Foraged Recipe for Alehoof-Glechoma Hederacea

Alehoof is commonly found in shady places where there isn’t enough light for grass to grow well. It can be found in sunny spots where it thrives equally as well as it does in the shade. It grows in thick mats and often crowds out neighboring plants. It is a member of the mint family and produces a distinct minty odor when crushed. The leaves have scalloped edges and small hairs on the surface of the leaves. Common mallow is a look alike but does not produce the minty smell when crushed and the stem is at the back of the leave instead of the middle. The stem is 4 sided like many members of the mint family but loses the distinct square shape as it ages and so the smell test is a better identifier also not squared of like a mint family member would be. 

How To Harvest, 

Alehoof is an invasive species in North America and was brought here by european settlers as a food source and a medicine. It can be harvested indiscriminately and it nearly impossible to weed out or kill by hand to due its extensive root network. To harvest, simply grasp a leaf between your index finger and thumb and pinch it off from the stem of the plant. This plant will grow all year except for the dead of winter when the frost has set in a killed the aerial parts of the plant. 

Nutritional Information & Medicine 

Alehoof is a good source of iron, copper, iodine, phosphorus, and potassium. It has been used as medicine for thousands of years to treat pain both internally and externally, to aid the organs of the digestive system, and the spleen and the liver. It can also be used to treat many different skin issues from open wounds and sores to bruises, cancers and ulcers. It is also said to prevent premature aging and help with tinnitus. It is also one of the best herbs for lead poisoning and long ago painters took it to prevent the adverse effects of working with lead paint all day. 

How To Cook & Eat. 

Alehoof has been used as a source of food and flavoring for hundreds of years and was used to flavor beer before hops were popularized. It is a good substitute for spinach when cooked and has a similar green flavor. One quality in which it is superior to spinach is that it becomes the most appealing emerald green color when sauteed. 

As with all wild greens you need to wash them thoroughly before consumption as you do not know what has stepped on them. Once they are washed and dried they can be kept in the refrigerator for several days. 

The first time you try Alehoof I would suggest a simply preparation. Sautee the freshly washed Alehoof with garlic, domestic or wild, and olive oil sprinkle with some salt and enjoy! Whenever you try wild food for the first time. Please remember to only try a small mouthful to see how your system will react. Most people are fine the first time, a few will experience a little gastrointestinal distress and fewer still may have an allergic reaction. 

Example of the finished recipe for foraged Alehoof savory parcels.

Alehoof Savory Parcels. 

• 1 cup of packed Alehoof leaves. 

• Goats cheese

• Ground meat or mushrooms

• 2 large eggs

• Red pepper flakes

• ¼ tb grated lemon zest. 

• 1 tbs of dried oregano

• 1 tbs of lemon juice

• Salt, Black Pepper

• Frozen phyllo dough sheets or homemade. 

• Melted butter

• Olive oil

• Garlic

Method:

1. Wash the Alehoof leaves well. 

2. Heat a frying pan on the stove with olive oil and a clove of smashed garlic. 

3. Once hot, add the mushrooms or ground meat and sauté until just cooked. 5-7 mins. Remove mushrooms or meat from the frying pan and add Alehoof and sauté for 3 minutes, or until just cooked.

4. In a large bowl combine the goats cheese, eggs, lemon zest and juice, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt an black pepper, once this is combined add the Alehoof and the mushrooms or meat and mix until combined. If the mixture appears too watery add a TBS of All purpose flour and mix, repeat process until mixture is no longer watery. 

5. Using a muffin tin, place one layer of phyllo dough in the bottom of each muffin cup and then brush melted butter over the top, making sure to leave some overhanging dough so you can enclose the filling. Repeat until you can no longer see the metal of the pan through the phyllo dough. About 5 layers of dough and butter. 

6. Fill all parcels evenly and then wrap the overhanging dough over the top, and brush with more butter. 

7. Bake at 400 until pastry is golden brown~20-30 mins depending on your oven. 

8. Serve warm with lemon wedges, balsamic reduction or garlic mustard pesto. 

Phyllo dough can be made by hand from scratch using the following method. Unless you have some patience, free time, and a pasta machine; I suggest you buy the frozen phyllo dough. 

To make the pastry, place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the honey, then gradually mix in the water to create a stiff dough

• 500g of plain flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 25g of honey

• 175ml of water

Transfer to a clean work surface and knead the pastry for a few minutes until soft and pliable. Wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes

Split the dough into 4 pieces to make it easier to roll out. Roll one piece of dough through a pasta machine as if making pasta – start by rolling at the widest setting, then folding in half and rolling again

Repeat twice more to create a smooth sheet, then start decreasing the width settings on the machine with each roll

When the sheet is very thin (approximately 1mm thick), cut it up and place into the muffin tins. You may have extra dough. This is ok, don’t roll it out, simply wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. It will last up to a year.