This frittata is delicious!
I learned a few things making this - I had never made a frittata for one. But the special reason I was attracted was the use of foraged greens, like dandelion, purslane, lamb’s quarter, and chickweed. I had been hearing of greenies using dandelion for years. I knew what chickweed was, but not the others so I had to look them up. Then when weeding the school’s overgrown garden, I saw lamb’s quarter! Anyways, it’s a whole new area or set of learning. As I just told my daughter walking by just now writing this post - it’s important because you can eat dandelion greens instead of spinach, wherever you are. Also a range of other wild plants!
For this frittata I decided to stick with dandelion greens just to make it simpler, especially as they are meant to packed with nutrition; a superfood. However when I did do the exciting foraging bit, I saw wild fennel and slipped a bit in (top right in foraging image). It is easy to look up info on the internet on which weeds are edible...then you can identify it. But I loved these two NZ pages, if you are interested:
It’s important to know these things, not only because in hard times or crises we may not have access to shops, but even regularly these greens are local, free of chemicals (if that’s how you keep your lawn, I do), and of course super healthy. One thing I didn’t know is this is an old trick (of course, like the shavers). My dad said his mom used to send him out to get dandelion greens.
See what a journey this sent me on?
My foraging
My foraging below, this was so cool...the unmowed lawn was full of richness:
After doing this once, it is easy - I loved the fried thinly cut potatoes as a base, it was delicious. You cook onion first (I added Portobello mushrooms, why not), then you add the foraged greens with garlic, then take all off very quickly (just wilted). Potatoes go back into the pan with more butter, then become base for egg mixture combined with greens/garlic/onions mixture you took off, with parmesan added. I doubled the parmesan by the way, I love it, and sprinkled more on top). All goes in oven to set. Yum!
Eating
This is what it looked like! My husband said it was the best breakfast he ever had! It was awesome. We ate it with homemade sweet chilli sauce, and chilli tomato chutney.
I learned a few things making this - I had never made a frittata for one. But the special reason I was attracted was the use of foraged greens, like dandelion, purslane, lamb’s quarter, and chickweed. I had been hearing of greenies using dandelion for years. I knew what chickweed was, but not the others so I had to look them up. Then when weeding the school’s overgrown garden, I saw lamb’s quarter! Anyways, it’s a whole new area or set of learning. As I just told my daughter walking by just now writing this post - it’s important because you can eat dandelion greens instead of spinach, wherever you are. Also a range of other wild plants!
For this frittata I decided to stick with dandelion greens just to make it simpler, especially as they are meant to packed with nutrition; a superfood. However when I did do the exciting foraging bit, I saw wild fennel and slipped a bit in (top right in foraging image). It is easy to look up info on the internet on which weeds are edible...then you can identify it. But I loved these two NZ pages, if you are interested:
- Dandelion (wild superfood), purslane (omega 3), oxalis (tangy like lemon), puha (spinach substitute), chickweed (vitamins, minerals). www.wastefreeland.nz/2016/06/edible-weeds/
- This one has some ancient recipes, like egg, floyr, beer fritters flavoured with spring greens and flowers before frying, or cooking with stinging nettles. https://thisnzlife.co.nz/ancient recipes 7-weeds-didnt-know-good/
It’s important to know these things, not only because in hard times or crises we may not have access to shops, but even regularly these greens are local, free of chemicals (if that’s how you keep your lawn, I do), and of course super healthy. One thing I didn’t know is this is an old trick (of course, like the shavers). My dad said his mom used to send him out to get dandelion greens.
See what a journey this sent me on?
My foraging
My foraging below, this was so cool...the unmowed lawn was full of richness:
Cooking
After doing this once, it is easy - I loved the fried thinly cut potatoes as a base, it was delicious. You cook onion first (I added Portobello mushrooms, why not), then you add the foraged greens with garlic, then take all off very quickly (just wilted). Potatoes go back into the pan with more butter, then become base for egg mixture combined with greens/garlic/onions mixture you took off, with parmesan added. I doubled the parmesan by the way, I love it, and sprinkled more on top). All goes in oven to set. Yum!
Note: I could have chopped the dandelion greens up smaller, but enjoyed the rustic nature of it for this first one.
Eating
This is what it looked like! My husband said it was the best breakfast he ever had! It was awesome. We ate it with homemade sweet chilli sauce, and chilli tomato chutney.
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