Shepherd's purse

Shepherd's purse is the first to appear in our countryside and has the most delicious taste. I think it is no exaggeration to call shepherd's purse the "King of Wild Vegetables". It has no peculiar smell and can retain its tender green color after being blanched. I have fried eggs with shepherd's purse, made dumplings with shepherd's purse, and made steamed buns with shepherd's purse. Every three to five days, I will carry a basket to the ground to look for shepherd's purse. I find that the shepherd's purse plants that grow densely are taller and more tender, while the single shepherd's purse plants grow on the ground and have thicker fibers. At the beginning of March, shepherd's purse begins to bloom, and you have to wait until next year to eat it.

Wild rapeseed

In some places, it is called wild rapeseed. The leaves have thorns and the flowers bloom like cultivated rapeseed flowers. Wild rapeseed is not suitable for direct frying. It has a spicy taste. We use it to make sauerkraut and stir-fry it with some dried chili peppers and garlic until it is ready for rice.

The edible period of wild rape is quite long. From the initial rape seedlings to the extracted sprouts, they can be used to make sauerkraut. During this epidemic this year, my family ate the most sauerkraut made from wild rape.

Wild garlic

After eating the shepherd’s purse, it becomes wild garlic. I guess wild garlic is shaped like a plant and smells similar to cultivated garlic, so it got its name! The wild garlic here grows like crazy. It is rare to see anyone eating it. The wild garlic comes out very early, starting to appear in about January. The initial wild garlic is relatively slender, but by March it becomes thicker. Most wild garlic grows in clusters, but single roots are generally thicker.

Vegetable prices have been a bit high recently, with a head of garlic costing one or two yuan. In addition to travel restrictions, I often use wild garlic instead of garlic at home, which I feel is pretty good. Use wild garlic to scramble eggs, roast fish with wild garlic, and add a few pieces when cold, which instantly enhances the aroma of the whole dish.

Chinese toon buds

It is now mid-March, and the toon trees have sprouted, as bright as small red flowers. In our countryside, toon trees are quite common. Under the big toon tree there are small toon trees with red flowers on their heads.

Chinese toon buds have a special aroma, which becomes more intense after blanching. Some people like this aroma, and some don’t. I think toon buds with scrambled eggs are pretty good, and I haven’t tried other ways to eat them. Pass.

Malantou

Malantou also appears very early, but because it grows close to the ground, it is inconvenient to pick when the plant is small. In March, when the temperature rises, it grows It is extremely fast, and the highest one can reach about fifteen centimeters.

Malantou is relatively common and can be found on field ridges, in the woods, and beside ditches. Malantou is also suitable for cold salad, with a fresh and tender taste without fiber.

There are many edible wild vegetables in our countryside, such as chicory, wolfberry seedlings, weeping potgrass, water celery, and Houttuynia cordata. I will not introduce them one by one here. When picking wild vegetables, you should pay attention to the surrounding environment. Try not to pick wild vegetables that are polluted or in a polluted environment. The picked wild vegetables should also be washed multiple times and try to blanch them before cooking.