On Sun, 23 Jun 2013 16:01:07 -0700, David E. Ross wrote:

Wild mustard is found extensively in California

This description seems apropos:
http://www.pennilessparenting.com/20...aged-food.html

Clearly there are yellow flowers atop a stem.

I'll look in the morning to see if they're in groups of 4 petals.
And, I'll look closer to see if they're not veined.

I didn't see any broccoli-like florets; but the leaves did radiate in a rosette.

Apparently I can cook and eat the leaves, and I can make a mustard spread
out of the flower petals.

According to this article, it was brought to the Americas in the 1700s:
http://www.eattheweeds.com/cutting-t...ica-sinapis-2/

Apparently all parts of the plant are edible.

This article points out that the hairs on the stem make it "wild mustard":
http://en.heilkraeuter.net/herbs/wild-mustard.htm

I'll look for 4 long stamens and 2 short stamens and 1 pistil on the flowers:
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/...cts/03-043.htm

In article ,
Danny D. wrote:

I just got home and saw those pictures of the 4-petaled mustard
plants in the San Francisco bay area. Those pictures are much
more lush than mine - but I'll try to snap a closeup of the flower
in the morning and compare.

It would be helpful to see a closeup of the flowers, Danny.
June seems awfully late for wild mustard here. As you say,
it usually looks lusher, and I don't usually notice it after
about March or early April.


Patty

On 6/23/13 10:17 PM, Danny D. wrote:
On Sun, 23 Jun 2013 21:15:27 -0400, Home Guy wrote:

Wild mustard.

I just got home and saw those pictures of the 4-petaled mustard
plants in the San Francisco bay area. Those pictures are much
more lush than mine - but I'll try to snap a closeup of the flower
in the morning and compare.

I'll report back what I find in comparison to the net on the
"wild mustard".

BTW, if it is wild mustard, might I be able to make mustard out of it?
(I'll check - but I figured I'd ask also.)


The condiment is made from ground or crushed mustard seeds.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

Oren wrote:
On Sun, 23 Jun 2013 18:32:24 -0500, dpb wrote:

On 6/23/2013 6:01 PM, David E. Ross wrote:
...

It looks like mustard to me. Wild mustard is found extensively in
California, turning the hills near my house bright yellow in the
spring.

Not at all like what we know of as wild mustard, anyways...

_Poke Salad_

Seems there was a song about "Poke Salad Annie".

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1643,150172-233192,00.html

You have to be taught how to select parts of the plant; otherwise it
can poison you?

I'm pretty sure that plant isn't poke salad.

Have you ever eaten it cooked? My grandma used to cook it for us all the
time and taught me how. You pull the leaves off the plant .. medium to
smaller leaves are more tender, and then you boil them like you would
spinach leaves 'til they are tender. After that you drain the boiled leaves
and squeeze all the water out of the leaves you can get to come out of them.
Next you add some oil to a frying pan, and break up the boiled leaves into
the hot grease. Break 2 or 3 fresh eggs over the poke in the hot grease and
stir fry the eggs with the poke. Add a bit of salt to taste while it's
cooking. MMMMMMMmmm!!


--
Natural Girl //(**)\\

On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 14:01:44 -0500, "Natural - Smoking Gun - Girl"
wrote:

I'm pretty sure that plant isn't poke salad.

Have you ever eaten it cooked? My grandma used to cook it for us all the
time and taught me how. You pull the leaves off the plant .. medium to
smaller leaves are more tender, and then you boil them like you would
spinach leaves 'til they are tender. After that you drain the boiled leaves
and squeeze all the water out of the leaves you can get to come out of them.
Next you add some oil to a frying pan, and break up the boiled leaves into
the hot grease. Break 2 or 3 fresh eggs over the poke in the hot grease and
stir fry the eggs with the poke. Add a bit of salt to taste while it's
cooking. MMMMMMMmmm!!

we meet again (g) I'm posting from AHR

Never recall eating poke salad. I'm a collard, mustard green and
turnip green person. I can only imagine that ancestors may have
gathered poke salad, cooked and ate it.

My grandfather grew greens in his garden. Tender leaves are the best.

On Sun, 23 Jun 2013 20:17:35 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

Anyone ever had an infestation of acres of these yellow plants?
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393168.jpg

They seem to be taking over my otherwise barren dry hillsides:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393169.jpg

The plant has a strange-looking stalk:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393210.jpg

And very low-lying leaves:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393207.jpg

The climate is San Francisco bay area, very dry, poor Franciscan
sediment soil, and lots and lots and lots of sunlight.


We've a new weed infestation this year here in northern NJ. I have
assumed it came in with Superstorm Sandy last fall, as it is
ubiquitous this spring/summer and I have never seen it before, or
surely never did in any great numbers such that it made an impression
on me.

Anyway, check out field hawkweed photos and see if they match. That is
what seems to be all over the sides of the roads here now.

Boron

On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 12:45:06 -0700, Oren wrote:

Never recall eating poke salad. I'm a collard, mustard green and
turnip green person.

I couldn't find any seeds ... but I ate a dozen of the florets
(flower petals and all), which tasted surprisingly much like broccoli ...
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13402704.jpg

If I never post ever again, please report *this* to the police!
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13402706.jpg

On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 07:56:17 -0700, David E. Ross wrote:

The condiment is made from ground or crushed mustard seeds.

Thanks for the assistance.

I didn't know what the seeds looked like, but I could easily
see the green central florets, unveined yellow flower petals and
what looks like six stamens (four tall, and two short) surrounding
the one pistil as men surround a pretty lady at a bar:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13402712.jpg

I couldn't locate the mustard seed pods.
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13402717.jpg

Where should I be looking for them?

On Sun, 23 Jun 2013 16:01:07 -0700, David E. Ross wrote:

It looks like mustard to me. Wild mustard is found extensively in
California, turning the hills near my house bright yellow in the spring.

Hi David,
I think you're right (at least I hope you are, as I tasted a few florets
today, and they tasted much like broccoli).

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13402725.jpg

I just can't seem to find the mustard seeds though ...

On Sunday, June 23, 2013 1:17:35 PM UTC-7, Danny D. wrote:
Anyone ever had an infestation of acres of these yellow plants?

http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393168.jpg



They seem to be taking over my otherwise barren dry hillsides:

http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393169.jpg



The plant has a strange-looking stalk:

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393210.jpg



And very low-lying leaves:

http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393207.jpg



The climate is San Francisco bay area, very dry, poor Franciscan

sediment soil, and lots and lots and lots of sunlight.

On Sunday, June 23, 2013 1:17:35 PM UTC-7, Danny D. wrote:
Anyone ever had an infestation of acres of these yellow plants?

http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393168.jpg



They seem to be taking over my otherwise barren dry hillsides:

http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393169.jpg



The plant has a strange-looking stalk:

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393210.jpg



And very low-lying leaves:

http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393207.jpg



The climate is San Francisco bay area, very dry, poor Franciscan

sediment soil, and lots and lots and lots of sunlight.

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 00:50:53 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 12:45:06 -0700, Oren wrote:

Never recall eating poke salad. I'm a collard, mustard green and
turnip green person.

I couldn't find any seeds ... but I ate a dozen of the florets
(flower petals and all), which tasted surprisingly much like broccoli ...
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13402704.jpg

If I never post ever again, please report *this* to the police!
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13402706.jpg

Does California allow you to eat flowers?

I mean, they may cause cancer.

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 01:06:31 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

I just can't seem to find the mustard seeds though ...

This can of dry powder is what I use to make hot mustard for egg
rolls. It will clean the nasal passages, like hot horseradish...

http://produits.bienmanger.com/11281-0w0h0_Colman_English_Mustard_Powder_Colman.jpg

Just a little water and spoon is needed to mix it up.

On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 18:41:49 -0700, Oren wrote:

Does California allow you to eat flowers?

Oh oh .... mustard weeds may be protected ... oh my God!

BTW, I hope I'm allowed to "take" *this* California animal
I just caught in the house moments ago, while reaching for
a level to hang a mirror for the wife:
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13403281.jpg

I need better spider-catching tools than this plastic container:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13403290.jpg

Now she is destined for transportation into my ravine, along
with all the other spiders, snakes, and mustard-gas flowers:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13403282.jpg

On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 19:25:06 -0700, Oren wrote:

This can of dry powder is what I use to make hot mustard for egg
rolls. It will clean the nasal passages, like hot horseradish...

Indeed. Check out the front row of the wife's spice shelf:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13403308.jpg

She grows the red-hot stuff herself, because she can't get 'em
hot enough at the store ...