It's a spinach wrap, but the spinach is on the inside! Inside American Elm leaves -- with an assortment of foraged and homegrown plants. Tasty and free!

Getting It All Together!

The spinach is bolting with the longer days. So I'm glad @progressivechef chose it for the special ingredient this week and not a month from now! When I travel to Washington, DC, for work, I like to stop at Jaleo, a Spanish tapas restaurant. They have a small plate with a wonderful mix of spinach and pine nuts. Here's my Haphazard Homestead version -- wild style!

Clockwise, from the upper left: My spinach is bolting! My Danube cherries got ripe this week. They are like a Morello cherry - sweet and tart at the same time. The White Clover is in full bloom. And Oregon's only native blackberry - the Trailing Blackberry - is just getting ripe. They are small, but pack a super-powerful punch of rich blackberry flavor.

In The Kitchen!

I also harvested some American Elm leaves. The big leaves of the American Elm are tough now, except for the new growth. It's still tender and tasty -- a mild greens flavor. And I raided my stash of Gingko nuts. I have other posts that go into more detail about Gingko trees and foraging their nuts. I've used them before in the Steemit Iron Chef contest -- they have a chestnut flavor and their consistency can be anywhere from chewy to crunchy, depending on how they are cooked. Here, I've got them right in the middle.

Top: American Elm leaves, Danube cherries, Trailing blackberries, White Clover petals, and cracked, uncooked Gingko nuts. Bottom: My wrap, before the wrap-up.

Back in the kitchen, I blanched the elm leaves and cut out the center vein from each one. I toasted the shelled gingko nuts in a cast iron skillet with a little coarse salt. I tossed with clover blossoms with a little salt as well, to heighten their light flavor. I braised the spinach in water, with a touch of Braggs seasoning - it's like a richer flavored soy sauce, I think.

I arranged the elm leaves and laid my ingredients on top. Then I wrapped my wrap!

Eating!

I slice the ends off my wrap and served it in 3 slices. With an extra mound of the filling on the side because it is so delicious!

The greens flavor of the Elm leaves is different from the spinach - much more mild. I think it's a great contrast in taste and texture that highlights the spinach.

That filling is delicious! I wouldn't hesitate to serve this to anyone. And except for the salt and Dr. Braggs, it was all free!

What Do You Think?

• Have you eaten Gingko nuts or Elm leaves?
• Have you eaten wild blackberries?
• Do you have any Gingko trees near you?
• Would you eat my little spinach wraps?

I eat a lot of wild plants and show you how, because I believe that we can all have lives that are richer, more secure, more grounded, and more interesting by getting to know the plants and the land around us – in our yards, our parks, and our wild places.

Thanks @progressivechef for creating the Steemit Iron Chef contest series!

I try to make content that's interesting! If you found this informative and helpful, please give it an upvote and a resteem.

Plant List

• American Elm - Ulmus americana - tender leaves
• White clover - Trifolium repens - flower blossoms
• Trailing Blackberry - Rubus ursinis - berries
• Gingko - Gingko biloba - cooked nutmeats
• Danube cherries!

Haphazard Homestead

foraging, gardening, nature, simple living close to the land

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My YouTube channel: Haphazard Homestead