Beans growing in their pod.
The cold wet weather has put a stop to most plant growth and
in our garden at least the frost still eludes us so it still looks very much
like autumn. Not everything has stopped growing though, we have plenty of
nasturtiums coming up and an old broad bean pod I forgot to eat in summer has
burst out and the beans are growing happily on a fire bucket. I found the beans
when I was out hunting for some hostas I planted earlier in the year. It looks
as though the slugs have munched these delicate plants though as they are
nowhere to be seen, which is a pity as I wanted to eat them.
Let me explain.
This year I was a bit lax in planting out winter vegetables.
We do have some delicious kale and broccoli which have been a lovely
accompaniment to many meals over the last few weeks. The problem is that this
is all we have for the winter. I didn’t plant any root vegetables and the salad
crops have all dwindled away. Because of this I have been researching to find
anything else edible in the garden which will save me foraging around in wet
hedgerows. This is how I came across the fact that this fast growing leafy
plant, which slugs and snails adore, is also a pretty delicious addition to our
dinner plate too.
Hostas
Hostas are herbaceous perennial s and usually grown as a
leafy ornamental plants and are particularly popular for shady areas of the
garden. Native to Asia, the hosta genus has around 45 different species and an
estimated 5000 different cultivars and according to research they are all
edible.
Hostas are popular in Japan as a vegetable known as urui (young
leaves) and prized as sansai or ‘mountain vegetables’, a class of plants that
are usually gathered wild from the mountain and are considered to be
particularly strong in vitality. The plants can be prepared in a number of
different ways including boiling in water and frying in a tempura batter.
Raw edible parts
The shoots, leaf petiole, whole leaves and flowers are
edible raw. The fresh leaves and stems are best harvested while young and
tender. The older leaves become tough and fibrous and may become bitter in
flavour. Hostas can be used as a cut and come again plant and will readily
re-grow their leaves after being chopped down to the base as they grow really
quickly.
All hosta species are edible but H. montana and H. sieboldii
are most popularly used for vegetables.
Hosta stems are often likened to asparagus. The leaves are
crunchy and have a good green leafy flavour. They also make a pleasant salad
plant. Hostas are far easier to grow than asparagus and they make a good understory
plant for edible forest gardens.
Best bit
The best part of the hosta is the ‘hoston’, the rolled up
leaf as it emerges in the spring, although many varieties are still pretty good
even once they have unfurled. The best way of cooking them depends on the size
of the hostons. Small ones are delicious if you fry them for a few minutes, and
then add a little light soy sauce and sesame oil. The slight bitterness of the
hostons complements the saltiness of the soy sauce very well. Similarly, they
go very well in stir fries. The chunkier hostons are better boiled briefly and
used as a vegetable.
Later on, the open leaves can be used as a general pot herb
or substituted for spinach in recipes like ‘hostakopita’. The flowers and
flower buds are also edible.
Growing methods
It’s easy to get started with hostas. The plants I have were
taken from a parent plant this year and I’m sure of the slugs didn’t get them
they would be ready for harvesting. They can be divided easily by pulling the
roots apart. This can be done at any time of year. The plants flourish in damp
fertile soil, although will do well in most moist soils and I have grown many a
plant in full sun which doesn’t seem to harm them too much. They like a mulch
spread around the base to keep the roots moist.
A disclaimer
Remember to try only a small piece first and test for a skin
reaction by rubbing a piece on your skin before putting anything in your mouth,
like most things edible there are always people who have allergic reactions.
