If You Can't Beat Them, Eat Them! Volume 3

Like most other species of wild mustard, blue mustard is edible. While some people may be put off by the stale smell of the plant, its leaves are eaten nonetheless. Young leaves may be used in salads containing other wild or dark leafy greens, such as dandelion. Larger, more mature leaves can be cooked, much like turnip greens or collard greens.

The most common recipes for mustard greens come from the Southern states in the US and involve cooking with pork and serving with vinegar. I found this excerpt in the comments section of a wild mustard article on Eat the Weeds:
"Don’t pick the big leaves at the bottom of the plant. They will be sandy and more likely to be bitter. Don’t make extra work for yourself by picking sandy greens. Simmer them in a covered pot for about an hour (until tender) in about 3/4 – 1 inch of seasoned water (salt, pepper, and if you like it, add bacon fat), stirring occasionally, and checking the water. When they are nearly done, remove the cover to reduce the liquid, which is known as “pot likker” or “pot liquor.” Pot likker is nutritious and it is used for sopping cornbread or making soup." 
Although these instructions are not specific to blue mustard, I think that it would work out just fine.



Where I live, blue mustard grows in any available open space: along the roadside, in vacant lots, it will even make its way into your lawn if you let it!

If You Can't Beat Them, Eat Them! Volume 2

When I was a kid I ate the fruits of the Common Mallow plant (also called Cheeseweed, Cheeseplant, or Dwarf Mallow) all the time, just plucked them off the vine and popped them into my mouth. We have a huge patch in our back yard, which the ducks graze on and the goats avoid. When they bloom, the bees come out in droves to pollinate them, and when they fruit the ducks and chickens eat up all the fruit. I wondered as an adult whether they were something that was actually edible, and, if so, were they something that was good for you, and what could you do with them. So, I did some research. As it turns out, not only are the fruits packed with fat and protein, but you can use them to make marshmallows. Yes, marshmallows! The videos below are part 1 and part 2 of a Common Mallow Marshmallow Making How-to.

In addition to eating the fruits, the leaves and flowers can be eaten raw, such as in a salad, or the leaves can be boiled. The leaves will give off a thick mucus when cooked, much like okra, and can be used as a thickener for soups and stews. In addition to culinary uses, the leaves and roots are also used as an herbal medicine for the treatment of numerous ailments.

If You Can't Beat Them, Eat Them!

Another good title would have been "When Life Gives You Dandelions, Make Salad."
I'm sure that you have at least three dandelions in your yard at this very moment. (Unless you have chickens, goats, or ducks. They love to eat these greens!) But, perhaps you were unaware that these little nuisances were edible greenery, suitable for a salad. It's true! During the depression many a family dined on dandelion salad! Clara, of Great Depression Cooking with Clara has a wonderful video on harvesting, washing, and dressing a dandelion salad. She says it takes patience and time, but the results will be worth it. So, the next time you think about spraying weed killer on your dandelions, eat them instead! Click here to watch the video of Clara making dandelion salad.