The Feisty Forager: Crinkleroot
March Madness — Day 4
Crinkleroot (don’t you love the name?), toothwort, crow’s foot, turkey foot, pepper root, Cardamine, Dentaria, American sweetheart…These are some of the various names that have been assigned to this woodland treasure. One of the few wild plants that you can find almost year round, at least in Appalachian climes, the backside of the leaf triad is often a stunning deep purple. And being in the Brassicaceae family, the flavor is biting, cabbage-like, peppery, bitter, refreshing.
I love to toss it in spring salads, or use for garnish on early spring dishes. Younger leaves are of a more delicate texture, and the leaves that have weathered the winter will be almost leathery, but still delicious. You can also give it a quick sauté in olive oil or butter, and toss it with pasta, or smother a freshly-grilled steak with its bitter greenness.
Potato salad benefits especially from this peppery green, especially when augmented by ramps (stay tuned) and violet flowers and wild mustard (again, stay tuned).
For more recipes from the field and forest, check out Appalachian Appetite: Recipes from the Heart of America.
