Delicious Milkweed

Happy Solstice to everyone. I hope you are enjoying this new season we have just jumped into.

My daughter and I went out today and connected with nature after the bout of storms we had yesterday. We got another 1 1/2" of rain...my garden is doing wonderful. Unfortunately, the rain barrel I put out has a slow leak...so my entire barrel of water is now gone and out. I should have checked the seals before I put it out yesterday, oh well. Nothing that can't be fixed.

Anyway, my daughter and I went venturing today, and today I was on the look for the common milkweed flower bud clusters...and did we ever find a gold mine. There are milkweed plants everywhere, if you know what and where to look.

 Here is the Common Milkweed my daughter and I were hunting today. We were picking the clusters of flower buds off the plant. I ate a big serving of these for lunch. I cook the bud clusters by boiling them for 5-7 minutes, then draining the water and adding just a hint of butter and salt. The flavor reminds me of broccoli. Very delicious.

Here is a large section of milkweed plants growing. When I see this, I see a bounty of food.Some of the plants were in full bloom, but a lot were just starting to get the clusters. A week or so, those that are in full bloom with offer up a large bounty of edible pods, while I should still be able to get some bud clusters as well.  

It didn't take us long to get quite a supply of clusters, and I have enough for me to have a least 3 servings of 1 cup. My husband doesn't eat my wild edibles, for he thinks I am crazy and going to poison myself...and he won't let me feed our tot any of the wild stuff until "she counts her age on two hands". So as of right now, it is just me eating the wild stuff, but I think I will be able to get him on the wild edible bandwagon eventually....LOL