Ersatz asparagus
Yesterday plant specialist Claud Biemans and I trekked out to Fort Ruigehoek, a former military defense fortress just outside of Utrecht, where we made an inventory of all the plants growing on the ruins of Fort Ruigehoek. One of the most prolific plants growing between the brickwork and pavement seams at this time of year is Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense), a very green tasting juicy asparagus substitute once peeled, the shoot tip discarded and blanched in boiling water not once but three times! Horsetails are said to be somewhat toxic in large doses, so take heed: dont eat them in mass quantities, especially not raw. Medicinally Horsetails contain several alkaloids including nicotine