How Would You Like Hosta Salad?

Mikky · Post by **Mikky** » Apr 15, 2008 9:12 pm

It's spring and hostas are coming out of the ground. It is time of the year when hostas taste good, I hear. I am not kidding! Hostas (H. montana) are grown in the greenhouse and sold at grocery stores in the spring in Japan.

One of my hosta friends took some photos and gave me his hosta recipe to share. I also did some research and created a new page "Hosta Recipe" for my web site for those who are curious. They say you can boil young hosta leaves and serve them with salad dressing. If you don't have H. montana, H. 'Sagae' will do.

My 'Sagae'? Oh, no, it does not have enough leaves for dinner yet. Does anyone have a large clump of 'Sagae' to try out the recipe?

newtohosta-no more · Post by **newtohosta-no more** » Apr 16, 2008 8:52 am

I hope my DH doesn't see this thread!! He likes to grow only things you can eat, so I don't want him to know that hostas are considered to be edible.

If you read in the paper about a man getting beaten to death with a garden spade after trying to dig up a hosta for dinner, you'll know where it's from.

renaldo75 · Post by **renaldo75** » Apr 16, 2008 8:55 am

I know there's a chapter about eating hosta in Paul Aden's book which I've had for 3-4 years, but never read for some reason. I guess it's something to try. But for most of us hostaholics, I think it'd be pretty close to canabalism.

Post by **Chris_W** » Apr 16, 2008 10:20 am

No, I don't plan to try this any time soon, and if food prices continue to go up I think I will plant a vegetable garden before I resort to eating my Sagae

But I hope somebody tries it and reports back. We're like a bunch of kids... "I dare you to eat it!"

Linda P · Post by **Linda P** » Apr 16, 2008 10:44 am

Cool pics, Mikky. I just read your friend's recipe, and I have to say, I think anything would taste good with that dressing on it!
My son-in-law has a habit of nibbling on raw young hosta shoots in the spring. He says that plantaginea is the best raw.....
I don't know, I havent' been able to bring myself to try it.
Linda P

Diana · Post by **Diana** » Apr 16, 2008 11:39 am

Sagae would probably be crunchier than plantaginea. Or better yet, Blue Mouse Ears are so thick they could almost be served as chips. Seriously, I've used some Guacamole leaves on a plate under deviled eggs. The colors are beautiful. Never ate a hosta...yet.

-Diana

DBoweMD · Post by **DBoweMD** » Apr 16, 2008 3:58 pm

They taste like snow pea pods.

Marlys · Post by **Marlys** » Apr 16, 2008 6:58 pm

Oh, my friend, Mikky - you are quite the little 'pot stir-er' aren't you. Inviting us all to eat our hostas! I might try some of my favorite 'Lancifolia' if I can beat the deer to it!

Maybe instead of composting 'greenie sdlgs' hybridizers should grow them on to sell as food-stuff at the farmer's markets.

MM

Mikky · Post by **Mikky** » Apr 16, 2008 11:50 pm

That's funny, Joan.

Several years ago, lots of leaves broke off while I was transplanting my green seedling, so I decided to try cooking them. I felt veeeeery guilty when I dropped the leaves in the boiling water as if I was murdering my pet. My heart was beating fast, and my hands were trembling. I agree with Renaldo it was just like cannibalism. Since I did not enjoy cooking or eating it, and my family was not thrilled with the dish, I thought I would never do it again.

Linda, does your son-in-law nibble on hosta shoots with a dip or dressing? This is the first time I've heard somebody actually enjoys eating hosta in the U.S. -- not just tasting it like Dr. Dave.

Hi Marlys, glad to talk to you. That's a good idea. Maybe somebody should develop hostas that are good enough to eat. If a hosta is not called "hosta", and is sold as food, we may find ourselves competing with deer! With economy slow like this, Chris, would you consider selling edible hosta as side business?

Before I sign off, here are some links to hosta (urui) dishes (photos for you to see):

Raw Urui (hosta) Sticks (with mayo and miso)
Salad
Spaghetti

Wanda · Post by **Wanda** » Apr 17, 2008 9:48 pm

I'll try a salad once I get some leaves...which is going to be way to early again this year (hehe). I managed to keep my salad garden growing under hoops and providing us with all the salad we could eat all winter again this year...boy, I never want to eat store-bought lettuce/greens again! I have Lollo Rosso leaf lettuce, spinach, red romaine, endive, mache, another burgundy leaf lettuce and a mesclun mix. Don't even know what some of the stuff in the mesclun is...except good! Gosh, a salad with Gypsy Rose, King Tut, Paradigm and Atom Smasher would be so stunning it would have to be delicious! And come on, folks...most salad leaves don't have much taste...its all in the dressing! My favorite is EV olive oil, fresh lime juice, white wine vinegar, a touch of brown sugar and fresh chopped garlic - lots of garlic.

I don't believe in cooking greens, though...yuck! Nasty slime and it takes out most of the nutrients.

wanda

Izzy · Post by **Izzy** » Apr 17, 2008 11:22 pm

Too Funny!

I have to agree with Chris, "I'll grow a veggie garden first"
I also have to agree with Wanda, "slimy Veggie leaves?" Yuck!

My Grandmother used to feed me greens like, dandilion greens, beet greens, turnip greens, and spiniach. All boiled, and every time I ate them I thought I was going to be sick. She would say, "You'll grow up to look big and strong like popeye, under my breath I would mumble "No I'm going to be skin and bones lie Olive-Oil!"

Don't eat the Hosta! I'm protesting

Izzy

flowerchild59 · Post by **flowerchild59** » Apr 18, 2008 9:12 am

Now I am a big fan of anything green, and I love the spring greens like dandelion, poke and all of that.
The orange daylilies are delicious stir fried, I like to use them still closed and not opened too far to stir fry. I usually have a big patch of them and have the lily buds at least a couple times a summer.

Linda P · Post by **Linda P** » Apr 18, 2008 10:15 am

Mikky, My son-in-law just eats them raw, with no dip. Just munches on one here and there while he's working in the garden.
Wanda...that would be a beautiful salad with those colorful hosta leaves. I happen to like the taste of greens without much dressing, especially the mixes. Most of the time I just put a tiny drizzle on them.
My grandma used to make greens for me, too, Izzy. She didn't boil them into a mush, though. She would wilt them in a pan with a little bacon grease. Good stuff!
I was thinking yesterday, as I was spraying roundup on the dandelions in the hosta beds, that I should dig them up and eat them instead, but I didn't. I do munch on purslane now and then.
I guess maybe I will have to try a hosta leaf or two this year. Maybe I should just eat the seedling culls.

Linda P

Spider · Post by **Spider** » Apr 18, 2008 7:17 pm

Hostas around the world will be posting signs that say "Eat mor chikn"

Hallson Gardens

How Would You Like Hosta Salad?

How Would You Like Hosta Salad?

Yikes!