Duizendknoop Recept

Gastauteur: Shobha Bhat – Design Academy Eindhoven, masters student Social Design

Japanese Knotweed is a ‘notorious’ species that arrived in Western Europe from Japan around 1829 as an innocent ornamental plant for the Kew Botanical Garden in England. It then wildly spread across Europe through human propagation, and later through railways and waterways.

It demands a lot of patience to be eradicated/exhausted over the years. Here is what you can do with it in the meanwhile!

Mid-April to May is the best time to eat these invaders. The new shoots are young and soft. Knotweed tastes like rhubarb when put in desserts and like leafy greens when put in savoury dishes.

Prepare: Clean and chop up the young shoots that are green. Cook them in boiling water for 2 min- utes and watch them turn olive green. After that, let them rest in water overnight as they release oxalic acid. It can now be used in multiple recipes for a boost of Vitamin C & A.

Pesto

  • 3 cups Japanese Knotweed
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2/3 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup cottage cheese Salt and pepper to taste

Blend all of them together! It can be used as a dip or with pasta.

Roti (flatbread)

  • 1 cup Japanese Knotweed
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine all of them to form a soft dough and let it rest for one hour. Divide the dough into small portions. Roll each portion into circles. In a large skillet, cook breads over medium heat until lightly browned. Couple of minutes on each side. Eat it when its warm.