“The old thinking and ways of looking at the world no longer serve the human spirit. It’s time to return to the earth, for without a strong foundation all our dreams and visions will tumble at the first puff of wind.”
 – Robin Harford (British forager)

Chickweed, or Stellaria media, flourishes in the cool seasons of the year, and here on the quinta does especially well during winter, although it has a growing season that stretches from autumn through spring. It can be found in many places on the quinta, but as it shares the space around the olive tree next to the house with an abundance of rocket, it doesn’t take much effort to pick a handful just before a meal, which means that I am currently indulging in the profusion of it, and making sure that I regularly have a splash of bright green on my plate.

It is a creeping annual that likes to fill up empty spaces in the garden, which means it is growing abundantly in my mostly dormant vegetable garden in winter. Its preference for moist, fertile soils rich in nitrogen and phosphorus has been traditionally used by organic farmers as a soil indicator.

Recipes
I love cooking, and when I think about recipes and the way I eat, I veer towards either what I already grow on the land, or what I plan to grow, and whittle the ingredients down to mostly that. Although we are not aiming for self-sufficiency, I am aiming for a mostly hyper-local diet for the sheer fun and creativity of it. Also, eating plants I have either grown or foraged brings a joy to my heart that is hard to explain.

There is so much one can do with chickweed, as unlike most other foraged greens it is not at all bitter, but has a very mild, fresh flavour. That means that it can be chopped and added to soups, stews, and stir fries, or used in pie and omelette fillings. One´s own creativity really is the only limit, but here are a couple of ways in which I use it. To make picking and using easy, just pick the top section of each stem.

Chickweed Salad
The easiest is to simply pick a handful, wash, and pile onto your plate. Drizzle with olive oil, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper, a sprinkle of mixed seeds and nuts, and the petals of whatever edible flowers you have in the garden. I also love mixing in finely sliced onion that I’ve marinated in olive oil and balsamic vinegar for an hour or two.

Chickweed Pesto
45g freshly picked chickweed
3g course sea salt (if not using cheese)
45g hazelnuts or any other nuts you have on hand
55g parmesan or pecorino cheese (optional)
125ml extra-virgin olive oil

Pulp all the ingredients together with a stick blender until smooth.
Leave salt out when using cheese. It is easier to add some later than to have a pesto that is too salty. Play around with the ingredients and quantities to create something that is uniquely yours. So, if you leave out the cheese, add more chickweed or nuts for instance, or add a clove or two of garlic.
Serve with pasta or spread on toast.

Chickweed Soup
a generous pour of olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cups chickweed, washed
500ml vegetable stock
1/3 cup cooked white beans
salt and pepper to taste
a sprinkle of chilli flakes (optional)

Sauté garlic in olive oil until soft, but not brown. Add potatoes and enough stock to cover it. Cook until soft. Add chickweed and cooked beans, and the rest of the stock. Cook for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool. Puree in a blender or with a stick blender. Return to the pot. Add more stock if you prefer a soup that is thinner and bring back to the boil. Adjust seasoning, and serve.

Notes:
# In Japan, chickweed is one of the seven herbs used in a rice porridge that is eaten on the 7^th of January during the Festival of Seven Herbs or Nanakusa no sekku for good health, and to ward off evil.

# In folk or herbal medicine, it has been used for skin irritations, as a tonic and pain reliever for rheumatoid arthritis, a cleansing diuretic, for urinary tract inflammations, to relieve tiredness, to draw out poisons that enter the body through wounds into the bloodstream, and to help relieve the tingling and pain caused by surface nerves malfunctioning.

# Here is a recipe for a cleansing decoction from: The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies by Nicole Apelian & Claude Davis:

Bring 1 cup fresh chickweed leaves and 500ml water to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool, strain, and use either internally or externally. For internal use, a dose of 30-60ml is recommended.

# Although the herb is considered safe to use, pregnant or nursing women are cautioned from using it without the approval of a healthcare professional. And as with many other things, some people are allergic to chickweed, so it is best to consume a small amount at first to double check.