes that include sweet potato leaves as they are very popular in that part of the world - where I live - we prepare and use them in much the same way as you would spinach - we steam or stir fry them, add them to soups, stews or casseroles as well as to fish, potato or egg dishes such as omelets - but that said one of the most popular ways of eating sweet potato leaves here is to stir fry them with garlic and olive oil - to which you can add any of the following - ginger, chillies, onions, leeks, red peppers or mushrooms and then lightly sprinkle with cheese just before serving - very simple but extremely tasty.