Full disclosure, I absolutely love being able to make food with ingredients that didn’t come from a grocery store. Gardening, foraging, freezing, canning, I get that it’s not for everyone, but there’s a unique satisfaction and pride in processing your own ingredients straight from the ground, and knowing every step of the process from the ground to your pantry. The only downfall to this system is obvious, the time necessary to cultivate, grow, harvest, clean, and process your own food is truly immense! Now I still say that using natural, raw ingredients to create your own pantry necessities is more than worth the time taken, and there are definitely tips and tricks to cut down on most of the time and effort for your garden favorites. But today we’re talking about a totally different kind of natural food processing - foraging! Disclaimer, this is an activity that should only be participated in after due study and research, because there are plenty of edible looking wild foods that are harmful or even poisonous. But this is something that is more than worth the time put into understanding which wild foods are safe, because there’s nothing more exciting when you’re out for a walk, than unexpectedly running across a wild black raspberry bush!
There have always been plenty of wild edibles on our farm, and I spent a good portion of my childhood hiking through the gully on the hill with a cut off milk jug, collecting wild blackcaps and raspberries, or chewing on the inner bark from a young birch twig! One of the foods I did not start collecting until recently, however, is wild leeks! I can’t think of a single food that better depicts the difference in store bought and wild foods than the leek. Store bought leeks are at least as thick around as a golfball, have many many layers of thick and fibrous leaves, and have a definite, yet somewhat mild, onion flavor when cooked. Wild leeks on the other hand, have slender stalks similar to a spring onion, with long, tender leaves, a bulb root system, and an incredibly strong distinctive onion smell/flavor, even after being cooked.
Members of the allium family, including leeks, onions, garlic, shallots, and chives, contain high concentrations of bioactive organosulfur compounds. The health benefits of these compounds vary greatly depending on the soil it was grown in, the method of preparation, even the age of the plant when it is harvested. What is especially interesting about these specific compounds, is that unlike many cancer combatting nutrients that only affect certain varieties of cancers, bioactive organosulfur compounds seem to affect every variety of cancer! The physiological process behind these immense health benefits are similar, yet far superior to that of antioxidants, in that they both effectively neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are an inevitable component of the body that results from normal cell replication/reproduction, and the body is equipped to handle them - that is, a certain amount of them. However, when the body is exposed to toxins, an excess amount of free radicals form and begin to quite literally rip healthy cells apart, causing unlimited and sometimes severe health issues. All molecules have electrons and consequently, an electron shell consisting of one or more sub shells. The molecules are stable when each sub shell is full with the correct number of electrons. Alternatively, free radicals remain unstable (and therefore highly reactive) because of an unfilled outer electron sub shell. This allows the free radical to draw electrons from other molecules, stable molecules that are necessary to the body, and therefore destroy the stable molecule. When the concentration of free radicals supersedes the amount that the body is able to combat, they are able to alter lipids, proteins, and even DNA, to the point where severe health issues begin to develop. Hence the need for natural compounds that are able to bind to the unstable free radicals and neutralize them before they bind to any vital molecules within the body.
So in the words of Brian Regan, “How do I get that goodness in me??” Unfortunately, leeks have a very small harvest season, and the older they get, the more the nutrients have been utilized by the plant, and are therefore unavailable for the consumer. Here’s where that extra freezer in the garage or basement comes in extra handy! Leeks are an excellent example of a food that can be easily harvested, washed, and then stored in freezer safe bags for months at a time, without losing their distinctive flavor or exceptional health benefits. And honestly, there’s just something extra special about going to the freezer and pulling out a bag of highly nutritious food that you harvested yourself, and could not possibly be found in stores, and making it the star of tonight’s delicious dinner.
Leek and Potato Soup Recipe:
5-6 C Washed and Chopped Leeks
3 lbs. Purple Potatoes
1 Bulb Garlic
1 lb. Sausage
2 Tbsp Parsley
2 tsp Thyme
Salt and Pepper to Taste
8 C Broth of Choice
1 1/2 C Milk
1/4 C Corn Starch
Add leeks, potatoes, garlic, sausage, spices, and broth too crockpot - cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Half an hour before serving, add corn starch to cold milk and mix well, then add to soup and continue to cook for remaining half an hour.
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