In addition to the community garden, there are lots of edible plants already growing around Grinnell. Admittedly, I don't know much more than the average person about this, but I am really interested to learn. I'd like this webpage to be a place where people can both learn about eating from Grinnell's grounds and also share their own experiences. Right now, information will just be listed down this page by plant name. Eventually, I'm hoping there will be map showing where different plants are located on campus.
This list is pretty weak at the moment, but hopefully more info coming soon.
GroundnutThis plant grows like a weed in Iowa, which is great since it makes a great spinach substitute. From what I've heard, it has more nutrients than spinach too. I really like the leaves in salads and soups, and I'm sure there are tons more ways to enjoy it (any way you eat spinach basically). In Grinnell, I've found this plant growing in the prairie plantings on campus (along the railroad track) and just volunteering in weedy areas. Here a recipe for potato-lamb's quarter soup I made a few days ago:
Saute chopped potatoes, leeks, onions, garlic, basil, and anything else you think would go well in the soup. After they've cooked for a bit add vegetable stock and some cream or milk. Put in the washed lamb's quarter leaves and simmer for a while until everything is really tender. Get a lot of leaves because they really cook down. When the soup is done simmering, run it through a blender/food processor to puree it.
I've found this plant growing in the prairie plantings along the railroad tracks, though I'm not sure if it's actually native. There's also a plant in the garden. I've heard lemon balm will kind of take over other plants, so be careful where you plant it. It makes a great tea, and I'm currently using some to add flavor to wine I'm making. I'll put a picture up sometime so you can ID it, or you could just google it for a pic.
My first attempt to harvest walnuts failed as they just molded in my closet. The squirrels on my loggia sure liked them though.
Kindscher, Kelly. Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie. University Press of Kansas (1987). This book is available in the science library. It has a huge list of plants native to the prairie with descriptions and edible uses.
