Burdock
This is one of my favorites! Burdock is an abundant and generally despised “weed”… but, in Japan it is grown as a popular root vegetable known as “gobo.” It can be a nuisance as the seed pods stick to clothing and get tangled in hair, fur and horse’s manes so badly that they have to be cut out. I spent much of my childhood cursing the burs as I cut them out of all the fur of all the critters we had on the farm! Only later did I learn what a delicious and nutritious edible plant Burdock really is. The root of Burdock has similar liver supportive qualities to Dandelion, but it is much larger. One of the reasons people hate Burdock is that the root is so very large and grows so deeply that it is almost impossible to pull or dig it all up, so people struggle to pull them and they just grow right back. To harvest the root, you really need a shovel. In Asia, they often grow Burdock in raised beds with a panel that can be removed to give easier access to the roots. Burdock roots are an excellent and abundant root vegetable that could save many from starving if only people knew it was a valuable edible plant and not a “weed”. Just peel and slice the roots, and boil until tender. Serve with butter and salt, etc. The broad, large leaves of Burdock make an excellent potherb. They are a bit too tough to eat raw. The peeled stalks may be eaten like broccoli or any other cooked vegetable before they get too tough. Below is my favorite way of enjoying Burdock greens:
Trout wrapped in Burdock
Ingredients:
Freshly caught trout (or other fish)
Several Burdock leaves
Wild Onion, Ramps, or other allium
Sorrel and/or Dock (or lemon and Dandelion (etc) greens)
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
What I love about this dish is that it is a perfect creek-side meal. It can be easily cooked even without a grill or a pan. Just catch a few fish and clean them for cooking. Stuff in the cavity, some Wild Onion and Wood Sorrel – as mentioned, other lemony greens can be used, but Wood Sorrel is usually found close by where I live. If you have no Sorrel or Dock, you can use Dandelion greens with lemon, or just leave out the greens if you can’t find any close by… but, after reading this book, you should be able to find several options. Season with salt, pepper and any herbs you like. Wrap in several layers of Burdock leaves and secure your little packages by tying with strips of cut leaf. Then, you can cook the fish directly on the coals of a campfire! The outer leaves will burn and should be peeled away. The inner leaves will be perfectly steamed and delicious. The fish will have a wonderfully delicate texture and excellent flavor. This combination is one of the main reasons I usually carry salt, pepper, dried parsley, a lemon and a bottle of white wine with me when I go fishing!
Calamus
Calamus is a very interesting medicinal herb. It is very good for the stomach, liver and intestines, and even has a unique quality of both increasing concentration and pacifying the mind in difficult, repetitive work or long hikes, increasing endurance. The raw root, taken in large doses, is considered to be a very unpleasant hallucinogenic herb giving the user a sense of anxiety and fear. The dried root, used in small amounts, is what we use in herbal medicine. While European Calamus may be slightly carcinogenic, American Calamus does not seem to share this warning.
Dried Calamus root has uniquely spicy qualities. It is peppery, like black pepper. It is bitter. It is also somewhat numbing to the tongue. I like it as a seasoning for fish… which probably won’t surprise you as I love to fish and love to eat fish and take every opportunity to go to the woods and to do just that! Some people like to candy the root. The rest of the plant may be used like Cattails, and you will often find them growing together. The main difference between Calamus and Cattails is the ginger/peppery quality of the root. For the young shoots and leaves, either add them to a salad or cook them.
The fresh roots are very good in Asian style soups and stir fries. Use it as you would ginger, but remember that it has some of the numbing quality of Szechuan peppercorns – use just a little fresh root, chopped grated thinly or ground dried root. I have found that in order to make restaurant quality Chinese food, my kitchen stove just will not work; it doesn’t get hot enough and takes too long to heat or cool down. I prefer to use my wok over a campfire or really hot grill. The very best thing though, is to build a rocket stove style fire. That gives you the big blast of instant heat you want. There are a ton of rocket stove designs online, using everything from metal J-tubes to split logs so I won’t bother trying to describe one. Suffice to say, this is a wood-burning design that sucks in air and gives you a jet-like roaring flame. That will get a wok red hot almost instantly. So, before we get to that point we need our “mise en place” or everything prepared, portioned and in its place as it would be in a commercial kitchen. With Calamus, I usually use chicken livers and mushrooms, but any meat cut into bite-sized pieces will do. I like to use plenty of veggies, especially, onion, garlic, scallion, leek, ramps, etc. Any wild greens are good to include, but save them for the end. Bean sprouts are nice, as are any of the canned veggies you find on the Asian isle, like those little corn cobs, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, etc. Definitely raid the garden – celery, carrots, broccoli, peas, beans, corn cut off the cob, peppers, eggplant, cauliflower, cabbage, etc… anything fresh and in season is good to use. You will also need some sesame oil, chicken stock, dried hot peppers, and (preferably dark mushroom) soy sauce. Optional ingredients would be Chinese cooking wine (or sherry), Lemon Grass, 5 Spice and fermented black beans. 5 spice is a nice ingredient to have in the spice cabinet, but it is not essential. Like curry powder, it just gives everything a little flavor/aromatic kick. But, the Calamus has tons of aromatic flavor. You can also add ginger if you like. If you do not use wine, you may wish to add a pinch of sugar. I usually mix my sesame oil with a little neutral cooking oil to use at first because the oil burns off quickly when it hits the red, hot pan. Fire up the pan, toss in the oil and add the meat mushrooms and dried hot peppers as quickly as you can. Toss it to brown. Then, add the alliums, followed by all other veggies. Add oil as needed, tossing to cook everything through. Add herbs and spices, just a little broth or stock, wine and soy sauce. Taste, adjust seasonings. Serve with rice or rice noodles. If you use rice noodles, finish them in the wok with everything else, tossing and turning to coat with the pan sauce. Total cooking time should only be about 5 minutes in the wok.
This article is an excerpt from
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Disclaimer
The information on this site is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or condition. Nothing on this site has been evaluated or approved by the FDA. I am not a doctor. The US government does not recognize the practice of herbal medicine and their is no governing body regulating herbalists. Therefore, I'm just a guy who studies herbs. I am not offering any advice. I won't even claim that anything I write is accurate or true! I can tell you what herbs have "traditionally been used for." I can tell you my own experience and if I believe an herb helped me. I cannot, nor would I tell you to do the same. If you use any herb I, or anyone else, mentions you are treating yourself. You take full responsibility for your health. Humans are individuals and no two are identical. What works for me may not work for you. You may have an allergy, sensitivity or underlying condition that no one else shares and you don't even know about. Be careful with your health. By continuing to read my blog you agree to be responsible for yourself, do your own research, make your own choices and not to blame me for anything, ever.
