Welcome to the Celtnet guide to wild foods. As this recipe site has grown it has become obvious that to allow people to replicate some of the more ancient recipes on this site (especially from the Ancient, Roman and Medieval periods it is necessary to list modern alternatives but also to produce a guide so that the curious can find the original (often wild) ingredients for themselves. These pages are an attempt at bringing all these potentially useful and often forgotten wild foods together into one place. To use this guide simply click on the first letter of your term above or below. Alternativey why not just browse through the terms. You may well find something that surprises you!

This page covers wild foods beginning with the letter 'L' and includes both common and scientific names.

This is the description page for Silverweed (Argentina anserina) and includes a description as well as an image, if available and a selection of recipes from this site that relates to the wild foodstuff: Silverweed.

Silverweed, Argentina anserina is a creeping flowering perennial palnt of the family Rosaceae (rose family). It is is a low-growing herbaceous plant with creeping red stolons up to 80 cm long. The leaves are 10-20 cm long, evenly pinnate into in crenate leaflets 2-5 cm long and 1-2 cm broad, covered with silky white hairs, particularly on the underside. These hairs are also present on the stem and the stolons. These give the leaves the silvery appearance from which the plant gets its name.

Silverweed is most often found in sandy or gravelly soils, where it may spread rapidly by its prolific rooting stolons. It typically occurs in inland habitats and is frequently seen near the base of sandy hedgerows. The extent of this plant's habitat is truly staggering and it can be found from Lapland to New Zealand and China to Chile.

The roots of the plant are edible and can be eaten raw or boiled or baked. It is though that the plant was cultivated during ancient times and that the root was ground into flour after baking. It has also been used as a drought food as it is both drought tolerant and very common in the wild.

The plant's Latin name of Argentia anserina is derived from 'silver' and "of the goose" (Anser), either because the plant was used to feed them or because the leaves reminded of the bird's footmarks.

Stir-fried Silverwed Roots and Wild Mushrooms
Salted Shepherd's Purse
Nipplewort and Green Spelt Soup