500g young knotweed shoots, including leafy “spears”, lower sections peeled, sliced into 8cm pieces
50ml water
100g caster sugar
200g plain flour, sifted
100g cold butter, cubed
125g brown sugar
Method
Place knotweed pieces into a 1.5l oven-proof dish. Pour over the water and sprinkle with the caster sugar.
To make the crumble, blend together the cold butter cubes, brown sugar and flour until it makes an evenly granular mixture. Spoon this over the top of the knotweed pieces so that it is completely covered.
Place the dish in an oven at 180 Celsius and cook for 30mins.
Nettle has a new rival on the edible-weed front; Japanese knotweed, often regarded as a problem plant, has proved itself to be quite a culinary treat according to Phlorum’s Edible Japanese Knotweed Campaign in association with Brighton’s vegetarian restaurant Terre à Terre. So before you start to exterminate the plant’s, smooth, heart-shaped leaves and youthful purple streaked bamboo-like stems, consider eating away your Japanese knotweed troubles!
On a recent BBC Sussex radio appearance for the campaign, Dr. Paul Beckett claimed that if Japanese knotweed is brought under control by recently approved field trials to release a knotweed-sucking insect called Aphalara itadori then ”why not use it the same way people use other pot herbs and other native vegetation to cook with?“
The inspiration for Phlorum’s knotweed eating campaign initially arose from the inspirational work of Bun Lai, the chef and owner of Mia Sushi restaurant
who has made incredible dishes with the plant and the sharing of imaginative recipes through social networks and shared with us by Kazuyoshi Nomachi http://twitter.com/im_yutaka
Described with a flavour between asparagus and rhubarb, Japanese knotweed shoots are ready for providing a delightful tang and riveting crunch around late spring each year. Best eaten when the plant is around 6 to 8 inches tall, the knotweed can be transformed via various cooking methods such as steaming, and simmering into delicious dishes such as soups, sauces, fruit compotes and even jam. Although the plants leaves should be discarded, the rind surrounding the stalk of the knotweed can also be used to make a delightful tangy marmalade. Furthermore, besides being a delicious ingredient for cooking, Japanese knotweed provides an excellent source of vitamin A and C, along with its cofactor, the antioxidant rutin.
The plant interestingly also contains potassium, phosphorus and zinc providing the components for a very healthy ingredient.
Following Phlorum’s recent BBC radio appearance, the Japanese knotweed professionals have also been working with the award-winning Brighton-based vegetarian restaurant Terre à Terre (http://www.terreaterre.co.uk/), in order to stir up some delicious recipes with the plant.
This collaboration will also be available for viewers to watch as on Wednesday the 21st of April, a BBC South film crew will be visiting Olivia, Terre à Terre’s Events, Marketing and Design Manager in order to film Japanese knotweed delights being prepared in the kitchen and then tasted at the restaurant. Along with a TV appearance, Phlorum will also be making a further radio appearance on the same day on BBC Sussex Radio station in order to take part in the breakfast show recording of Japanese knotweed being consumed live on air with the breakfast show host, Neil Pringle.
Phlorum won a competition to display their Life-Cycle Carbon Footprinting model in the Innovation Future Zone at Ecobuild last month.
The project was deemed one of 20 innovations most likely to have a large impact on the environmental future of the construction industry, chosen from those who applied for the position to CIRIA. Anthony stood by the model for three long days explaining the rationale behind the method, and the potential of the model in reducing embodied carbon emissions. Such emissions will account for 100% of total emissions associated with a dwelling come 2016, when all new-build homes are expected to be zero-carbon. Through testing of scenarios, it was found that a dwelling built with environmentally friendly yet common materials (such as sustainably sourced timber) could attain a ‘zero-carbon footprint’ after 50 years with the aid of renewable technologies such as a biomass boiler and photovoltaic panels.
The event was a success, with many representatives of organisations displaying their interest in the final product, which is expected to be launched at the end of 2010. The video shows Anthony discussing the functionality of the model with an interested party.
Just confirmed by NASA, who are still sifting through samples beamed back to Earth from the Mars Rover, remnants of Japanese knotweed rhizome have been found on the red planet! Shocking news as scientists are still debating whether or not there is, or ever was, life on Mars! This could indicate that the invasive Japanese knotweed on our blue planet really is an alien and this could explain why it is so difficult to understand and destroy!
More news on this exciting discovery as it breaks!
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