Pictures Just Pictures: GROUND ELDER

Monday, March 16, 2009

GROUND ELDER

Lucy Corrander - Ground Elder - 5th March 2009

13 comments:

Hermes said...: Lovely photograph Lucy but I still have nightmares about this plant from hell.; March 16, 2009 at 8:47 AM
Printemps said...: I am new to your blog...Amazing photograph...; March 16, 2009 at 12:56 PM
HappyMouffetard said...: I haven't quite picked up the courage to eat it yet, despite you saying that it was edible on Emma T's blog.; March 16, 2009 at 3:04 PM
Gordon Mason said...: Bitten my pen on this one as you think I'm going weird!; March 16, 2009 at 3:56 PM
Lucy Corrander said...: Hello Hermes - Ground elder doesn't seem very poplular.

Something that surprises me - although it lines the hedgerows, it isn't in my garden. (Yet.)

And I have no plans to introduce it.

Lucy; March 16, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Lucy Corrander said...: Thank you, Printemps.

And thank you for becoming a follower too.

Lucy; March 16, 2009 at 4:29 PM
Lucy Corrander said...: But Gordon . . . I look forward to your comments.

Lucy; March 16, 2009 at 4:30 PM
Lucy Corrander said...: Happy Mouffetard.

I've never tried it either.

I have no immediate plans to do so either.

I'd say - given that it isn't exactly in short supply, if it were worth eating, somebody would already be doing so. There would be salad gatherers scouring the hedgerows for it to take to posh London restaurants.

(Nor do I know if it has changed over the centuries to become less tasty . . )

At this point . . . I pottered off to do some Googling. Apparently, you can make ground elder omelette, ground elder quiche . . . and that it tastes a bit like a bitter version of swiss chard.

And I found a blog

http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/

where someone was about to try eating it. I've left a comment, asking what it was like. If they reply, I'll let you know what they say.

Lucy

P.S. Maybe this is the beginning of a new career. I mean, rocket was out of fashion for a long time. Maybe not for as long as ground elder but . . .

P.P.S. Or maybe that's what went wrong at The Fat Duck. L.

P.P.P.S. Printemps - The Fat Duck is a famous, experimental restaurant. Many of its recent customers have unaccountably fallen ill.; March 16, 2009 at 4:52 PM
HappyMouffetard said...: A wonderfully full reply, Lucy. Thank you!; March 17, 2009 at 7:43 PM
Girl Tornado said...: Judging by the comments, not a very popular plant, but it does make a vivacious photo!; March 18, 2009 at 4:04 AM
Lucy Corrander said...: Vivacious and vigourous - which is its (our!) problem!

Lucy; March 18, 2009 at 7:01 AM
Julia said...: Lovely, Lucy! And I'm especially glad to have a good visual key for ground elder - I have never seen any in and around the grounds here, so it's always been this bogeyman that others speak of.; March 18, 2009 at 9:52 AM
Lucy Corrander said...: Hello Julia.

That feels like rather a responsibility, posting a photo that may be used for I.D.. Don't pull up the roses by mistake.

That gives me an idea - think of the havoc one could create by saying water lillies are Knotweed.

Lucy; March 20, 2009 at 7:52 AM