River Beauty
River Beauty is an Epilobium, like Fireweed. But, according to many, River Beauty is a bit nicer as a wild vegetable. The tender, spring shoots make an Asparagus-like vegetable, and the leaves are used as a potherb. When very tender, it could probably be added to salads, but I have never tried that. Snacking on it in the woods is pleasant. River beauty would be a great option to include in a mix of spring veggies or greens. To my taste, it isn't really one I would want to eat large quantities of by itself. But, I also rarely find large quantities. Apparently it grows more abundantly in some areas than others and where it does, some folks seem to develop quite a taste for it. It may be that I have been harvesting it too late. As the plant matures it becomes increasingly bitter. I will have to make an effort to scout out this plant when in bloom and come back to it the following spring to harvest during the bud stage.
Rushes
As far as I know, in America at least, Rushes can be used interchangeably for food. I harvest what is known as Bull Rush… but that is at least two different plants. The one also known as Tule has more edible uses. All rushes are great for weaving baskets, of course, and for making cordage. Both species called Bull Rush have roots that can be used to make a very good flour. As Mentioned under Kudzu, starches are of premium value in wild foods. This is really an easy one, and along with fall acorns, it is one I would prioritize were I relying solely on wild foods for survival – thank God, I do not have to do that! Knowing how to survive on wild foods is a great comfort, but I am glad that I also have a garden, I can keep some small livestock and I have access to a grocery store. That is a great luxury that our ancestors did not always have, and it is not to be taken for granted. This allows me to have food security and to view wild foods as an addition to my diet for nutrition and flavor. These stable food sources also allow me to cook wild foods and season them in ways that would be very difficult otherwise – if the only cooking oil I had was rendered bear fat (for instance) I would not be doing a lot of frying… cooking fat would be precious as it cannot be readily obtained from most plant sources and more common game such as deer, rabbits and squirrels are extremely lean
To obtain the flour made from the roots of Rushes, harvest at least a couple of pounds. Trim, scrub and wash them. Peel them and cut them up as finely as possible. Boil them down into a sort of cooked oatmeal-like consistency. Dry thoroughly and use just as you would wheat flour… but, it is better to mix both Rush and Acorn meal/flour with flour made from a grain if you want to make bread. Wheat flour, especially, has been bred for its gluten content. This is what gives dough elasticity and allows it to rise. Corn, for instance, has no gluten and will make wonderful tortillas or cornbread (using chemical leaveners), but will not rise into a soft loaf using yeast – the gluten traps the bubbles that are created as yeast digests starches and sugars. Of course, you could use baking powder and baking soda to make a cornbread type of bread with Rush meal, or make flat bread.
The Bull Rush also called Tule, is better for harvesting the tender shoots and the core of stems, as well as the pollen. Think of this Rush just as you would Cattails. The roots can also be peeled and eaten as you would potatoes or Jerusalem Artichokes. The roots contain sugars, so they are an important source of nutritional energy. Shoots and stem cores can be cooked as a green vegetable – steam/saute method as with Asparagus – or sliced thin and eaten raw. The roots are very good added to roasts and stews, but I think they are best sliced and cooked in fat with onions. Rushes grow by water, so frying up the roots like potatoes to serve with fish is a natural combination!
The pollen is not terribly useful on its own, but it is nutritious. If possible, combine with Pine pollen and/or Cattail pollen, and add to flour/meal. In terms of nutritional energy, edible pollens are really a super food. The same is true of Chia seeds. One way I like using such foods that is not a bread is to make pemmican. Pine pollen is very supportive of testosterone in men – combined with calorie dense fat, some protein and vitamins, this ancient “energy bar” is a definite help whenever hard work and endurance is required…. Etc. (I write with a wink). Pemmican can be made with any combination of animal fat, dried fruit, berries, nuts, seeds, dried meat (like jerky, biltong or even dried and smoked salmon), and the meat is optional – leave it out if you don’t like it. Grind everything up finely and make it into bars. Pemmican was to the Native American what fruit cake was to medieval Europeans – stored food energy. The addition of pollens and seeds not only increase its nutritional value, but helps the bars firm up quickly. Not only is Pemmican tasty, but it makes you feel like an old fashioned woodsman who lived by knife, axe and gun…. It may not put hair on your chest, but the nutritional content may actually make your beard grow thicker!
(Photo by Meneerke bloem - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50174480)
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