Weeds to Riches

You may not know the name, but you probably know what it looks like.

Garlic Mustard is an invasive plant, AKA a pesky weed that grows everywhere.  In parks, along waterways, and most likely in your garden, you have probably seen it.  It looks like this:

A robust patch of garlic mustard.
It may be an invasive weed, but it's also free food and an
excellent source of vitamin C

In the 19th century, traveling Brits brought Garlic Mustard here to use as a medicinal plant-it is very high in Vitamin C.  As with most non-indigenous species it wreaks havoc with the natural landscape choking out native plants and taking much needed resources from other slower-growing plants with it's rapid, rambling growth habit.  What I haven't mentioned yet, is that it is edible and delicious.

Alexis Burnett is a naturalist, field-guide, tracker, and edible plant specialist. Through his company, Earth Tracks, www.earthtracks.ca he lectures on the use and identification of edible and medicinal plants. I recently heard him speak to the Guelph Field Naturalists about edible plants, and this was one of them. It smells lightly of garlic and has a peppery taste. To use, add leaves fresh to salads, mixing with other greens, or steam lightly and use as you would arugula or spinach.  Or make this:

Invasive Pest-O

4  packed cups washed garlic mustard leaves

1 cup fresh basil leaves

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp. toasted pine nuts or almonds

Salt and pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor or blender, roughly chop garlic mustard, basil, garlic, cheese, nuts, and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle in enough olive oil to make a smooth paste, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed.  Spoon into a clean jar and use within three days, or freeze for one month.

Serve tossed with hot long pasta (linguine or spaghettini works well), grilled in a sandwich with buffalo mozzarella and sun dried tomatoes, or use as a dip for crusty bread before dinner.

   Pretty Invasive:Garlic Mustard 
is a non-native species. 
Harvesting it for food, taproot and all,
 will help curb its spread in natural areas.

*If you live in the Guelph area and are looking to harvest some nutritious Garlic Mustard, there is quite a stash of this in Howitt Park on the Silver Creek in Guelph (among other places).  You can't over harvest this, so go nuts.  And while you're harvesting, pull it out by the long (also edible) taproot, if you can manage it!  This will help deter it from spreading further.