Eating Weeds?

Toronto is moving to ban the use of chemical sprays to rid the city of dandelions and other weeds. About time, I say, especially since some of the "weeds", like the dandelion, really do provide such a bright splash of colour nestled in amid the green tones of the grass it dots with its sunny, yellow face. If one man's garbage is another man's treasure, can't the same be true of these wild flowers? After all, it's all in the name, isn't it?
I remember when I was growing up in Toronto, the dandelions in particular were a constant source of frustration to homeowners. Unending diligence was needed to keep abreast of their invasions across your lawn if you were using the dig-and-yank method of control. Some method of control was always necessary, unless you were ready for some self-righteous neighbour to call in a complaint about you to the municipality. You would then get a visit from someone admonishing you for allowing the growth of "noxious" weeds and be warned about possible fines. Now we've finally figured out that having a dandelion-studded lawn is simply nowhere near as dreadful as having people dying of cancer caused by exposure to the sprays used to keep lawn weeds at bay.


The trick now will be to show people that there is always more than one way to view anything. The Italians populating the Toronto of my childhood had another take on the problem. They could often be seen out and about on a weekend foraging their way across public boulevards and parks, filling their bag with "weeds" they regarded as free food. I would have a lot of problem with doing that now - you know, toxic waste, smog, etc. - but hey, if you mind a few P's and Q's, you can take your sense of adventure out into your backyard and come back in with a salad in the making! For those of you interested in the idea, "Wise Bread" is the site to visit. Head over there and they'll walk you through a list of edible weeds and suggest ways to use them. They'll also link you to informative sites giving you even longer lists and including traditional medicinal uses for the usually unloved plants. A few laughs are provided as well. For instance, the name given by the French to the dandelion reflects the fact that it is a natural diuretic. The tongue-in-cheek French moniker "pissenlits" means "wet your bed", but not to worry. Unless you already have bladder control problems, the weed will not necessitate an extra load of laundry in the morning.
The site delivers a few sensible caveats to those thinking of gathering some free food. "As always, when foraging, don't eat anything that you can't positively identify. Don't pick anything near industrial waste sites, and be sure to wash everything very thoroughly. If you use herbicides and pesticides in your yard, you might not want to eat anything that grows there (then again, if you already do eat things from your garden, so be it). Even if you don't feel inclined to join the backyard salad group, take a minute to follow the link above. At least you'll find some food for thought.