During last year’s Raw Food Solstice Fest I learned about sweet cicely during our wild plant walk near my house. I’d been eating a lot of dandelion, thistle and nettle, and the SWEET taste of Cicely made me an instant fan. Green and sweet? Sweet!
Since then, I see it all over the woods when I ride my bike. I snack on it. I harvest it to add with fennel bulb and zucchini in a raw soup. I toss it in the Vitamix by the handful with thistles and oranges for a smoothie. My friend Tess from Hailey, ID became an instant fan after the wild plant walk. She wants share this more sophisticated recipe with you:
Sweet Cicely Pesto
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/2 lemon
- 3 sprigs sweet cicely
- few sprigs parsley
- handful watercress, kale, or whatever greens you have
- 1 Tbs. flax oil
- 1/2-1 green onion
Blend in the food processor and eat with flax crackers or wrap into dandelion leaf wraps.
Here is what Tess has to say about Sweet Cicely:
“There are a few different species called Sweet Cicely. This is ozmorhiza occidentalis (western sweet cicely). A lively herb, with a licorice, anise taste. Grows in wetter sagebrush slopes (higher elevation or north facing) and forested slopes (I found in a douglas fir forest).”
Looking for more inspiration on the free prana-filled nutrients out your back door? We’re not alone! NPR published: Foraging The Weeds For Wild, Healthy Greens. Furthermore, here is a great post from Divine Nourishment with plenty of Wild Spring Greens plant descriptions and recipes.
If you want to get this inside out… join us June 29-July 1 is my Raw Food & Yoga Fest in Driggs, Idaho. I’ll be teaching with chef Tanya Alexander. Save your seat and your investment will pay you back as your grocery bill shrinks!
If you’re not local, you can take the Eat Green Challenge with me and Desiree.
Sarah
Posted at 02:02h, 09 JuneJust finished a walk last night – “Foraging for food in your own back yard”. What a great way to immediately feel the abundance that mother nature provides for us. I also love the idea of teaching my kids to look at plants right underfoot as a source of food and as potential medicine for the body. There is a sense of pride and ownership when my kids harvest from the world around them. Another plus for kids -there is no buckling up, driving to the store, waiting in lines, and just plain being out of “reach” of the whole food harvesting experience. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I am going to check this out.
Cate Stillman
Posted at 02:08h, 09 JuneAh, how fantastic!
I notice a fundamental shift in my consciousness from eating wild. The experience of intrinsic support and abundance is pivotal and opens a gateway for being truly grounded and awake.
I love walking with Indy in the woods or in my yard. She says, “Can I eat this?” What a fundamentally different way of relating to plants. It’s like she is asking, “does this nourish my body?”