Culinary Herbs
Yellow Wood Sorrel
(Oxalis Stricta)
(Oxalis grandis)
Easily mistaken for clover by the novice, wood sorrel has a distinctive lemon flavor. Used for it's lemon flavor in many different dishes. You can eat Wood sorrel raw in salads, dry it and use it as tea and the best is having Chef Lisa make a dessert from it. I have heard of it being used for lemon flavoring as well as a substitute for vinegar..
Description: I hear often, you mean clover? Clover has oval leaves unlike sorrel. Common wood sorrel has a small yellow flower and grows close to the ground. Many times the large wood sorrel here will appear to have a purple tint to the leaves and grow larger than the common wood sorrel. It has compound heart shape leaves.
Poor Man's Pepper
(Lepidium virginicum)
There is no shortage of this in my area along the Cimarron River, it grows everywhere in the sandy soil. I add dried seeds to soups and other dishes in the winter. During it's growing season I use the leaves. They are now using this plant for cancer.
Description: Once you see those little oval seed pods on this plant all up the stock an small branches and the four petal white flowers that are on top, you don't forget this plant. Do not mistake this for Shepard's purse a medicinal herb with seed pods that looks like little hearts.
Sumac
(R. typhina)
Stag Horn Sumac is a culinary as well as a medicinal herb. I chose to add it to the culinary section for now. Each year I harvest the dark red berries and dry them. I either grind them or leave them whole. I put them through a process to remove the fine hairs that will irritate your throat. I use them in dishes like fried fish for seasoning or to make a a great hot or cold tea.
Description. The leaves are long and lance shaped. It grow to about 10 ft in good conditions. The berries are a red rust color and will droop over when ripe.The stems on close examination have little brown hairs on them. Do not mistake this sumac with poison sumac that has white berries.
Wild Onions
and Garlic
I'm We have many different types of garlic and onions. One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to dehydrate young garlic and onions for use all year long.