Nourishments—

Picking My Battle, And Eating It, Too

By Nancy K. Crevier

I have declared war on garlic mustard this summer. The invasive European weed, first identified in Long Island nearly 150 years ago, has become out of control in Connecticut this past decade. Whether you know what it is or not, you have seen it.

I first noticed garlic mustard about five years ago, marching its way down the hill behind our home. I had no idea at the time what it was, but every year, it became more prolific. This year was ridiculous. I put on my gloves, grabbed a 42-gallon plastic contractor’s bag, and went to work. Why the bag? Roots left in a pile easily re-root themselves, and podded plants will enthusiastically toss those seeds around if pulled and left in a heap. By leaving the pulled plant, including the long and garlicky smelling tap root (don’t be confused by the similarly leafed violet with clumps of underground stems) and enclosing it in a plastic bag, hopefully the whole kit and caboodle will be destroyed by the time it ends up in the landfill.

It took me less than half an hour to pack the entire bag full of garlic mustard. That was about eight bags ago and there is still plenty cropping up.

It is one of the first plants to coat the forest floor in the spring, its rounded, toothed leaves forming a compact bunch of greens springing from a thick central stem. They grow quickly, and the second year plants shoot up tall central stems, from which tiny white flowers blossom, usually throughout the month of June. As the plant grows, the leaves become progressively less round, and more tapered in shape. Once the flowers finish blooming, though, look out. The seed pods form and trouble is on the way.

Garlic mustard can quickly outpace the growth of many natural wild flowers, which are also trying to get a foot up in the spring. As I worked diligently (trying not to get sidetracked by the jewel weed and bittersweet overtaking my property), I uncovered trillium, liverwort, anemones, and jack in the pulpit struggling to see the light from beneath the blankets of garlic mustard.

It is also believed that garlic mustard phytotoxins, released into the soil, prevent the growth of native plants in the adjacent area.

To top it off, this weed is deer resistant. While scorning the abundant garlic mustard, our local deer population is happy to devour the native wildflowers and carefully tended shrubbery.

According to the hort.uconn.edu website: “Garlic Mustard reproduces and spreads only by seed (up to 7,900 seeds per plant); control of its prolific seed production is key. The best way to control Garlic Mustard is to look for it every year, even if you have never seen it on your property. If found, deal with very small populations immediately and larger ones before they flower and build up a large seedbank. Garlic Mustard seeds may remain viable in the soil for up to 5 (or more?) years. Because of heavy seed production and long lived seeds, once Garlic Mustard is established at a site, multiple years of intensive control may be required before the infestation even starts to get reduced.”

No kidding. In the vein of “It takes a village…,” it takes a community effort to control this weed. So let your neighbors know these two good things about garlic mustard, and get them involved in the battle:

One: It is very easy to pull, if you get a firm grip near the base of the central stalk. Two: It is edible.

That’s right; garlic mustard is a wonderful source of greens, right in your own backyard. Or right along your driveway. Or right along the side of the road, or field, or in the woods… just about anywhere. The entire plant, from root to pod is edible. The leaves, harvested before the plant flowers, are the most versatile and delicious part of the plant, in my opinion.

Most likely, this pungently scented weed was introduced by settlers from Europe (where there are dozens of garlic mustard-happy native insects that don’t exist here) as a culinary and medicinal herb. Like many dark greens, garlic mustard contains good amounts of vitamins A and C, and is a source of potassium and iron, as well as omega-3 fatty acids.

Wash the plant thoroughly — and be sure you have harvested it only from areas that you know have not been sprayed for weed control or poison ivy-infested areas — and pat dry. Whole leaves are tasty on a sandwich. Spread a thin layer of stone-ground mustard on a sliced ciabatta roll, top with slices of fresh mozzarella, garlic mustard leaves, and thinly sliced tomatoes.

The leaves can be coarsely chopped and added to salads. Toss them into vegetable soup or curried vegetables. Raw or lightly steamed, the leaves make an interesting addition to pasta and potato salads.

The already mildly garlic flavor can be enhanced by sautéing the greens and/or pods with olive oil, chopped garlic, crushed red pepper, and lemon juice. Mix it into cooked whole wheat pasta for a true Pasta Primavera meal. I like to sprinkle crumbled goat cheese on top, too.

There are numerous recipes online for garlic mustard pesto. It’s a great way to use up large quantities of this nuisance weed, and a recipe that even the most suspicious diner will like. Because pesto freezes well, feel free to gather mounds and mounds of garlic mustard and make enough to get you through to next spring — when there will be more garlic mustard to pick.