Wild Edibles: Wilted Sesame Lapsana Noodles
Oh wow this stuff is good
OK, let’s get the giggles out first, before we get into the deliciousness. This is a recipe for a common weed called “nipplewort.” For better or worse, “nipple” is a funny word. Take it away, Peter and Ringo:
You’ve probably seen nipplewort hanging around someplace. It’s one of those “oh yeah, what is that?” plants that’s often considered a “weed” when it shows up unannounced. It’s not terribly fond of your garden, but it digs on partial shade to full sun, and grows like mad in Seattle parks and vacant lots.
It’s an Asteraceae, in the same plant family as dandelions (and sunflowers and artichokes). When it matures, it puts out pretty little yellow flowers, but we’re most interested in it when it looks like this:
Nipplewort (Lapsana communis) is easy to ID after it starts kicking in because its lower, younger and larger leaves all feature two or more opposite ‘lobes’ beneath the main leaf:
This little fellow is usually fairly unassuming, but once you start noticing those extra lobes on the leaves, you’ll realize it’s everywhere. It’s mildly flavored — far less bitter than its kissing cousin dandelion — and can get pretty big as it matures. It’s also entirely edible.
Free food in the woods, yo!
Here’s a recipe for Lapsana that is super versatile and delicious. I highly encourage you to make some today!
You’ll need:
- Approximately one pound nipplewort leaves. Don’t bother with the lil’ leaves at the top of the plant. You want the thicker, lobed leaves towards the bottom.
- Four cloves of garlic.
- Three tablespoons of sesame oil.
- Two tablespoons of soy sauce.
- One tablespoon of raw sugar.
- Two cups of your favorite noodles.
- Garnishes like toasted sesame seeds, chopped scallions, and umeboshi.
- Make a couple of cups of your favorite noodle. Soba is good, as are any standard wheat-based or gluten-free noodles. When the noodles have finished cooking, rinse with cold water and set aside.
- You’ll want to get as much of the stem off of your leaves as possible. Be sure you have a lot of nipplewort! This stuff cooks down like you wouldn’t believe.
- Soak your leaves in water with a couple of tablespoons of vinegar mixed in for about twenty minutes. This’ll help clean the leaves and mitigate any little bitterness left in them.
- While the leaves are soaking, mince the garlic. Add the sesame oil to a sauté pan and turn to medium high.
- Drain the nipplewort and squeeze out any excess liquid.
- When the garlic starts sizzling (about 3–5 minutes), add the nipplewort to the hot pan. Stir it as it cooks until it becomes wilted and delicious looking (about 5 minutes).
- Add the soy sauce and sugar. Continue stirring for another five minutes.
- Dump the whole thing onto the noodles. Add garnish: toasted sesame seeds, chopped scallions, chiffonaded shiso, even gasp crumbled bacon.
Wow, you guys. This stuff is the best, and it’s free. It’s mild, pleasant, and chewy. Even though it has a funny name, it’ll make your tummy happy. Nipplewort is delicious!
When not studying Permaculture or drinking licorice fern and salal berry sodee-pop, Jeremy Puma writes some things and cooks some things. Jeremy will be teaching a class in urban foraging with the Seattle Farm School on May 30, 2015.Click here for more details.
