[Deano27]

checked out hairy bittercress on the net and that's definitely it.  another one that's everywhere, though it easily comes out.

[muntjac]

No.1 - Looks like sycamore seedlings

http://www.scarboroughwildlife.org.uk/images/recent/090308sycamore.jpg

Concur with the rest.

Aunty - can I assist with No. 4?

Och aye!!!!!!

[Aunt Sally]

Bittercress. Rosebay has toothed leaves, I believe. This fellow pretty much looks like the one with smooth leaves and underground stolons, getting about a bit, it does.  

Rosebay has smooth leaves http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/rbaywherb.htm

[gobs]

Bittercress. Rosebay has toothed leaves, I believe. This fellow pretty much looks like the one with smooth leaves and underground stolons, getting about a bit, it does.  

Rosebay has smooth leaves http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/rbaywherb.htm

It was very silly of me saying that, as almost certainly gets lost in the photo.

I was just thinking of a rather similar looking thing, which I do not know the name of.

[cozzcov]

I know I'm going to be off topic slightly but,
1.  Sycamore - the tree can be tapped for its sap that can be made into wine or reduced to a syrup like maple sap is.
2.  Rosebay Willow-herb - roots can be added to casserols as a veg, the young stems peeled and eaten like asparagus, steamed or boiled.  The young leaves can be added to salads (In Sirberia its brewed to make a drink that apparently is like a mixture of gin and LSD!)
3.  Fat Hen and Bittercress - Fat Hen or Good King Henry leave can be eaten young like spinach, the seeds used in place of millet to make a 'porridge'.  One of the 'bog-men' found had Fat Hen seeds in his stomach.   Bittercress, or all landcress, can be used in salads similar to the way watercress is.
4. Gound elder -  cook the young stems and leaves in butter and water they are washed in.  
So are they really weeds or just under rated free addtional veg??

[poultrygeist]

Fascinating stuff cozzcov. But have you tasted any of them ??!  

I wouldn't want to try any of the low growing weeds in our garden. Too many cats.  :?

Rob

[cozzcov]

I've made sycamore and silver birch sap syrups.  I've not tried rosebay  willow herb but I have plenty in the garden that I will try.  Yes, I've eaten fat hen.  Land cress grows in my garden and I always add it too salads, friends often think its a really strong rocket.  Luckily I'm not troubled with ground elder and don't know anywhere that it grows wild.  
Are you saying that you never went blackberry picking?  You'd be surprised what you can get free as 'weeds'.  Near my office there are even wild strawberries and wild raspberries.  They make a great lunchtime snack when getting away from my desk for a walk.

[poultrygeist]

As a kid and now blackberrying has been a staple.

Don't see so many doing it now. Too easy to buy at supermarket for silly prices I guess.

As you say, a lot of weeds and veg's are basically the same thing. Just some are cultivated to be bigger, tastier but often harder to grow.

Imagine if dandelions were eaten regularly. There'd be no need for alotments then !

Rob

[cozzcov]

You should see the rural markets in France and Italy - they sell dandelion leave there.  
If you haven't tried them you can blanche them, like sea kale, or forced like rhubard.  They grow paler and less bitter.  Save a few on the plot and try it.
But, yes, I agree the majority of veg/fruit/plants we grow today started as some form of weed.  
As my grandad used to say "a weed is just a plant growing in the wrong place".

[sawnee]

Number 1 is a sycamore, our allotments have a road screen of about ten of them about 30ft high, so we tend to see a few of them :evil:

[gobs]

The thing is cozz, if you like them and also can they be grown or rather just to be gathered?  If you so keen on the flavour.

I have sorrel and good king henry, a pain to stop them from overtaking the garden.

I don't really see, what you are left with to eat peeling a Rb willowherb stalk. :?

Sycamore is quite a sizeable tree, I doubt anyone would want to grow them on their veg path.

Never tried bitter cress, but it so tiny, I can't be bothered really and ground elder, used to be staple of Romans, can make you really ill, if you take often.

So, I'm not that bothered, personally.

[cozzcov]

Fair comments gobs and I'm sure there are a lot of others out there who think the same.  I was just showing some of the uses of wild foods that others might want to think about before discarding them to the compost heap.

You can use more than just the stem on the willowherd.  I also suffer with sycamore and the blasted seedlings I get each year but I do use the tree to tap for sap that I do use.  

If you want any recipes for edible wild food just ask, I have loads, all that I've eaten too.

[poultrygeist]

We have our very own Ray Mears !

You could post some on the cooking forum cozz. Might interest a few members.

How do you tap the sycamore ? We have a fairly large one by the front gate. Does it harm the tree at all, eg infection, etc

Rob

[cozzcov]

Just for you as you asked so nicely I will post something in the recipes section about wild foods.

(Prefer to be more a Guy Grieve (Wild Gourmets) or Hugh FW than Ray Mears, as I don't think I'll ever have Ray's skills or knowledge)

[poultrygeist]

You eat wild food and can light a fire with a flint and knife. That's all he does innit ?  :roll:  and teaches tribes about their own lost culture, etc

He is a god, 'tis true.

Look forward to the recipes appearing. can't promise I'll try them but it's nice to think someone will. There's a few threads about waste of food and we do really waste a lot that could be doing us a lot of good. Must be packed with minerals and vitamins just lobbed on the compost as you say. I want to try making some hawthorn jelly if we can beat the birds to it.

Rob