Yesterday Joan Quenan, Deborah Healy and I pulled weeds at the Monarch Butterfly Habitat in Shell Lake. I pointed out red root pigweed or amaranth as I know the plant. We decided to pick wild edibles and so I loaded up a bag with this tasty wild edible. Meanwhile Deborah picked purslane and lambs quarter.
I am here to tell you that young amaranth leaves taste better than spinach. I sautéed them in a little olive oil and water and steamed the tender leaves. Then I scrambled two organic brown eggs into the mix. Upon completion I sat down and eat one of the best meals I have ever prepared. I noticed my brain started to spark like little lights going off. It was as if my cells were lighting up and thanking me for REAL FOOD. Is this called a natural high? It was to me. I have been eating more wild edibles all the time and I am starting to notice an internal chemical reaction to and in relationship with my food.
Update: Lots of Amaranth is growing in my garden and I do not pull it as a weed. Rather, I am picking it and starting to freeze small bags of it. Also, I will use with basil and garlic when I make pesto.
July 30 – Last night at the Water Ceremony held at the Hospitality House in Minong, I served a dish of steamed leaves and the water sisters enjoyed a taste on the wild side.
Nutritional value of Amaranth: 90 % Vitamin C, 73% Vitamin A and 28% calcium. Want to learn more about Amaranth leaf nutrition? Visit http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2304/2
There is another side to this story which is Amaranth seed. I haven’t ventured this far yet. It is all in the seasonal timing.
Insectamonarca's Blog 
I can’t wait to see your photo’s of the wild edibles! 🙂
Mitakuye Oyasin!
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Greetings Akasa, I am going to Shell Lake tomorrow and it is supposed to be a good day. Hopefully I get a good shot of amaranth. Thanks for comment.
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Good morning dearest Akasa,
Photos for Amaranth are up in the Blog. Hope you enjoy learning about the plant and its nutrition which is loaded with vitamins C and A and calcium.
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Oh I am sure I have Amaranth growing wild here…I am going to hunt for it when the weather cools down in a few days…likely around the fencelines.
Thank You so much for putting up the photo’s and I will check out the link too!
Blessings and Much Honor and Respect,
Akasa
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Dearest Akasa,
See if your public library has a copy of Samual Thayer’s books Forager’s Harvest and Nature’s Garden. Wonderful plant photos for indentifying wild edibles and good research material on the plants. These will be a wonderful guide for you to learn about wild edibles in your own backyard. Thank you for your lovely comments.
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This is a wonderful heads up! 🙂 I will be going later this week to my library as I want to get Jean Shinoda Bolen’s latest book ‘Like a Tree,’ so I will definitely put this on my list…
The link you provided was full of info too! I’ve bookmarked it.
Have a wonderful rest of the week and many blessings on the gentle winds to you.
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Dear kindred sister, I just received Lke a Tree from the Shell Lake Public Library. Ready to read this book. I just looked at a DVD by Samual Thayer. He is teaching about wild edibles, when to gather and how to prepare. It is worth owning the DVD is Forager’s Harvest. You can possibly borrow from your public library.
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