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A Walk on the Wild (Edibles) Side in Berkeley
Mark Bittman samples plants growing along the sidewalks of Oakland, Calif., with Philip Stark and Tom Carlson from the University of California, Berkeley.
Not only can wild edibles be sold at markets and to restaurants, they’re essential in maintaining soil health
By Mark Bittman
New York Times
Jul. 9, 2015
(Must see. Mike)
Excerpt:
With Stark and Carlson, everything was different. We parked our car at a corner in West Oakland and within seconds these gents were pointing out sow thistle, mallow, dock, sourgrass, and nearly everything else you see here. Most of it was good enough to eat on the spot; some of it would’ve benefited from cooking. A portion … well, I’d ignore.
On one hand, you could argue that this is the Bay Area, where everything grows like crazy, including edible weeds. On the other, we were in a pretty built-up area of Oakland, not exactly parklike. At the right time of year, when you go up into the Berkeley and Oakland hills, the edible weeds are so lush you may as well be at a farm.
I’ve since gotten to know Philip Stark pretty well, and that’s kind of his point: At the right time of year, in the right place (and he insists that these plants are mostly global, and that there is a right time of year in virtually every place – every temperate place, at least – for most of these species), you can be feasting on these wild greens.
Read the complete article here.
Source: http://www.cityfarmer.info/2015/07/10/a-walk-on-the-wild-edibles-side-in-berkeley/
