Sustainable Sunday: Foraged Greens

Foraging for food can be easy in Hawaii. There are lots of wild or abandoned fruit trees along the roadside, and if you have skills, fishing and hunting keeps the fridge full. Just the other day we happened to park near a mango tree that was dropping like crazy, and since it was in the yard of an empty vacation rental, we helped ourselves. I totally don't feel guilty, you wouldn't either, right?

So I've been really into figuring out what else can be foraged around here. Turns out there are a number of greens growing right in my yard, some on purpose and some not, that can be thrown into a salad.

Maple hibiscus

Maple hibiscus, red leaves with a lovely deep magenta bloom, can be made into tea or added to salad. 'Akulikuli, or sea purslane, has salty, edible leaves. We planted a ton of them in our yard because we loved the purple bloom. They can be found growing wild near the shore. From the garden I snipped some kale, chard, spinach, green onion, lavender, cilantro, basil, sage, verbena, arugula, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. Combined, these greens and herbs formed a flavorful and delicate salad. All it needed was a little squeeze of lemon (from the lemon tree of course).

You may not have all of these herbs or greens on hand, but chances are you have some. I'd love to hear about the garden salad you come up with or the food you've been foraging for. Please leave a comment or send me an email (gwenedwards82 at gmail.com) with your Sustainable Sunday meal ideas, I'd be happy to feature your recipe and blog. Happy hunting.

This salad is featured on Easy Natural Food's Summer Salad Sundays. Check it out!