Good King Henry, the poor man's asparagus

From spring to early summer you can harvest growing shoots to cook in the same way
as asparagus....

Good King Henry is also known as 'poor man's asparagus', the plant produces edible shoots and spinach-like leaves. It is native to much of central and southern Europe. Pretty much all of the plant can be eaten. From spring to early summer you can harvest growing shoots to cook in the same way as asparagus. Later in summer leave the shoots to develop, then you can eat the young leaves and flowering stems in salads or saute the flowers.

The leaves can be cooked like you would spinach and have a similar flavour and texture. They can also be eaten raw in salads. You can make a vitamin C rich wild greens soup by mixing nettle tops, Fat Hen and Good King Henry with a little salt and oil with flour to thicken the soup. If you can't find it growing wild the Royal Horticultural Society has details on how to cultivate Good King Henry. As a crop, Good King Henry was a feature of many Tudor gardens and also played an importance role within the Anglo-Saxon diet. Historically the crop was valuable to poorer countryside workers and Scottish crofters who often turned to the crop for a source of nourishment after field clearances. If you can't find it wild you can find growing tips for Good King Henry at Restoration Seeds.