Wild growth: a plague for many, but not for Corina Busman (44) from Santpoort-Noord. As a herbal connoisseur and wild picker she knows what to do with it. She regularly goes into nature with her four children, in search of nettles, dandelions and elderberries. In Haarlem she gives workshops ‘Cooking with weeds’. “You can shovel it all away, but I view nature as a salad bar.”
Nettle, wild garlic, dead nettle, yarrow, trout, cleavers, daisies, plantain, celandine, field cherry, dandelion, purslane and ground elder: Corina throws something from the list into her soup, salad or smoothie every day. “Sevenleaf, many people think that is a gardener’s sorrow, but it is healthy and delicious in your salad. When I became a mother, I often went into nature with the children. I wanted to know more about herbs and how you can add them to your diet for a healthier lifestyle.”
She has now become very creative in using wild growth and moving with the seasons. “Now I pick nettles, which I use to make soup and tea. I make lemonade from elderberries. I make tea or pesto from dandelions. You can even make capers while the dandelion buds are still closed.”
“The advantage is that wild growth from nature contains much more vitamins and minerals”
Wild picking is often prohibited in nature. She therefore encourages people to pick from their own garden during her workshops. “Enough edible weeds grow in backyards and vegetable gardens. The advantage is that these plants from nature are much more vital and contain more vitamins and minerals. Less and less in cultivated vegetables. Those shiny apples look nice, but what is the nutritional value?”
Wild picking also requires some expertise, as some herbs are dangerously similar. The leaves of the wild garlic resemble those of the lily-of-the-valley, the lily-of-the-valley and the autumn crocus. These species are poisonous and sometimes grow in the same environment. At the beginning of the season, when there are no flowers yet, the risk of confusion is greatest. “The wild garlic is regularly mistaken for its poisonous counterparts. A herbalist can see the difference, but for a layman it is difficult.”
Corina sees that the demand for a natural and independent life has increased. “When everything was closed during the corona crisis, you could only go out into nature. We started to think more and more consciously about our choices in our lifestyle, nutrition and healing.”
Moreover, according to Corina, more people also want to know where their food comes from and how it is treated. “An increasing group is opting for organic and local. In this way everyone is taking steps to get closer to nature.”
Wild Herb Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
– Hand of wild garlic leaves
– Handful of winter purslane
– Handful of sticky herb
– A handful of ground elder
– A few leaves of field cress, dog’s trot and garlic without garlic.
– Good extra virgin olive oil
– Unroasted walnuts or cashew nuts
– Parmesan cheese or pecorino cheese (for vegans: yeast flakes)
Preparation
– Blend the herbs & olive oil fine
– Add a dash of olive oil if you have too many herbs
– Add the nuts and cheese and toss it in the blender again
(1 week shelf life in the fridge)
Tip: extend shelf life
Do you want to keep the pesto for a long time? Then mix the herbs with the olive oil without nuts
and cheese and store the herbs in oil in a glass jar. Add the nuts and cheese before consumption, so the pesto can be kept for at least a year.
“When you make wild pesto more often, you will notice that no pesto is the same. Other herbs are available at any time. So it’s nice to vary” – Corina.
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