Early spring is wild greens time

The green starts slow. Miniscule leaves appear along the walkway, indiscernible shoots spring forth in the garden, fuzzy leaves unfurl from buds. Temps are cooler than warm and dampness fills the air. Early springtime is wild greens time and there’s one particularly delectable weed among them: common chickweed.

Common chickweed (Stellaria media) is quite common indeed. Although native to Eurasia, chickweed is widespread, happily naturalizing in disturbed soil. Find chickweed creeping along the edges of your garden, in lush mats beside the woodland creek, or spattering the edges of a dirt road. This little star-shaped flower, each petal deeply cleft, keeps close to the ground, producing a profusion of tiny succulent leaves, distinguishable from similar species by a thin line of fine white hair spiraling up her stem.

Ol’ timers in Appalachia would call chickweed a spring tonic, a plant that reduces stagnancy and imbues the body with the vitality of the season. Like spring, chickweed is cool and moist, helpful in reducing inflammation and lubricating tissue. Chickweed fortifies the body, providing an alphabet soup of vitamins A, B, C, D, and minerals such iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Imagine a time when the only greens you ate all winter long were those you’d preserved from last season. Now a tiny green emerges alongside your hardy scallions, and you didn’t have to lift a finger. Nature’s nutritive gift. Chickweed also contains saponins that promote nutrient absorption and stimulate kidney and liver function, our body’s two primary organs for detoxification. Chickweed is food medicine – nutritious and purifying – working its magic slow and steady.

Besides being healthy, chickweed just tastes good. Many wild greens have a bitter edge to them, which is helpful in deterring herbivores and foraging humans alike. However, chickweed’s flavor is sweet and fresh without a hint of bitter, reminiscent of corn or snow peas. Pinch tender chickweed shoots, collecting a small basketful. Toss a handful in a salad with spicy wild mustard, young dandelion leaves and the first spinach leaves. The rest, dice and pack into a mason jar, cover with vinegar and allow to infuse for a few weeks, then strain. Vinegar extracts minerals well from nutrient-dense plants. Blend chickweed-infused vinegar with olive oil for a delicious and nutritious drizzle atop your springtime salads.