Lepidium virginicum • Pepper Grass, pepperweed, peppercress, poor man’s pepper, lépidie des champs • In the Kitchen

Leaves are used sparingly in salads, substitute for mustard greens, high in vitamins A and C. Seed pods can season meats, egg dishes, soups and salads, breads and as a substitute for pepper; fresh or dried. Roots are dug up in the fall and used like horseradish.

Gumbo de crevettes et d’herbes

Ingredients

• 1 handful of kale
• 1 handful of mustard greens
• 1 handful of spinach
• 1 handful of beet tops
• 1 handful of carrot tops
• 1 handful flat leaf parsley
• 1 handful pepper grass, pods only
• 4L water
• Salt
• 250ml Butter
• 250ml Flour
• 4 Garlic Scapes, chopped
• 2 Bell Pepper, chopped
• 2 Carrots, chopped
• Flat leaf Parsley, chopped
• 2 Bay leaves
• Thyme sprigs
• 2 whole cloves
• 2 Juniper berries
• 1kg peeled and deveined shrimp
• Handful of mixed greens washed,
  trimmed and chopped
• 950g cooked rice

Instructions

• Wash the 7 greens
• Remove all stems
• Boil together in salted water for 2 hours
• Strain, reserve liquids
• In a heavy pot make a brown roux with butter and flour
• Add garlic scapes, Bell pepper, carrots, sauté for 10 minutes
• Add parsley, mixed greens, sauté for 5 minutes
• Add sauté mixture to the reserved liquids, add spices, and simmer on low for 1 hour
• Sautee shrimp for 5 minutes or
  until shrimp is pink, add to gumbo
• Serve rice in bowls
• Add gumbo over rice

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