Chickweed-- Stellaria media

Well, the weather may be cold and dreary but my breakfast sure wasn't!!

I made my usual morning rounds in the high tunnel checking on all those seedlings after 2 nights of below freezing temps.  And, there, to no-one's surprise, was the faithful chickweed creeping along the ground trying to cheer up the garlic that's just barely 3 inches tall.

I adore those miniature flowers.

I snipped a few handfuls for breakfast; that made me smile and stop thinking about how cold it is!

Soothes hot, dry conditions.
Tackles inflammation
Moves lymph
Addresses cysts
Nutrient dense

This small but mighty plant loves to grow in cool, moist weather so that is the kind of maladies it's good for.

"Chickweed helps the body absorb nutrients better. It is a safe and nourishing herb for a person of any age to take over several months when weak, chronically tired from overwork and stress, traumatized, anemic or recovering from a long-term illness or surgery." - Deb Soule, Herbalist

Chickweed is high in saponins. 
Saponins have a wide range of activity within the body and can modulate inflammation, regulate blood sugar and support a healthy microbiome. 

If you are in to the science about how chickweed affects our physiology check out this great article:   Guido Masé

Nicholas Culpeper (1616 - 1654), an herbalist from England, recommended placing chickweed poultices over the liver; it “doth wonderfully temper the heat of the liver and is effectual for all impostumes [abscess] and swellings whatsoever; for all redness in the face, wheals, pushes, itch or scabs.”

 This Amish herbal treatment for increasing breast milk might be worth trying for new moms :  “Chickweed is highly nutritious, with an ounce of the dried herb containing 400 mg calcium, 8.4 mg of iron, 176 mg of magnesium, and 280 mg of potassium. Directions: Place an ounce of chickweed in a quart of water in a pot. Bring to a boil, and then simmer on the lowest heat for an hour. Strain and drink the quart throughout the day.”  Paul Bergner

One of my mentors Rosalee de Foret came up with this delicious chickweed grilled cheese sandwich and chickweed pesto:

Chickweed Grilled Cheese Sandwiches by Rosalee de Foret

To make this recipe you’ll need:

• 2 pieces of bread
• Soft goat cheese that spreads easily
• 1-2 minced kalamata olives (or other high quality olives)
• Fresh chickweed
• Butter

Begin by spreading the goat cheese on your sandwiches.Next mince your olives and sprinkle them over the cheese.Mince up the chickweed and cover the slice of bread well.Place the other slice of bread on top and cover it with a layer of butter. Warm up a cast iron pan (or whatever you use for grilling sandwiches). I like it to be sizzling hot when I put the sandwich on.

 

Place the sandwich butter side down on to the pan.

Grill until the bottom slice of bread has turned golden brown, taking care not to burn it. Spread a layer of butter on the top piece of bread.

Flip the sandwich, turn to low heat, and cover. It’s done when both sides are golden brown and the cheese has been melted.

Sometimes we spice this up a by adding minced garlic or a dash or two of cayenne pepper."  

Chickweed Pesto

Great with eggs, meats, veggies and sandwich spread.

 Got lots of chickweed? Freeze it in ice cube trays for later!

Ingredients

• 2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 cups freshly picked young chickweed leaves
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• dash of sea salt
• handful of walnuts (optional)
• tablespoon of lemon juice (optional)
• lemon zest (optional)

Place all the ingredients in a food processor.

Blend well.

Note: I prefer making this pesto in a food processor instead of a blender as the chickweed stems tend to get caught up in the blender blades. This easily overheats the blender and removing those stems can be tedious work. Yes, I speak from experience! If you only have a blender, simply chop up the chickweed really well before placing it in the blender.

I hope you enjoy this simple chickweed treat. When you are out harvesting, don’t forget to look for Stellaria, the chickweed fairy, dancing amongst this delicious weed.            Rosalee

 

I have made this pesto many times here at Rocky Creek Farm--WE LOVE IT!!

Now, back to my breakfast:  I made a chickweed omelet with toasted sour dough bread.  What a great start to my day






I look forward to many months of chickweed from my high tunnel.  It will not only provide me with delicious nutrition, but will serve as a ground cover around my other plants to smother weeds and provide shade and a nice place for earthworms to hang out.