Briny Summer Burdock Stalk Tapenade

Welcome the early days of summer with this burdock stalk tapenade. If you’ve never had burdock stalk before, it’s tender when it’s young enough, and tastes remarkably like artichoke hearts. That artichoke flavor goes perfectly with some finely chopped garlic, capers, a little lemon, parsley, salt and pepper, all marinated together in olive oil. It’s the perfect summer afternoon snack, spooned on top of cracker, with a glass of white wine.

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Foraging for Burdock

So it’s been three or so years that I’ve been foraging and writing on Very Vegan Val, but this is my first burdock recipe- and there’s a reason for that. Just about every year I’ve tried foraging burdock, failed, and given up. It’s not that I couldn’t find it or ID it, I just hadn’t done it right yet.

Large, leafy burdock leaves are sort of edible- if you boil them enough times, you can consume them but at that point I would rather just eat a type of green that hadn’t had all the nutrients boiled out. The roots are what most people eat- I’ve actually bought them at my local Asian grocery store several times. But this is where I’ve failed in the past- burdock roots grow to be several feet long, and grow deep, deep into the earth. Digging them up is a lot of work! I’ve never been horribly successful at it, but if you give it a shot make sure to harvest the first year plant in the early fall, as the second year plant will be fairly woody. You can also eat the leave stems, although I hear they’re a little bitter. But this year I finally figured out the best way to eat burdock- the second year flower stalks. They’re tall, easy to harvest, taste like artichoke, and only require a little preparation. For best taste, pick the stalks before any flower buds appear and while they’re young and tender enough that the stalk is solid without a hole down the center.

Identifying Burdock

Disclaimer- use caution when foraging wild edibles, and always be certain of your identification. While I assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided on this site, I can’t be responsible for the accuracy of your information. Consult multiple websites, books and local experts, and when it doubt, do without.

Common burdock (Arctium lappa) is a good edible in the sense that it’s hard to confuse with anything else- it’s most common look-a-like is actually rhubarb! The plant has a two year life cycle, and likes to grow along the sides of walking paths. The first year plants (eat them for the roots) have large, wavy, heart-shaped leaves that can grow to be two feet long. Those leaves grow on the ground in a basal rosette, and a good way to tell them apart from rhubarb is their underside is almost white. The second year plant (eat for the stalk) has the same large leaves as the first year plant, but grows upwards with a flower stalk. If you let it grow instead of eating it, the stalk will produce purple spiky flowers that will later produce the burrs that give them their name. If you live near burdock, you’ve probably found those persistent burrs on yourself, your children or your dogs.

Fun fact of the day, burdock is actually credited as being the inspiration behind Velcro. The Swiss engineer who first invented it noticed the burrs clinging to his clothing, took it back and examined it under a microscope. He saw the tiny hooks on the burrs, and later went on to make a plastic hook and loop structure that was sold as Velcro. In Turkish, the word “pitrak” means both burdock and velcro, and several other languages also use the same word or similar words to describe the two.

Eating for Summer

I love summer- it’s bursting with life and busyness, all under the stiflingly hot sun. And once the sun goes down after a long day of the heat, there’s nothing more that I want than simple, flavorful food, ideally cold and already made. More delicate flavors and dishes seem a little bland for hot days, and more suited to the gentler Spring. From big, juicy tomatoes to fresh grain salads, summer food should help you mentally escape from the heat. Which is exactly how I feel about this tapenade- it’s fresh, but also briny, giving you some salt to help you retain some more liquid on sweaty summer days. It’s perfect for an afternoon snack on crackers, but is also delicious with hummus on pita, and would be delightful as an ingredient on a simple summery flatbread.

Looking for Great Summer Recipes? Try one of these!

• Heirloom Tomato Summer Watermelon Salad
• Roasted Vegan Summer Squash Side Dish
• Sweet and Savory Tomato Jam Recipe
• Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers with Israeli Couscous
• Summer Tomato Vegan Caprese Salad
• Delicata Rounds with Lemon and Miso Dipping Sauce
• Thai Rice Noodle Salad with Vegan Chick’n
• Quick & Crispy Zucchini Fritters
• Wood Sorrel, Jicama, and Beet Slaw
• Seasonal Vegan Spinach and Garlic Scape Pesto

Making Burdock Stalk Tapenade

As I find is best for summer recipes, this burdock stalk tapenade doesn’t require a lot of cooking or heat and is better when it’s left to sit in the fridge for a day. No slaving over the hot stove, just pull out the container of tapenade that previous you made, grab a package of crackers and maybe a little wine, and dig in. The first step to making the tapenade is properly preparing your burdock flower stalks- as the stalks age they become woodier on the bottom, so pick the stalks before they’ve started flowering for the best results. If there is a hole going up the center, you’re stalk will likely be a little woody. You can just cut away until you reach a point in the stalk where it’s solid all the way through. Next use a paring knife to peel away the tough skins, and chop the soft centers into small chunks. From there we steam them a little to get them even softer, and then chop them together with the remaining ingredients. You can eat it right away, but for the best flavor I like to let mine sit in the fridge for a day or so- it really melds together the briny capers, garlic, and artichoke-like burdock flavors for an extra wonderful experience.

Briny Summer Burdock Stalk Tapenade

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