The Spring Greens
The first vital vitamins of the year: tender shoots and early leaves harvested as the snow recedes.
Early spring was a time of both hope and nutritional urgency on the Great Plains. After a long winter of relying on dried meat and stored roots, the emergence of the first “spring greens” provided a vital influx of Vitamin C and minerals.
Historically, various nations would move to south-facing slopes and river bottoms to find the earliest growth. These plants were often eaten fresh or briefly cooked as potherbs.
In this collection, we look at the primary species documented for their use as early-season greens.