Not foraging (yet!) but growing some edible perennials.

Common burdock is a member of the thistle family (Arctium) and are native to Europe but have naturalized in North America. You can eat the roots in the spring. In Japan they cultivate a giant burdock (they call it "Gobo") for the roots. I have seeds if you want.

"Dock" on the other hand is, along with sorrel, part of the genus Rumex. These have edible leaves. I grow "Bloody dock" (Rumex sanguineus var sanguineus) but I don't have any seeds. These are rather pretty-- they grow nicely in beside the compost bins with the borage and cup plant.

- bloody dock http://www.paghat.com/rumex.html

Wendy, bev is right. The "dock" your mother picked to eat was most likely a member of the sorrel family, Rumex. French sorrel leaves are used to make a tasty soup.

Googled it, but still don't think anything like that grows near me. Possibly "cultivated away" with suburban growth :o(.
Got a free book yesterday from the re-use about edible wild greens, including recipes!
Fortuitous!

Burdock is edible and popular in some European cultures. I have tons of it in the field. It looks a lot like rhubarb and is the same family but rhubarb leaves are poisonous.

Wendy, I'll save some "bloody dock" seeds for you this summer. If you are going to the SW Ontario swap meet this spring I can did up some volunteers or a side shoot for you.

- Bev

I have a book called"The Wild Harvest" An outdoorsman's guide to edible wild plants in North America by Alyson Hart Knap.
they talk about dock
the genus rumex of the buckwheat family, comprises of two main groups- the docks and the sorrels.We will first consider the docks, all of which are edible.
I suggest you look for this book.

here is a list of poisinous plants to stay away from.
water hemlock
poison hemlock
bloodroot
white hellebore
dogbane
white spurge
jimsom weed
nightshade

Thanks for the offer Bev, but I ain't goin' anywhere this summer. One daughter just had a baby girl, and her twin sister is having twins in August.
(I think I'm going back to Vancouver Island to a be a hippie again... 40 year redux)...at least I know how to grow my own veggies now. ;O))

One wild plant I have eaten is stinging nettle. Spring is the time for eating it. You can make a great soup from it.
Here is acouple recipe links touting nettles, and recipes!

http://www.nettles.org.uk/nettles/activities/nettlesoup.asp

http://www.nettlesoup.info/

However do not eat sting nettles after they have flowered!

Last fall I bought from a nursery here a "Bloody Dock" and it stayed green all winter. I can divide it and send half to you if you like.

Another plant I remember using a lot in soups is red orache, (loboda). Never found it here. Here is someone's blog talking about it: http://tomatogardening.blogspot.com/2006/06/red-orache.html

I found sorrel seeds, planted and used the leaves in salad, but used to add them to soup too.
Nettle cooked as stew with lots of garlic was a must in spring, my grandmother used to say "it thins" the blood in spring, after heavy meat meals eaten in winter. Being religious, of course they were looking for herbs, veggies, roots, anything it could help them in fastig times. I'm fasting too, but I'm cheating, fasting with fresh juice.

Back then, people trusted gypsies when it was about buying plants and mushrooms from them. They knew places where to pick them, and they knew the plants so well. I've eaten so many cool kind of mushrooms... I'm still alive, I guess I was lucky, LOL.

Do we have stinging nettle in Ontario?

Yes, we have. I've seen it in a park here, and I got stung trying to "borrow" a Rose of Sharon growing next to it. It refreshed my memory when kid I used to have those little sting bumps all over my legs and arms.

The wild leeks emerged yesterday in our forest. Yum. I think I will stirfry them in an omelet tonight.
I've been looking forward to them since last spring.
Go leeks, go!

We have already eaten stinging nettles this spring. We picked them Easter Monday. You only pick the top growth and use gloves. As for cooking, saute clean stinging nettles with several cloves of crushed garlic, if too dry add a few drops of water. When it looks done add a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and soy sauce,stir and it's ready to eat. O yeah add some salt, sprinkle some cheese if you wish.

I have it in my yard, stinging nettle. I initially started growing it for papermaking. I make hand made paper from natural plant materials.
But I also eat it now.

I found this interesting site called Eat those invasive.
It has tons of recipes.

Here is a link that might be useful: eat those invasives

Stinging nettle is also a good source of nitrogen for the garden. Cut and compost it at the base of plants.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Country DIY Blog

TO WENDY2SHOES, I'VE BEEN FORAGING FOR A LONG TIME, SINCE I WAS ABOUT 11.THE 'DOCK' YOU ASKED ABOUT IS, I'M SURE, CURLY DOCK,ALSO CALLED YELLOW DOCK. LIKES TO GROW NEAR WATER AND IN DAMP PLACES/ LEAVES ARE A LITTLE GOOEY WHEN COOKED. USE THE SMALLER LEAVES IN SPRING. IT HAS OXALIC ACID, BUT NOT AS NUCH AS RUBARB. THE LARGE STEMS CAN BE USED IN PLACE OF RUBARB FOR PIES. YOU ARE IN EASTERN CANADA, SO HERE IS A LIST OF SOME OF THE BETTER TASTING WILD PLANTS IN YOUR AREA; STINGING NETTLES( GATHER WITH THIN LEATHER GLOVES AND LONG HOTDOG TONGS) BLACK MUSTARD,GARLIC MUSTARD, RAMPS,LAMBS QUARTERS,CHICKEN OF THE WOODS MUSHROOMS,FIELD MINT,HORSE MINT, CONE FLOWERS,WILD ASPARAGUS,MILK WEED( READ UP ON HOW TO COOK THIS FIRST)ELDERBERRY, BLACK BERRY,STRAWBERRIES, MOUNTAIN ASH BERRIES,SCARLET SUMAC BERRIES,(AS A LEMONADE DRINK ONLY)DANDELION OF COURSE,WHITE OAK ACORNS, CATTAILS,BEECHNUTS, PIGNUTS,( LIKE A SMALL WALNUT ) HAZELNUTS,CHOKECHERRY,SERVICE BERRY, AND JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES. HOPE THIS HELPS, ( ALSO, PURCHASE A BOOK ON EASTERN FLOWERING PLANTS THAT HAS COLOR PLATES, USE THIS AS A CROSS-REFERENCE.