Traces of Texas

10h *
The Arcane Texas Fact of the Day:
Tumbleweeds are edible. Here is a recipe that I tried a few years ago and the tumbleweed was not only palatable, but delicious:
In the late spring and early summer, when the tumbleweeds (Amaranthus albus) are first coming out, pull the young, tender weeds when they are about 4-5 inches high. Pull off the roots, wash the tumbleweeds in a colander, and blanch.
Saute some chopped onion in a little oil, then add a can of tomato paste and enough water to make a medium-thick sauce. Add salt, pepper, garlic, hot pepper and any other spices desired. Finally, add the prepared tumbleweeds and simmer for a few minutes. Serve as a side dish or over a bed of Spanish rice.
I got this recipe from Bob Phillips’ “Texas Country Reporter” cookbook, published in 1990.

Along the same line:
Tree Bark Eating for Beginners

For the choicest strips of bark, be sure to go for the nutritious, tender inner layer known as the cambium. (Eating the outer bark would be no more pleasant than chomping into your bookshelf.) If some resin or gum oozes out as you pry off the main course, be sure to lap it up for quick energy. Here are a few fun ways to serve tree bark:

Raw. Shred finely and chew thoroughly.
Slice it into strips and boil it to make a rustic pasta. Top with sap, dandelion greens, or insect parts (see entry #2). Alternatively, you can add the noodles to a stew.
Dry and grind into flour. The ground bark is pretty versatile and can be mixed with water into a breakfast gruel, baked into bread, added to soup for extra body, or even guzzled straight like a Pixy Stick.