Category Archives: Salad

Unpacking the Edimentals Herbarium

Being the focus of an art installation wasn’t something I ever imagined, but since February an installation has been exhibited at the Trondheim Art Museum Gråmølna based on my January winter vegetables and very nicely put together it was too, by a group of international artists working on the Meatigation (get it?) project through the MOREMEATLESSMEAT exhibition. This was designed to stimulate debate on why it is difficult to get Norwegians to reduce their meat consumption in the face of climate change. They visited me in January filmed me harvesting in the cellar, in the living rooms and outside and took away about 30 of my winter vegetables that were then scanned and exhibited with narrative provided by yours truly: JANUARY HERBARIUM
For those that don’t know me, I am more or less 100% self-sufficient in vegetables and fruit all year round without using a greenhouse, additional heating or light (we use far less heating than most) and not owning a freezer. 


Last Sunday  (30th April 2023) between 14 and 16 the closing event focussed on the myth that one cannot avoid importing vegetables in winter here in Norway through the UNPACKING THE EDIMENTALS HERBARIUM event. It was fittingly also the #internationaldayofthedandelion a plant I eat most days year round (forced from roots in winter in my cellar and living rooms). 
To accentuate that vegetable diversity is possible even in cold Norway in winter, with snow showers outside the venue, at a time of year known as the Hungry Gap (I call it the Full Gap as it really can be the time of greatest abundance!) I (#extremesaladman) prepared my most diverse winter/spring salad ever (and probably anywhere) with 163 botanical species, 199 different plants (including cultivars) and in total 211 ingredients (includes different plant parts, such as flowers and leaves from the same plant). I prepared two different looking salads from the same ingredients! The list of ingredients can be found at the bottom (a list was also hung up on the wall so that the participants could read what they were eating!)


The second salad:

The centrepiece of both salads was a complete rosette of the moss-leaved dandelion (Taraxacum tortilobum) in recognition of the International Day of the Dandelion!



I was asked a series of questions and gave answers supported by various plants I’d brought with me:
Allium cernuum (nodding onion / prærieløk)
Hablitzia tamnoides (Caucasian spinach / stjernemelde) 
(both are available most of the winter outside)
Allium pskemense x fistulosum (Wietse’s onion / Wietsesløk)
Allium stipitatum (Persian shallot / Persisk sjalott)
Vicia faba (dried broad beans / bondebønner)
Beta vulgaris “Flavescens” (swiss chard / mangold) 
Angelica archangelica “Vossakvann” (Voss angelica / Vossakvann)
Taraxacum spp. (dandelion / løvetann – demonstrating dandichokes / løveskokker and dandinoodles / dandinudler)

The questions were:
BIODIVERSITY: Why is agricultural biodiversity important?
PRESERVATION: Why preserve heritage varieties of edible plants?EMOTION: Why joy, pleasure & humor in food and farming?
WINTER: What could we eat in the winter? Preservation & fresh.
FUTURE: What could a Norwegian food future taste like if plants were at the center?

There were of course also many questions from the participants about what different plants were in the salads.  
I mentioned that the salads were originally not just the result of a slightly mad collectomanic’s work in Malvik but also had an important message.  My second and still current world record salad was made 20 years ago in August 2003 (see https://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=294). It had been inspired by the Mediterranean diet, where ethnobotanical studies on the back of the discovery of the low levels of cardiovascular disease in people eating traditional diets had revealed a huge diversity of plant species used in the Mediterranean region (over 3,000 species). Not only that, but traditional multi species salads, soups, calzones etc., often with over 50 different species had been discovered – more in my book Around the World in 80 plants).
This week just 4 days before the event national broadcaster NRK had published an article once again pointing to the Mediterranean Diet as being the healthiest one! See NRK article.
The previous winter / spring record with 140 ingredients was made for Credo  Restaurantat the Kosmorama Film Festival in 2017. 

PREPARING THE SALAD ON MY BIRTHDAY
The pictures below show me collecting the salad ingredients the day before which was my birthday, what better way of spending the day :)
Picking nettles (which were cooked)
Documenting as I went along!

On the way to the event, waiting at the bus stop with salad and plants as the snow came down!

Pictures from the event (taken by Anne Maisey from TKM Gråmølna):
Organising before the event

The opening talk

Voss Angelica / Vossakvann
Answering questions about the salad ingredients

Wietse’s onion (Allium pskemense x fistulosum and Persian shallot (Allium stipitatum)
Dried broad beans (bondebønner), leaf beets (mangold) and forced chicory (sikori)
Svedjenepe / svedjerova – an old Scandinavian turnip variety grown in the Svedjebruk tradition (slash and burn), A variety that KVANN (Norwegian Seed Savers) are popularising again in the area in south eastern Norway where this tradition was practised (with Vossakvann roots)
The list of salad plants was hung up next to the salads
An Instagram post
An Instagram post
An Instagram post
 
All the plants (forced Hosta bottom right) and the salads, Allium cernuum (nodding onion / prærieløk) near the centre

Here is the plant list: 
RAW VEGETABLES
Aegopodium podagraria Ground elder Skvallerkål
Agastache foeniculum Anise hyssop Anisisop
Alchemilla spp Lady’s mantle Marikåpe
Alliaria petiolata Hedge garlic Løkurt
Allium altyncolicum
Allium ampeloprasum Leek Purre
Allium angulosum Mouse garlic
Allium carinatum Keeled garlic Rosenløk
Allium carolinianum
Allium cepa Spring onion Vårløk
Allium cernuum Nodding onion Prærieløk; Chicagoløk
Allium douglasii Douglas onion Douglas-løk
Allium fistulosum Welsh onion Pipeløk
Allium flavum Small yellow onion Doggløk
Allium hymenorrhizum
Allium karilenii
Allium lusitanicum German garlic Kantløk
Allium moly Golden garlic Gull-løk
Allium nutans Blue chives Sibirsk nikkeløk
Allium ochotense Oriental victory onion Orientalsk seiersløk
Allium oleraceum Field garlic Vill-løk
Allium paradoxum var normale Few-flowered leek
Allium paradoxum var paradoxum Few-flowered leek
Allium pskemense
Allium pskemense x fistulosum Wietse’s onion Wietsesløk
Allium ramosum Chinese chives
Allium rubens
Allium sativum Garlic Hvitløk
Allium schoenoprasum Chives Gressløk
Allium scorodoprasum Sand leek Bendelløk
Allium senescens x nutans Hybrid onion Hybridløk
Allium stenodon
Allium tricoccum Ramps
Allium tuberosum Garlic chives Kinagressløk
Allium ursinum Ramsons Ramsløk
Allium victorialis Victory onion Seiersløk
Allium vineale Crow garlic Strandløk
Allium wallichii Jimbur; Nepalese onion Nepal-løk
Allium x cornutum St. Jansuien onion Johannesløk
Allium x proliferum Walking onion Luftløk
Allium zebdanense
Amelanchier alnifolia Saskatoon Matsøtmispel
Angelica archangelica “Vossakvann” Voss Angelica Vossakvann
Anthriscus sylvestris Cow parsley Hundekjeks
Anthriscus sylvestris “Golden Fleece” Cow parsley Hundekjeks
Apium graveolens Celery Selleri
Arabis alpina Alpine rock cress Fjellskrinneblom
Armoracia rusticana Horseradish Pepperrot
Aronia arbutifolia Red chokeberry Rødsurbær
Artemisia dracunculus sativa “German” German tarragon Tysk estragon
Aster scaber Korean aster Koreansk-asters
Atriplex hortensis “Rubra” Orach Rød hagemelde
Berberis vulgaris “Black Berried” Barberry Vanlig Berberis
Beta vulgaris “Red” Beetroot Bete
Beta vulgaris “White” Beetroot Bete
Betula pubescens Downy birch Vanlig bjørk
Bistorta officinalis Bistort Ormerot
Brassica napus napobrassica “Baggens” Swede Kålrot
Brassica oleracea “Daubenton” Perennial kale Flerårige kål
Brassica oleracea “Eiiwig Moes” Perennial kale Flerårige kål
Brassica oleracea “Tree Collards” Perennial kale Flerårige kål
Brassica oleracea “Walsall Allotments” Perennial kale Flerårige kål
Brassica rapa “Gul Finlandsk” Turnip Nepe
Brassica rapa “Målselvnepe” Turnip Nepe
Bunias orientalis Turkish rocket Russekål
Campanula latifolia Giant bellflower Storklokke
Campanula punctata
Campanula trachelium Nettle-leaved bellflower Nesleklokke
Cardamine pentaphylla
Cardamine raphanifolia
Cichorium intybus Chicory Sikkori
Cichorium intybus “Witloof” Chicory Sikkori
Cirsium canum Queen Anne’s thistle Dronning Annes tistel
Cirsium oleraceum Cabbage thistle Kåltistel
Claytonia virginica Spring beauty
Cornus mas Cornelian cherry Vårkornell
Corylus avellana Hazel Hassel
Crambe maritima Sea kale Strandkål
Elaeagnus umbellata Autumn olive Sølvbusk
Epilobium angustifolium “Alba” Rosebay willowherb Hvit geitrams
Fragaria x ananassa Strawberry Jordbær
Hablitzia tamnoides Caucasian spinach Stjernemelde
Helianthus tuberosus “Dagnøytral” Jerusalem artichoke Jordskokk
Helianthus tuberosus “Dave’s Shrine” Jerusalem artichoke Jordskokk
Helianthus tuberosus “Dwarf” Jerusalem artichoke Jordskokk
Helianthus tuberosus “Stampede” Jerusalem artichoke Jordskokk
Hosta sieboldiana Hosta Hosta; bladlilje
Houttuynia cordata Himalayan water creeper Kameleonbusk
Humulus lupulus Hops Humle
Humulus lupulus “Aureus” Golden hops Gullhumle
Hydrophyllum virginianum Virginia waterleaf
Hylotelephium spp. Sedum Sedum
Lepidium sativum
Leucanthemum vulgare Ox-eye Daisy Prestekrage
Levisticum officinale Lovage Løpstikke
Ligularia fischeri Fischer’s Ligularia Fischersnøkketunge
Malus domestica “Aroma” Apple Eple
Melissa officinalis Lemon balm Sitronmelisse
Myrrhis odorata Sweet cicely Spansk kjørvel
Oenanthe javanica Water dropwort, Seri Seri
Origanum vulgare Wild marjoram Bergmynte/Kung
Oxalis acetosella Wood sorrel Gjøksyre
Oxalis triangularis Purple shamrock Triangelgjøksyre
Oxalis triangularis “Fanny” Purple shamrock Triangelgjøksyre
Oxalis tuberosa “Red” Oca Oca
Oxalis tuberosa “Yellow” Oca Oca
Physalis peruviana Goldenberry Barbadoslykt
Phyteuma nigra Black rampion Svartvadderot
Phyteuma spicata Spiked rampion Vadderot
Primula denticulata Kuleprimula
Primula elatior Oxlip Hagenøkleblom
Primula veris Cowslip Marianøkleblom
Primula veris “Macrocalyx” Cowslip Marianøkleblom
Primula vulgaris Primrose Kusymre
Prunus cerasus Sour cherry Surkirsebær
Prunus domestica “Sviskeplomme” Plum Plomme
Ranunculus ficaria Lesser celandine Vårkål
Raphanus sativus Radish Reddik
Rheum palmatum tangeticum Turkey rhubarb Prydrabarbra
Rheum x rhabarbarum “Træna” Rhubarb Rabarbra
Rhodiola rosea Roseroot Rosenrot
Ribes divaricatum “Worcesterberry” Worcesterberry Worcesterbær
Ribes nigrum Blackcurrant Solbær
Ribes sativum Redcurrant Rips
Ribes uva-crispa Gooseberry Stikkelsbær
Rubus idaeus Raspberry Bringebær
Rubus idaeus “Gul” Raspberry Bringebær
Rubus idaeus “White Russian” Raspberry Bringebær
Rubus occidentalis “Black Hawk” Black raspberry Svartbringebær
Rumex acetosa Sorrel Engsyre
Rumex acetosa “Abundance’ Non-flowering sorrel Engsyre
Rumex acetosa “Belleville’ Sorrel Engsyre
Rumex acetosa “Profusion” Non-flowering sorrel Engsyre
Rumex patientia Patience dock Hagesyre
Rumex scutatus Buckler-leaved sorrel Fransksyre
Stachys affinis Chinese artichoke; chorogi Knollsvinerot
Taraxacum albidum White Japanese dandelion
Taraxacum officinale Dandelion Løvetann
Taraxacum tortilobum Moss-leaved dandelion Mosebladet-løvetann
Tigridia pavonia Tiger flower, cacomitl
Tragopogon pratensis Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon Geitskjegg
Tropaeolum tuberosum “Ken Aslet” Mashua Knollblomkarse
Urtica dioica Stinging nettle Brennesle
Vaccinium myrtilus Bilberry Blåbær
Vaccinium uliginosum ssp uliginosum Bog bilberry Blokkebær
Scorzonera hispanica Scorzonera Scorsonerrot, svartrot
COOKED VEGETABLES
Angelica sylvestris “Vicar’s Mead” Wild Angelica Sløke
Anredera cordifolia Madeira vine
Beta vulgaris flavescens “Flaming Pink” Swiss chard Mangold
Beta vulgaris flavescens “Sunset” Swiss chard Mangold
Beta vulgaris flavescens “Swiss Chard” Swiss chard Mangold
Beta vulgaris flavescens “White Silver” Swiss chard Mangold
Conopodium majus Pignut Jordnøtt
Dystaenia takesimana Giant Ulleung celery Ulleung kjempeselleri
Hemerocallis dumortieri Day lily Daglilje
Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus Yellow day lily Gul daglilje
Hemerocallis middendorfii Day lily Daglilje
Heracleum sibiricum Siberian hogweed Sibirbjørnekjeks
Lamium album White dead nettle Dauvnesle
Matteuccia struthiopteris Ostrich fern Strutseving
Mertensia ciliata Mountain bell
Oenothera biennis Evening primrose Vanlig Nattlys
Pastanica sativa Parsnip Pastinakk
Polygonatum biflorum American Solomon’s seal Amerika-konvall
Rudbeckia laciniata Cutleaf coneflower Gjerdesolhatt
Rudbeckia laciniata “Hortensia” Cutleaf coneflower Gjerdesolhatt; Kyss-meg-over-gjerde
Sagittaria latifolia Wapato Wapato
Solanum tuberosum ” Sharpe’s Express” Potato Potet
Solanum tuberosum “Blå Kongo” Potato Potet
Solanum tuberosum “Carolus” Potato Potet
Solanum tuberosum “King Edward” Potato Potet
Solanum tuberosum “Sarpo Mira” Potato Potet
Solanum tuberosum “Sarpo Tominia” Potato Potet
Solanum tuberosum “Shetland Black” Potato Potet
Solanum tuberosum “Troll” Potato Potet
Solanum tuberosum “Tysk Blå” Potato Potet
Tricyrtis latifolia Toad lily Paddelilje
Tricyrtis spp Toad lily Paddelilje
Tropaeolum tuberosum “White” Mashua Knollblomkarse
Urtica dioica Stinging nettle Brennesle
Urtica holosericea Hoary nettle
Urtica kioviensis Marsh nettle Sumpnesle
Urtica platyphylla
LAST MINUTE ADDITIONS
Allium schoenoprasum “Black Isle Blush” Chives Gressløk
Allium validum Swamp onion; Pacific onion Stillehavsløk
Aralia cordata Udo 
Barbarea vulgaris Yellow wintercress Vinterkarse
Campanula glomerata “Alba” Clustered bellflower Toppklokke
Carum carvi Caraway Karve
Coriandrum sativum Coriander Koriander
Lepidium campestre Pepperwort Markkarse
Lepidium latifolium Dittany Strandkarse
Malva alcea Hollyhock mallow Rosekattost
Melissa officinalis “Aurea” Lemon balm Sitronmelisse
Petroselinum crispum Parsley Persille
Sanguisorba minor Salad burnet Pimpernell
Sanguisorba officinalis Great burnet Legeblodtopp
Viola altaica Altai violet Altaifiol
Viola tricolor Heartsease Stemorsblomst, Natt og dag

Many thanks to Liz Dom who lead the event and project leaders Cat Kramer and Zack Denfeld and Anne Maisey from the museum, who took part remotely from Porto in Portugal at the start, for a great collaboration!

February salad

Lunch salad had the following ingredients;
From the garden:
Allium scorodoprasum / sand leek / bendelløk (shoots)
Allium cernuum / nodding onion / prærieløk (bulbs and leaves)
Hablitzia tamnoides / Caucasian spinach / stjernemelde (shoots)
From the cellar:
Brassica oleracea / perennial kale / flerårig kål (new leaves)
Cichorium intybus “Witloof” / chicory / sikori (shoots)
Taraxacum spp. /dandelion /løvetann (blanched cellar shoots)
Apium graveolens / celery / selleri (new and old leaves from stored celery plants)
Brassica rapa / turnip / nepe  (roots)
Brassica rapa / turnip / nepe  (leaf shoots)
Daucus carota / carrot / gulrot
From the living room:
Allium nutans (forced shoots)
Allium sativum / garlic / hvitløk (forced bulbils)
Taraxacum spp. / dandelion / løvetann (forced green leaves)
(served with feta cheese, olive oil, olives, salt and pepper)

“Over the top” Flowery Whopper Carrot Salad

I was going to post an album of pictures showing off all the late flowers in the garden this record-breaking mild autumn still without any frost, but as they’re all edible I made a salad instead!
There were 33 different edible flowers (see the list below the pictures) plus 30-40 greens and a whopper carrot which I decided to keep whole as a feature! It was cut up when the salad was tossed afterwards. It has a story too as it is one of the Danish accessions rematriated from Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) in the US last winter. I took a few seed before sending the rest on to Danish Seed Savers (Dansk Frøsamlerne). It’s called Kämpe which means Giant in Swedish/Danish (I call it Whopper as it’s probably the biggest/thickest carrot I¨’ve grown here). It’s not a very old variety and SSE informed that it was a cultivated variety originally from the Swedish seed company Weibulls. Anyone know more about it?
Salad flowers, all harvested from the garden
Salvia (blackcurrant sage / solbærsalvie)
Fuchsia magellanica
Hemerocallis “Stella de Oro”
Taraxacum spp. (dandelion / løvetann)
Rubus fruticosus (blackberry / bjørnebær)
Papaver somniferum (opium poppy / opium valmue)
Viola altaicum
Campanula persicifolia (peach-leaf bellflower / fagerklokke)
Sonchus oleraceus (common sow-thistle / haredylle)
Glebionis coronaria (chopsuey greens / kronkrage) (3 varieties)
Daucus carota (carrot / gulrot) (unopened flower umbel)
Geranium sanguineum (bloody cranesbill / blodstorkenebb)
Brassica oleracea (kale / grønnkål)
Oenothera biennis (evening primrose / nattlys)
Begonia
Malva moschata (musk mallow / moskuskattost) (white and pink flowered)
Malva alcea (hollyhock mallow / rosekattost)
Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot / rørhestemynte)
Monarda “Elsie Lavender”
Calendula officinalis (pot marigold / ringblomst (2 varieties)
Campanula trachelium (nettle-leaved bellflower / nesleklokke)
Calamintha nepeta (lesser calamint / liten kalamint)
Tropaeolum majus (nasturtium / vanlig blomkarse) (2 varieties)
Pisum sativum (garden pea / ert)
Origanum spp. (wild marjoram / bergmynte) (2 varieties)
Campanula lactiflora
Alcea rosea (hollyhock / stokkrose)
Tragopogon pratensis (Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon / geitskjegg)

Salad for HGB and HvB

My dad Harald George Barstow (HGB) sadly passed away on 7th June at 97. A few days later on 11th June I’d scheduled a long-awaited visit from my friend Helene von Bothmer, the Koster Islands Permaculture Queen accompanied by participants on a one day permaculture course on Katy Chada’s farm (I had twice visited Koster but this was Helene’s first Malvik visit). They had asked if I could make a salad for lunch that day, so with my Dad’s loving memory in focus, the salad became a tribute to Dad as well as a welcome to Helene, Katy and the participants. It had exactly 97 ingredients <3 (a list can be found at the bottom of this page)


There’s an H in there (sort of!)

Now some pictures taken during a lovely visit! I hope it isn’t long before our ways cross again Helene!

…and a few pictures taken by Helene:

THANKS FOR THE MEMORABLE VISIT! 
The ingredients:
1-2. Oxalis triangularis
3. Claytonia perfoliata
4. Gynostemma
5. Physalis “Indian Strain” fruits
6. Begonia heracleifolia (flowers)
7. – 11. Lettuce (salat) – 5 varieties
12. Dill
13. Chopsuey greens (kronkrage)
14. – 15. Celery (selleri) – 2 varieties (Green Utah and Red Stem)
16. Allium “Purple Sensation” flowers
17. Allium ursinum (ramsons / ramsløk) flowers
18. Allium stipitatum “Album” flowers
19. Allium victorialis (seiersløk) flower stems
20. – 21. Allium fistulosum (Welsh onion / pipeløk) – 2 varieties
22. Myrrhis odorata (sweet cicely / Spansk kjørvel) flowers
23. Allium karataviense flowers
24. – 25. Polygonum viviparum (alpine bistort / harerug) bulbils (2 varieties – light brown and purple)
26. – 27. Viola cornuta “Alba” (flowers and leaves)
28. – 29. Crambe maritima (broccolis and flowers)
30. Anthriscus sylvestris (cow parsley / hundekjeks)
31. – 40. 10 different Hosta cultivars and species
41. Alliaria petiolata (hedge garlic / løkurt)
42. Sorbus (rowan / rogn) leaves
43. Campanula trachelium (nettle-leaved bellflower / nesleklokke)
44. Allium oleraceum
45. Stellaria media (chickweed / vassarve)
46. Meum athamaticum
47. Nasturtium (blomkarse)
48. Hablitzia tamnoides
49. – 50. Humulus lupulus (hops / humle) – 2 varieties
51. Basil
52. Aster scaber
53. Allium spp.
54. – 55. Lepidium sativum (cress / karse) – leaves and flowers
56. Rosebay willowherb / geitrams
57. Ground elder / skvallerkål
58. Allium macleanii – flowers
59. Lepidium latifolium
60. Origanum “Aureum”
61. Scorzonera hispanica (flower stems and buds)
62. Cichorium intybus (chicory / sikkori)
63. Cryptotaenia japonica “Atropurpurea”
64. Allium nutans x senescens
65. Sonchus oleraceus (sow thistle / haredylle)
66. Oxeye daisy / prestekrage
67. – 68. Rumex scutatus – 2 varieties
69. Tragopogon pratensis (Jack-go-to-bed-by-noon / geitskjegg)
70. – 72. Allium schoenoprasum (chives / gressløk) – 3 varieties including Black Isle Blush
73. Campanula latifolia (giant bellflower / storklokke)
74. Campanula punctata
75. Allium scorodoprasum (sand leek / bendelløk)
76. Rumex crispus (curly dock / krushøymole)
77. Phyteuma nigra (black rampion / svartvadderot)
78. Viola arborescens
79. Allium cernuum (nodding onion / prærieløk)
80. Kale / grønnkål – “Ragged Jack”
81. Lamb’s lettuce / vårsalat
82. Diplotaxis tenuifolia (perennial rocket / flerårig rucola)
83. – 84. Perennial kale / grønnkål – 2 varieties
85. Oxalis spp. (red leaved)
86. Plantago major “Atropurpurea”
87. Alchemilla spp. (lady’s mantle / marikåpe)
88. Fragaria vesca (wild strawberry / markjordbær) – flowers
89. Allium x proliferum (walking onion / luftløk)
90.- 91. Brassica juncea (mustard greens / sennepsalat) – 2 varieties
92. Chervil / hagekjørvel
93. Malva alcea
94. Ligularia fischeri (gomchwi)
95. Pisum sativum (garden pea / hageert) – top shoots
96. – 97. Malva moschata (musk mallow / moskuskattost); pink and white flower forms

Winter salad record: 5 years after

5 years ago this week, I made a salad with 140 ingredients all harvested locally without using any additional energy than is available in my house and cellar (no greenhouse; no freezer; no fermenting; no plastics involved). This was well planned as I had been asked to provide a salad and other ingredients for a 10-15 course 4 hour dinner at the now Michelin star Credo restaurant in Trondheim in collaboration with the Kosmorama film festival (the main theme was films about food and Michael Pollan’s film in Defense of Food was shown).
The 11 categories of ingredients included in this salad, how it was planned so that everything was available in early March, and the recipe can be read about on my blog here: https://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=10214

The first 2022 outside salad

Sorry for the silence here on the Edimentals blog. I’ve been busy preparing to produce signs and plant labels for the Allium garden and the World Garden as well as working on various KVANN (Norwegian Seed Savers) projects. However, I had to share the joy of making the first salad where all (25) plants were collected outside in the garden (we’ve been making salads from cellar ingredients all winter). The snow is now gone from most of the garden and the temperature rose to above 5C today which has stimulated a lot of early shooting edibles. No complete plant list, but the salad included various Alliums, Rumex, Dystaenia, Taraxacum, Arabis, Hablitzia etc.
The first outside edible flower of 2022 was a Primula veris subsp. macrocalyx.



20 years of Extreme Salads

20 years ago on 19th August 2001, the Extreme Salad (Man) was born when I made my first (of two) world record salads with 363 different plants and 382 ingredients (i.e., including flowers and leaves from the same variety). During last night’s garden tour, the occasion was marked by a 120 plant salad (1/3 the number of the 2001 salad)….and it was tasted by the participants! Although far from the world record, it was probably the fastest made extreme salad as I only had 30 minutes to collect the ingredients and 30 minutes to put it together before the participants arrived! The second picture below shows the only known picture of the original extreme salad!

Pål Theodorsen with the 2001 salad

5 years ago…on the 15th anniversary, I made this salad with my garden helper Josefine Marie Dichmann:


Other related links:

Link to the 2001 salad recipe :)
http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=206

Rejection letter from Guinness :)
http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=462

Stephen’s salad: a six part series following me around the garden collecting plants for a springtime extreme salad in mid-May, also fully indexed by plant names in the film description:
Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvSB5cb_FXI
Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUiS0cOhASA
Part 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKmEJhSgp7g
Part 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5mXiVd5u4A
Part 5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqYDlKqHEbs
Part 6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BZGXsUR6hA




Celebration 40 genera salad

40 years ago this month I came to Norway to find a place for us to live as I was to start work at Institutt for kontinentalsokkelundersøkelser (IKU; Continental Shelf Institute) in Trondheim in October 1981. The flat I found was here in Malvik kommune (Torp). 
To celebrate 40 years in Malvik I made a salad with 40 different genera. The names of the genera are below the pictures!

The 40 genera:

  1. Begonia
  2. Anethum
  3. Salvia
  4. Lactuca
  5. Chrysanthemum
  6. Raphanus
  7. Apium
  8. Coriandrum
  9. Oxalis
  10. Tilia
  11. Tropaeolum
  12. Hablitzia
  13. Hosta
  14. Stellaria
  15. Alliaria
  16. Phyteuma
  17. Melissa
  18. Malva
  19. Lavatera
  20. Allium
  21. Lunaria
  22. Arabis
  23. Alchemilla
  24. Scorzonera
  25. Tragopogon
  26. Sanguisorba
  27. Campanula
  28. Primula
  29. Taraxacum
  30. Rumex
  31. Viola
  32. Lepidium
  33. Claytonia
  34. Ligularia
  35. Fragaria
  36. Osmorhiza
  37. Barbarea
  38. Hemerocallis
  39. Crambe
  40. Myrrhis

May 2021 Extreme Salad

The Extreme Salad Man was asked last night to make a salad…..but he only managed 55 in total. He blames the fact that he was only given an hour. Nevertheless, all were pleased with the result. He hopes you like it too! A full list of plants can be found at the bottom below the pictures.

 

Cowslip / marinøkleblom (Primula veris) hybrids (red and yellow flowers)
Himalayan water creeper (Houttuynia cordata)
Hosta sieboldiana (blanched shoots)
Allium humile (white flowered Chinese species)
Crow garlic (Allium zebdanense)
American land cress (Barbarea verna); flowers
Pink flowered dandelion / rosablomstret løvetann (Taraxacum pseudoroseum)
White flowered dandelion / Hvirblomstret løvetann (Taraxacum leucanthum)
Sea kale / strandkål (Crambe maritima); flower heads
Prairie bluebells (Mertensia lanceolata)
Tall bluebells (Mertensia paniculata)
Perennial kale / flerårige kål (Brassica oleracea); white flowered
Perennial kale / flerårige kål (Brassica oleracea); yellow flowered
Orpine / smørbukk (Hylotelephium)
Bistort / ormerot (Polygonum bistorta)
Curled dock / krushøymole (Rumex crispa)
Patience dock / hagesyre (Rumex patientia)
Sorrel / engsyre (Rumex acetosa) “Abundance” and “Belleville”
Egyptian onion / luftløk (Allium x proliferum)
Fragaria “Lipstick”
Great waterleaf (Hydrophyllum appendiculatum)
French sorrel (Rumex scutatus) “Silver Shield”
Ramsons / ramsløk (Allium ursinum)
Caucasian spinach / stjernemelde (Hablitzia tamnoides)
Cress / karse (Lepidium sativum)
Spiked rampion / vadderot (Phyteuma sativum)
Lady’s mantle / marikåpe (Alchemilla spp.)        
Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica)
Sweet cicely / spansk kjørvel (Myrrhis odorata)
Douglas’ onion / Douglas-løk (Allium douglasii)
Perennial honesty / månefiol (Lunaria rediviva)
Few-flowered leek (Allium paradoxum var normale); flowers
Chicory / sikkori (Cichorium intybus)
Jack-go-to-bed-by-noon / geitskjegg (Tragopogon pratensis)
Korean Ligularia / koreanøkketunge (Ligularia fischeri)
Common wintercress / vinterkarse (Barbarea vulgaris)
Moss-leaved dandelion / mosebladet løvetann (Taraxacum sublaciniosum “Delikatess”)
Garlic mustard / løkurt (Alliaria petiolata)
Mustard greens / sennepsalat (Brassica juncea) “Giant Red”
Ground elder / skvallerkål (Aegopodium podograria)
Garden orach / hagemelde (Atriplex hortensis)
Allium karataviense; flower shoot and bud
Chives / gressløk (Allium schoenoprasum) “Black-Isle Blush”     
Large-flowered wakerobin / stortreblad (Trillium grandiflorum)
Anise-root (Osmorhiza)
Sea sandwort / sandarve (Honckenya peploides)
Mints (Mentha); 3 varieties
Allium nutans
Hosta spp.
Wild marjoram / bergmynte (Origanum vulgare)
Honesty / judaspenge (Lunaria annua)