Using wild plants in the kitchen: Spruce Tips, Ground Elder, Rosebay willowherb and herbal teas

 June 2022

There are many wild plants growing around us that can be collected and used in the kitchen. I only started experimenting with them this year. Also, the process of picking them brings me enjoyment; there is something primal about it, almost like going back in time to the Stone Age. I am looking around what grows where and trying new flavours. Furthermore, wild plants are full of vitamins and minerals and have various positive effects on our health.

Spruce Tips (Picea abies)

In spring, it's a best time to look for Spruce Tips, which are packed with vitamin C and contain the minerals potassium and magnesium. They are an excellent boost to the immune system and are beneficial for respiratory problems and muscle ache.

The easiest way is to make tea from them, or to chew the Spruce Tips on a forest walk. For me their taste itself is too strong, but they are great for example on a slice of rye bread with cheese. We tried them in a vegetable mixture in a pan, then with mushrooms, and I can really recommend both ways. They have a slightly sour, astringent taste, and the longer they are cooked, the more the taste mildens. They are also very suitable as decoration of ready meals as their juicy green colour looks very attractive.

Ground Elder (Aegopodium podagraria)

The advantage of this plant is that it grows almost everywhere and forms dense stands. It can be found especially as an undergrowth in deciduous forests, in shady glades, in orchards, unkept parts of gardens, ditches or even near creeks and rivers.  It has a diuretic effect, helping to remove harmful substances from the body and preventing the formation of kidney and urinary stones. One of the other benefits is that it increases knuckle mobility.

When using uncooked leaves, it is better to choose young ones. They can be added to salads or sprinkled on soup or risotto, in a way that parsley would be used. If it is cooked, one can also use the larger tougher leaves which can be prepared in a similar way to spinach or kale. Uses are diverse: two handfuls of Ground Elders can simply be stirred into the roasted vegetables at the end of cooking and mixed with any side dish, e.g. cous cous, buckwheat, or pasta. It can be added to vegetable burgers, gratin potatoes, soups and spreads. It is aromatic as fresh, but its typical aroma becomes milder when being cooked.

Rosebay willowherb (Epilobium angustifolium)

Rosebay willowherb likes moist places, most often growing along roadsides, edges of forests, in meadows, on the banks of running and standing waters, or on burned sites. It is like a caress to the soul as it relieves mental tension, anxiety and headache associated with stress. It has a beneficial effect on sleep. Blooms, roots and leaves are used for medicinal purposes.

We collected young plants without any sign of blooms, only stems with leaves. The stems are a little stiffer, so it is better to put the plants in boiling water for about three minutes. They can then be further prepared. We once prepared them whole in a pan with just salt and pepper in the manner of asparagus, and had them with mashed potatoes and a boiled eggs. 

The second time we added them cut into pieces into a mixture of quinoa, zucchini, tomato, Spruce Tips and Ground Elder leaves.

Herbal teas

Recently, I had couple teas from wild herbs. I really liked the tea from the forest strawberry plants that are blooming everywhere now. I used the leaves and blooms, threw in a few raspberry leaves and some Lemon balm from the balcony and it made a delicious combination. Perfect to drink in the evening for relaxation. Also excellent is a feminine tea made from Lady's mantle, for which it is good to use both leaves and blooms. Additionally, it is very good to make the regular tea more special by adding a few plant leaves or blooms. It's a nice ritual and the combinations are countless.

Wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca),  lady's mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris) and red raspberry (Rubus idaeus)