[Sca-cooks] Plant identification help, please!

[johnna holloway]

Elizabeth A Heckert wrote:-------- snipped-----
         I am trying to find out if some plants are edible, and how they
> are prepared:  Plantago aquatica (water plantain) and Polygonum
> hydropiper (water pepper).>
>         I also have a reference to Barbarea sp.--which is identified as
> 'yellow rocket' in English.  Is this a variety of grocery-store rocket?
> I know that rocket is used in salads; is it ever cooked?
>   Thank you for your help!>        Elizabeth
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Plantago aquatica is not listed in the Cornucopia II. Plantago
maritima is listed (seaside plantain or sea plantain). Eaten
in salads, cooked like spinach and canned for winter consumption in
Alaska.
Water plantain is listed as alisma plantago-aquatica: the bulb-like
bases
are eaten after being dried to rid them of their acrid properties.
No other details are listed.

Water pepper is listed as persicaria hydropiper not Polygonum
hydropiper.
Used as a garnish in Japan. Young leaves and stems are roasted and eaten
as a vegetable. Tade-su is made from the leaves, rice and vinegar.

Yellow rocket is also known as winter cress. There are a number of
"rockets", mostly used for salads.

Cornucopia II. A Source Book of Edible Plants by Stephen Facciola, 1998.

Hope this helps.  Johnnae llyn Lewis   Johnna Holloway