Edible Plants:Galinsoga 

Thanks for responding to my post. I hope you can find more "gallant soldiers" (very likely, still they spread everywhere!) to make your own Guascas.

Mescolo anche questi e con altri verdi. (Spero che il mio italiano sia corretto!)

Yes, it's a persistent and ubiquitous plant--so we might as well use it!

This is a very common weed around here. It's taste is "green"- quite mild,not strong at all.

My goal is to get people out in nature-she has so much to offer. This plant certainly gets around!

@@thederb720 Yeah, I totally agree with you! That's why we call her "Mother Nature". Millions of people all over the world survive without cultivating anything. By the way, I told my grandmother about the edibility of this plant and she just laughed it off. She has only heard stories about people eating it before colonial times. Most of us in India have forgotten these American and European plants accidentally brought in by the colonizers. If only these "veggies" had received the same patronage as potatoes, the world would have been a better place. We love our stinging nettle stir-fries though. We never puree it or turn it into soups (unlike western people).

@@RohitSingh-sc4zo I'm so thankful there's so much available to us; I'm constantly learning about new uses for plants...

hi Blanche, I was wondering if you can sell me some quick weed or guascas seeds I've been searching high and low for this plant. Thank you

I enjoy it too: it was created by a science teacher.

So pleased that you enjoyed my video. Re hostas: I've been experimenting with cooking the young shoots of several hostas, as I've read that they're a delicacy in Japan, much like asparagus is here in the U.S. I've discovered that some are much better than others. Until I figure out which ones are truly delicious, I hesitate to recommend eating them indiscriminately without knowing which variety is which, as there are so many types of hostas available. Do you eat the shoots? If you do, which ones do you find particularly tasty? I have many hostas in my garden as my son is a landscaper who gets "gifts" of plants from time to time which he kindly plants for me.

Blanche Cybele Derby Yes, we eat both hosta shoots and the young leaves, both raw in salads and cooked. The two varieites we eat were growing along the edge of the yard under a hedgrow of trees behind a friend's house out in the country. Most likely they are very old varieties, but I have no idea which. One is solid green of moderate size, not glaucous, nor 'quilted'. The other has rather narrow bands of varigation along the leaf margins, and is also a medium size. Both have a pleasant, fresh 'vegatable' or 'green' taste, with a very slight tang, like you might get when mixing sheep or wood sorrel with other greens in a salad. When reasonably young, they are not tough, and not fiberous. We like them a lot. Of course, the soil quality and situation can/will affect the taste of plants grown in that spot. The soil here is fairly rich, and very much alive, and slightly moist. Both grow side-by-side in high open shade, with just a little morning sunlight. (Direct sunlight seems to toughen and maybe add bitterness to the taste of some plants.) We continue to sample when the opportunity arises other varieites which have not been sprayed, or growing in potentially toxic soil like along streets or next to houses. Stephen Barstow wrote about hostas , in his book 'Around the World in 80 Plants' which focuses on perennial leafy vegetables: "That hosta should prove to be such a good 'spinach' plant came as quite a surprise, as Ken Fern in his book 'Plants for a Future' wrote that he had tried two species, and 'they are somewhat fiberous but have a sweet flavor". Toensmier & Bates ('Paradise Lot') say they don't care for hostas, so it can be a matter of taste, but the variety is probably playing a role in the palatablility, as well - as Barstow says they are among his *favorite* edible plants. He uses the leaves as 'wraps', and in recipies like hostakopita- prepared just like the spinach version. Reportedly, no hosta species are toxic, but he lists four worth trying: H. sieboldiana, H. sieboldii (yes, two speices with very similar names), H. montana, and H. longipes. And, as you know, there are endless hybrids and cultivars, which should all be edible, for us to taste and see which appeal to us most. So appreciate your channel! Best regards-

Thank you. Often good food is growing close to us in own gardens. Keep searching. I pull up weeds but throw them in my salads or use them in stir fries--they're the ultimate local produce.

It probably makes a difference if the soil is just right or if it gets more sun and water ...

Same, I live in Florida and in my yard they have grown to just shy of 5 ft tall. Made me question if it was actually galinsoga at all but everything else matches to a T and the stems do remind me of sunflowers which are in the same family.