Chickweed

Stellaria media, chickweed, is an annual and perennial flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is native to Eurasia and naturalized in throughout the world. This species is used as a cooling herbal remedy, and grown as a vegetable crop and ground cover for both human and poultry consumption

Chickweed has health benefits as food and medicine. In foods, chickweed is easy to incorporate and eaten in salads or served as cooked greens.

Medicinally chickweed is great for:

• Constipation

• Stomach and bowl problems

• Obesity

• Itching

• Muscle and joint pain

A new twist on pesto!

Chickweed Pesto

6 c packed fresh chickweed

5-20 cloves garlic (depending on size and intensity of the garlic and your personal taste)

1 c olive oil

1 T sea salt

1 c toasted black walnuts, sunflower seeds, English walnuts, or pecans

Zest from 1 lemon (make sure it is organic because you are using the skin)

Harvest chickweed with a knife to avoid dirt; rinse and swing to dry.

Make pesto in batches; add half of olive oil first to food processor or blender, then add garlic, then salt, and finally the greens.

Eat fresh, store at room temp for up to a week, or freeze for up to 4 months. Freeze in ice-cube trays, and empty into Ziploc bags so that you can defrost just the right amount of pesto.