SERIES 33 | Episode 07

We meet a gardener who sees many of our common weed species in a very productive way.

Diego Bonetto is an environmental educator who teaches the skill of foraging; finding food growing wild.

He grew up on a farm in northern Italy and his job was to collect weeds for the family to eat. 

One of the first plants he learnt was the Dandelion. They would collect it in spring to flush out the winter starchy food from your system.

“It’s bitter!” he says. “Some people may find it a bit challenging so mix it up with other greens.”

Diego says there isn’t a word for weeds in Italian that has the same negative connotations.

He agrees that some plants are problematic in the environment. However, he thinks we need to be less blinkered in how we approach the issue.

One tip he has for those learning to forage is to Forage where you know - your garden is a great place to start. Here you know the plants haven’t been sprayed with anything.

At home he has a garden bed that grows all sorts of weeds, including mallow - the young seed pods are called baby cheeses. You can use the roots to make marshmallows. Wild fennel also has many uses.

“Positively identify everything” is another important tip, because not all similar plants are edible.

He cuts his lawn so the edges are tidy, but a section is left to grow - even problem weeds can be controlled by eating, including onion weed, farmers friend,

He recommends joining a local bush regeneration crew who will know the plants well, so you’re helping the community while getting a feed of edible weeds.

Weedy Macadamia Pesto Recipe

Can be served as a dipping sauce, condiment or marinade 

Makes about 8 serves

Ingredients

• ½ cup macadamias

• 1 ½ cups fresh weeds including dandelion, wood sorrel and sow thistle

  Note: weeds are interchangeable with other foraged greens depending on season. Let your taste buds guide you.

• 1 ½ cups fresh basil

  Note: As your palette gets used to the bitter flavour of many of the weeds available, you can increase amounts of these and lessen amount of basil

• 2 small garlic cloves, crushed

• ¾ cup shredded parmesan optional

  Note: leave out parmesan for vegan pesto or reduce amount if you prefer a less cheesy flavour

• 5 tbsp. olive oil

• Salt + pepper to taste

Method

1. Place the nuts, weeds, basil, garlic and parmesan in the bowl of a food processor and blend until finely chopped.

2. With the motor running, gradually add the oil in a thin steady stream until well combined.

Note: For a thinner pesto to use as a sauce simply add more oil.

Please remember that some plants and fungi are highly toxic to humans and pets. Only source ingredients from trusted areas and ensure that you only pick and eat plants that you know are safe to eat.

Featured Weeds

DANDELION Taraxacum sect. Taraxacum
MALLOW OF NICE Malva nicaeensis
WILD FENNEL Foeniculum vulgare
SCURVY WEED Commelina cyanea
Tradescantia sp.
ONION WEED Allium neapolitanum
FARMER’S FRIEND Bidens pilosa
MADEIRA VINE Anredera cordifolia

Filmed on Gadigal & Wangal Country | Petersham, NSW

Broadcast: Fri 1 Apr 2022, 7:30pm