Re: Carpobrotus

Clearly many of us respond to food & recipes!  I love it!

Curious that the topic of Carpobrotus edulis being edible (guess we all should
have seen that coming!) should come up just now.  I've recently read an
article about chef Daniel Patterson & his new, upscale restaurant in San
Francisco called Coi.  Here is a quote:

"That approach is aptly illustrated by his signature 'Earth and Sea.'
Described on the menu as 'new harvest potatoes, cucumbers, sea beans, borage,
ice plant flowers,' it comes across as a straightforward and deliciously
unified dish. But the work involved in getting it to that point is as arduous
as training for the Olympics."
(see the whole article at http://tinyurl.com/coi-SFChronicle)

I noted that Daniel was quite experimental with various edible plants that are
not usually seen on the menu.  I can only assume that the 'ice plant'
mentioned above is Carpobrotus edulis or C. chilensis (both of which have
naturalized on beaches locally in California), though there could be various
other mesembryaceae that might be used? (the latin specifics are left out of
the article).  I may have to try and ring them up to inquire (though I imagine
the wait-staff would not have a clue what to tell me!).

Seán O.

Seán A. O'Hara
sean(at)gimcw.org
www.hortulusaptus.com

>
>
> Nan,
>
> re Carpobrotus
>
> I have just eaten the fruits fresh. You just cut off / bite off  the base of
> fruit where it meets the stem and then suck out the fruit pulp. It has a
> distinct sour and sweet flavour - probably not to everyones taste. In a book I
> have (excellent and highly recommended "Food Plants of the World", Ben-Erik
> van Wyk, Timber Press 2005), he says that the fruits are used to make jam and
> "have become a popular ingredient of Indian and Malay dishes". Also re South
> Africa, its native home " ..is an important source of food for rural children,
> probably since ancient times"
>
> I usually just pick them and eat them as I walk along.
>
> Ciao
> BrianO
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: N Sterman
>   To: Brian Ottway
>   Cc: medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
>   Sent: Monday, August 11, 2008 5:44 PM
>   Subject: Re: Challenge: create a list of low water edibles
>
>
>   Good list, Brian!
>
>
>   Carpobrotus is an invasive weed here in California too.  I never thought of
> it as being edible, though the species name is "edulis."  Tell us which part
> of the plant is eaten and how it is prepared...
>
>
>   Nan
>
>
>
>
>   On Aug 11, 2008, at 6:40 AM, Brian Ottway wrote:
>
>
>     Nan,
>
>     You are getting a great response! Every time I think of sitting down and
> replying, I see someone else has come up with one of "my" suggestions -
> last one to bite the dust was Carissa!
>
>     So just three additional suggestions that I can think of as I sit here:
>
>     1. Ceratonia siliqua - the carob tree. One of the toughest trees I know.
>
>     2. Hottentot Fig - Carpobrotus edulis. An introduced and rather invasive
> weed here in Portugal.
>
>     3. Another weed - purslane- Portulaca oleracea. Used a lot here in soups
> and stews. I also use it in salads. An excellent source of
> polyunsaturates.
>
>     Better send these off now before someone gets in ahead of me!
>
>     Boa Sorte,
>
>     BrianO
>       ----- Original Message -----
>       From: N Sterman
>       To: medit plants forum
>       Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2008 6:48 AM
>       Subject: Challenge: create a list of low water edibles
>
>
>       Hi all
>
>
>       I've been asked several times lately about low water plants that are
> edible or make edible fruits.  I thought it might be fun if we made this
> a group project.
>
>
>       So far, my list includes:
>
>
>       Fruiting plants:
>       Fig
>       Grape
>       Pomegranate
>       Olive
>       Pitajaya
>       Pineapple guava ? feijoa
>
>
>       Herbs
>       Bay
>       Rosemary
>       Oregano
>       Sage
>       Fennel (though invasive in Southern California)
>
>
>       What can you add?
>
>
>       Nan
>
>
>
>       *****************************************
>       Nan Sterman  Plant Soup, Inc. TM
>       TalkingPoints@PlantSoup.Com
>       PO Box 231034
>       Encinitas, CA 92023
>
>
>       Order your personalized copy of the all new California Gardener's Guide
> vol II at www.PlantSoup.Com
>
>
>       Watch A Growing Passion now on YouTube!
>       Search for all five segments, starting at
> http://youtube.com/watch?v=4bpTdXY3cG8
>
>
>
>
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