It’s the 24th of May and the Virginia Waterleaf has made its way to a lot of different areas on my half-acre. I wanted to test out a few ways of using it, and ended up with three successes!
Virginia waterleaf has long been part of the spring diet for both Native American communities and early European settlers. Its tender young leaves were traditionally cooked like spinach and prized as one of the first nourishing greens to appear after winter.
Virginia Waterleaf Pesto
- Bunch of Waterleaf, leaves and smaller stems.
- Garlic
- Lemon Juice
- Walnut Oil
- Parm Cheese
Mix together in a food processor, toss with cooked pasta, then eat!
Virginia Waterleaf Dressing
- 1/2 cup of firmly packed Waterleaf, leaves and smaller stems, washed, dried, and chopped
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 cup roughly copped chives
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 tablespoon Umeboshi plum paste
Mix together in a blender, and use on rice, beans, or cooked veggies!
Virginia Waterleaf
Soup
- Olive Oil
- Bunch of Waterleaf, leaves and stems, finely chopped.
- 2 – 3 cloves Garlic
- Small tin of anchovies, salted, in oil
- Vegetarian stock
On low heat, cook the anchovies and garlic in oil until the anchovies have started to break down. Add the stock and chopped Waterleaf, and cook until the stems are soft.
Blend in batches.
Note after my VW cooking day: this soup is awesome mixed with some red curry paste, a tiny bit of fish sauce or shrimp paste, and some coconut milk. You wouldn’t have to blend it. A try for another time…
Enjoy!