I think this one unlocks a new level in ‘urban foraging’. I don’t suggest that you eat hostas that have been treated with unhealthy sprays or that are in the splash zone for vehicle oil changes, but provided you have treated your hosta beds the same way you may have treated, say, an asparagus patch, then you can munch on them happily the same way you might munch on, say, an asparagus patch. And, provided you don’t harvest more than half the plant at a time, you won’t harm the hosta in health or summer appearance.
I learned about eating hostas shortly after moving into my home – I was interested in turning the property into a safe sanctuary for my kids with only non-toxic plants. Every morning that Spring, wearing my boots over my pajamas, coffee cup in one hand, I pointed my ‘plant identifier’ app’s camera at every new shoot as soon as it popped up. Then I asked Google “is this poisonous?? Can we eat it?? Should we eat it??”. And that’s how my husband came to dread every unidentifiable dish that made its way to our dinner table… some were hits, like the hostas. Others, including dandelion jello and fried daylily tubers, I don’t recommend.
I should also add – I don’t live in Asia, I live in an area of the world where most people seem to use hostas as purely decorative plants and I assume that most, like me, only find out that hostas are edible through a Google search. That is my lens. Google has also told me that there are parts of Asia where hostas may be grown primarily as edibles. I imagine that those places also have people who have much fancier and more varied ways of preparing hosta dishes, and one day I would truly love to try them! My dish, listed above, is very simple (like my cooking style – I’m no chef). My dish is a gateway to cooking with hostas… and it’s good and reproducible and likely as far as I will ever go with this vegetable, but by no means is it an endpoint!
Garden Hostas
Simple, and delicious! A tasty introduction to eating your own hostas!
Ingredients
Instructions
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Harvest
Cut hosta shoots while they are still tightly wound and resembling asparagus, leaving at least an inch above the ground. Rinse and pat dry.
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Heat
Add oil to medium frying pan over medium-low heat.
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Fry
Fry hosta shoots until they are a darker colour and slightly wilted, but not totally limp. Season with salt and pepper.
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Deglaze
Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine. Stir and serve immediately.