From the Spring Foraging Cookbook: Comfrey and Cow Parsnip

Comfrey

Unfortunately, this much beloved plant has become the subject of controversy. Comfrey has long been used as a food and as medicine throughout Europe… evidence of its cultivation dating back thousands of years. While usually eaten as a potherb or added to spring salads, Comfrey is powerfully medicinal. It promotes the growth of tissue, and is perhaps the most useful herbal medicine on earth for healing wounds, broken bones, etc. A few decades ago though, our government decided to test out a hybridized, Russian Comfrey on lab rats. They gave the rodents the concentrated equivalent of 50 gallons of tea per day for a human (yep, just like sassafras)…. An amount no reasonable person could fathom. The rodents developed cancer. Now, Comfrey cannot be sold as food or medicine, and is labeled carcinogenic. Frankly, I think this is criminally idiotic… as is our government in general. But, I cannot legally recommend you eat Comfrey. Oh well, I do!

Of all the wild edibles, perhaps Comfrey is most like a garden potherb. My only caveat is that it can be a bit tough when it matures. There are tons of recipes for Comfrey, and it can basically be used like most any leafy vegetable. It isn’t particularly strong in flavor, but it isn’t like a delicate lettuce either. I like to combine it with beef and tomatoes in a long, slow braise. Comfrey will hold up to long cooking. I’m not sure what to call this dish… maybe a ragout of beef and vegetables. It is cooked down into something like a very thick, rustic sauce for pasta or bread. Basically, I consider such preparations as a pot roast made with tomatoes instead of gravy.

Ingredients:

Chuck or other roasting cut of beef or game like deer. I’ll estimate maybe 3 pounds. Adjust the other ingredients to the meat.

Maybe a pound of Comfrey, washed and trimmed

2 quarts canned/stewed tomatoes

At least one green pepper. You could use a large bell pepper, or a couple of poblanos, or it you wanted heat, as many jalapenos, etc. as you like

3 medium yellow onions or wild alliums

Garlic (ditto)

Summer squash and or zucchini or eggplants

Mushrooms (optional)

Herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, mint, rosemary, etc.

Red Wine

Brown the meat in a hot pan with a little olive oil or fat. Remove. Add more fat. Toss in the raw veggies with salt and pepper to taste and cook them until done.

Return the meat to the pan/pot.

Add the tomatoes and herbs.

Slowly simmer and add wine as the liquid from the tomatoes evaporates.

The dish is done when the meat falls apart. Season to taste. I prefer home baked bread to pasta for this – just fill a bowl, dip in the bread, drink some wine with it and ENJOY!

Cow Parsnip

While Cow Parsnip is in the same family as Wild Carrot and several other herbs I have warned you not to confuse with Poison Hemlock and other poisonous members of this family; unless you find this plant in its earliest stages, it shouldn’t be too hard to identify. It grows into a huge plant! The leaves of Cow Parsnip can grow up to a foot wide and the plant can grow up to 10 feet tall! It could, however be confused with Water Parsnip at certain stages of its growth, so caution in proper identification is advised, but you will soon come to identify Cow Parsnip easily after seeing a few. It is an abundant source of food where found. The stalk and leaf stems may be peeled and cooked as a vegetable, boiled in a couple of changes of water until tender and not too bitter. The roots may be cooked like parsnips. The seeds are said to make a nice spice, but I have not yet tried them.

Much like Comfrey, I would be hard pressed to come up with a bad way or a very specific way to prepare Cow Parsnip. As a cooked vegetable, it is an excellent side for most any meat. I suppose I would say that it is not delicate, though. I think of this as a more hardy vegetable, but it is not tough if you peel off any bits that might be. Cow Parsnip is not like spinach or something you might toss into a salad. It is very good in soups and casseroles. I doubt this is a very original recipe, but I like this casserole:

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs Cow Parsnip trimmed

2 Tablespoons each flour and butter

1 cup or so of whole milk

1 cup chicken stock or broth (or other meat base)

½ pound or more of grated cheese like cheddar or swiss

Herbs of your choice

1/4th cup mayonnaise

Shredded chicken (or other critter)

Chopped nuts (optional)

Any other veggies you like, blanched

Bread crumbs (optional)

Blanch the Cow Parsnip. Make a roux, cooking the flour in butter until it tastes and smells cooked. Stir in broth and milk. Make a bechamel or gravy. Combine the meat and veggies in a casserole dish. Cover with the sauce. Mix in some mayo. Top with grated cheese and nuts. Bake until brown and bubbly. If you use nuts, you may want to add them later or put them under the cheese – nuts burn quickly.

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The information on this site is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or condition. Nothing on this site has been evaluated or approved by the FDA. I am not a doctor. The US government does not recognize the practice of herbal medicine and their is no governing body regulating herbalists. Therefore, I'm just a guy who studies herbs. I am not offering any advice. I won't even claim that anything I write is accurate or true! I can tell you what herbs have "traditionally been used for." I can tell you my own experience and if I believe an herb helped me. I cannot, nor would I tell you to do the same. If you use any herb I, or anyone else, mentions you are treating yourself. You take full responsibility for your health. Humans are individuals and no two are identical. What works for me may not work for you. You may have an allergy, sensitivity or underlying condition that no one else shares and you don't even know about. Be careful with your health. By continuing to read my blog you agree to be responsible for yourself, do your own research, make your own choices and not to blame me for anything, ever.