Edible Plants- Pancakes from my lawn?

                                                                                             
     You are chocking, fumbling, to gasp in a gulp of fresh air.  Through a grimy haze you stumble away from the gyrating wicked orange flames. A dull pounding pain seems to be hammering in your head.  As you reach up you shakily look at your hand in horror.  The sight of crimson blood curls your stomach. No, you are not dreaming this is reality.
   While most of us shrug off the idea that we may ever be destined to crawl back in time due to some tragic circumstances; current events make this scenario all to realistic.  Jets fall out of the sky never to be found again.  Countries are suddenly invaded while civilians scatter in terror.  Now deadly diseases stalk our globe like a morbid Ichabod Crane.  So it seems prudent to learn the basic skills of survival our pioneer forefathers knew years ago.
   Among the most common edible plants in the U.S. is the Broad leaf lawn plantain. I found many of these in my lawn still stubbornly rooted among the grass, even in these chilly days of October.  This common weed used to be called "Englishman's foot," since they originated in Europe.  The plantain's young leaves can be used as a lettuce in a salad.  Cook the leaves for five minutes in boiling water for a sort of wild spinach vegetable.  Leaves boiled for a half hour can form a natural tea for the thirsty traveler.  But the most interesting use is the budded stalk.  Take these seeds and make sure they are dried.  Then they can be ground into a flour.  Two cups of plantain flour mixed with three tsp. baking powder, one-half tsp. salt, three tsp. sugar, two eggs, three tsp. cooking oil, and one cup milk produces your own weed pancakes!
   As a medicine, plantain has been used to cure poison ivy. Soldiers would use the plant as an antiseptic, an astringent to stop bleeding, and also as a poultice.  Plantain tea is also used to stop diarrhea.
   For more information on the many uses of your common weed out front, look up the recipes for Cream of Plantain Soup or Plantain-Broccoli Salad!                                                            

     

Elias, Thomas S., and Peter A. Dykeman. Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. New  

    York: Outdoor Life, 1982. Print. 

Medve, Richard J., and Mary Lee. Medve. Edible Wild Plants of Pennsylvania and Neighboring States. 

    University Park: Pennsylvania State UP, 1990. Print. 

Survival. Washington, DC: Headquarters, Dept. of the Army, 1987. Print.