OMG, how did I not know that hosta is edible?

That makes two of us! Had no idea. That is a lovely plate.

get em while they are shoots

Hosta the plant in the garden, the one slugs love? I cannot see it on that plate. Is it the flowers?

lovely, You did it again, Dcarch.

Hosta? No kidding? And what did you do, steam it? What does it taste like? (Our hostas aren't up yet) (Wait, I take it back, I see about 3" back at the border of the woods)

Thank you everyone!

Hosta is a common vegetable in some other countries.

The shoots have a mild pleasant taste, always tender.

If you Google hosta recipes, you will find many ways to cook them.

dcarch

Hosta leaves unfurl quickly so there's only a short time to try this. I'd like to taste it, but I'm unwilling to sacrifice enough shoots to make it worthwhile. I like the way they look in my garden too much to eat them. .....but beautiful plating!

How could you eat your hosta babies? To me it would be like eating my favorite dog

dcarch, I thought I would see hosta shoots soon, I just heard that the first morels were found in our area, and it always happens about the same time, my ramps and morels and your hostas. Your asparagus is way ahead of mine, mine hasn't even peeked a shoot out. Do you grow those inside too, or are they outside?

I do wish I had a space where I could have a lemon tree. More specifically, a Meyer lemon, but not yet, maybe someday.

Do you grow celeriac? I'm struggling with that...

Annie

Do all varieties of hosta taste about the same? I knew they were edible but wasn't sure just how they were prepared. I was at a talk by a hosta grower and asked about how one would cook and eat them. Everyone there looked at me like I was crazy and planning to poison myself. I'm glad you posted this...now I've seen one way to serve them.

And why does spellcheck show hosta as being misspelled? LOL

Almost a shame to eat such beautiful artwork, but it looks delicious!

I had no idea hostas were edible!

Your presentation is fabulous!

I'll just have the shrimp, please. Eat Hosta.....? Nope. Beautiful presentation, though. Please be careful of any chemicals used near those plants.

garden shrimp ... ???? .. lol ...

suppose you could have skipped the shrimp ... and went all escargot and kept it all in the garden ...

but that might be a PNW thing.. where their snails/slugs.. get some size ...

ken

ps: i image searched PNW slugs.. i will forebear inflicting that on you all .... lol

Any particular hosta variety that produces the best and tastiest shoots?

If you invite me for dinner I will do the dishes.

Clean the bathrooms too!

Beautiful, dcarch. How did you cook the shrimp. Seasonings = ?

Of course you can grow your own shrimp.

Growing Shrimp At Home

http://epaper.bostonglobe.com/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=f21d09de-e3ea-47b4-bdcf-7e6cdeab2415

Looks like a large shrimp, unless that’s a small hand.

I have tons of hosta plants — some haven’t been divided in years.

MORELS! Please send photos if easy to do Annie1992 — what sort of environment? I have only found them once.

I just pictured little prawns in overalls and hats, holding hoes. Working in the garden? I'm not on drugs, just goofy. Great looking plate! Happy spring!

A very nice-looking dish. Thinning hostas make them more beautiful? Not sure I'd agree with that, though.

Dcarch: That is one, beautiful, creative, colorful, luscious plate of food. You are really an artist with food and I imagine it tastes as good as it looks!

I didn't know that hostas are edible, but my interest is piqued.

Thank you all for your nice comments!

I grow a few kinds of hostas. The plain looking kind I grow as vegetables. I have been enjoying them for many years. I thin them and split them. I think I have more than a 100 clumps. I also grow hostas from seeds. This year I have another 100 seedlings going to need space to be planted.

I don't seem to have slug problems. The bag of Slugo I bought a few years back has not been used at all. I think the reason I don't have slugs is because I invite birds to my garden.

I consider hosta to be a gourmet treat. Much better tasting than endive really. And the price is right.

dcarch

" By thinning it, you are actually making it more healthy and beautiful. " Some countries also eat cat and slugs but I guess I have never been that hunger To each his own and I don't think they need to be thinned to survive( at least mine don't. Your plate does look attractive though. We have a mini donkey and horse that roam the personal yard and they never eat my hosta either but will do my exotic grasses if not watched closely and I don't eat those ether

you chop the shoots early enough, the plant should have healthy enough root system to send up another batch ...

Never knew you could eat hostas. Thanks for enlightening me. Now I wish I hadn't given away all of mine years ago because my late husband wanted them gone. He said they were a perfect place for the snakes to hide. You plate beautifully.

Madonna

Here the deer eat the hostas like it's the best thing on the "buffet", they come right up to Amanda's back deck to eat the hostas, so they must taste good.

petalique, I don't grow my own morels, I go out into the woods and find them. I don't care much for them, but my Mother loves them, so I hunt. I understand that there are morel growing kits available, but I've not tried them, although I keep saying I'm going to. I can't guarantee the success but the pictures are pretty! (grin)

https://gmushrooms.org/product/morel-mushroom-kit/

Annie

I'm surprised at the reaction of some here! I consider dividing hosta as routine as any other rhizomatous plant, a necessary gardening task! Don't you divide daylilies, iris, and pinks in your gardens, just to name a few? Most of my hosta varieties are from other's gardens and I've been able to share my divisions with friends and neighbors.

I'm also surprised that some find the thought of eating tender hosta shoots repugnant! I'll bet that you've not tried daylily buds and blossoms, squash blossoms, purslane, chickweed, or plaintain.

My own hosta is well past the time that I could harvest some tender shoots, but I'm sure going to have some next spring.

Annie, morels may become available year round and not too expensive.

Apparently the Chinese have succeeded farming morels.

dcarch

Thanks, Annie. I’ll look at the link.