The common name of this natively European plant comes from an old tale about Queen Anne, a fervent lacemaker, who pricked herself on a needle, causing a drop of blood to fall on the lace. The flower structures of the plant are very much lace-like. In some of the flowers there is indeed a tiny blood red or dark brown center. The other common name, wild carrot, is somewhat more appropriate – this plant is the original carrot, the forefather of the cultivated root on our dinner plate! The use of various types of wild carrots goes back about 5,000 years. Historians think that the modern orange-colored carrot was cultivated in the 16th century in the Netherlands. It is the Royal House of Orange, after all.
The deep tap roots provide nutrients to both the plant and anyone putting them to culinary use. Yes, this wild carrot is very much edible, although it is a bit more bitter tasting than the store variety. Queen anne’s lace is a biennial. The plant grows from seed and develops basal leaves and a tap root in the first year (This is when you want to harvest the tap roots for culinary use). In the second year the plant grows flowers, sets seed, and then dies.
And now for something yummy…
Wild carrot-onion soup
- 4 cups of wild carrots
- 3 vegetable bouillon cubes
- 3 cups of water
- 1/2 cup dried onions
- 4 cloves of garlic chopped
- 2 tbs. olive oil
- 2 tbs. lemon
- 2 tsp. dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Slice the wild carrots and reconstitute the bouillon. Mix in all the ingredients, and let simmer for 15 minutes. Serves 4.
Be aware that parts of the plant can be toxic: The leaves may cause contact dermatitis. The wild carrot seeds are used as a morning-after contraceptive, and in some rural areas, this is still a common practice.
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