Edible Oregon Native Plant Salad

Creating a salad with Oregon native plants is a way to taste the land itself—bright greens, floral notes, and deeply rooted regional flavor. All ingredients here are native to Oregon, taste good raw or lightly dressed, and thrive in shady woodland gardens or can be responsibly foraged in the wild.

Ingredients:

• Pacific Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum tenuipes): soft, spinach-like leaves with a fresh, earthy flavor

• Candy Flower (Claytonia sibirica): crisp, sweet leaves and stems

• Wood Sorrel (Oxalis oregana): tangy, lemony leaves (use sparingly)

• Streambank Violet (Viola glabella): tender leaves and edible yellow flowers

• Yerba Buena (Clinopodium douglasii): sweet mint-flavored groundcover

• Red-flowering Currant blossoms (Ribes sanguineum): lightly floral springtime accent

• Chopped roasted hazelnuts (Corylus cornuta var. californica): rich, crunchy protein

• Wildflower honey vinaigrette: apple cider vinegar, native honey, and sunflower oil

Instructions:

1. Harvest or gather. Pick young, tender leaves from clean, pesticide-free areas. Pacific waterleaf grows abundantly in shady, moist areas—often alongside sword ferns and salmonberries. If you're growing at home, it's one of the easiest forest-floor greens to establish.

2. Clean and prep Rinse all greens and flowers gently in cool water. Dry and remove any fibrous or yellowing parts.

3. Assemble the base. In a bowl, combine:

• 1 part Pacific waterleaf

• 1 part candy flower leaves

• A handful of yerba buena

• A few leaves of wood sorrel

• Several streambank violet leaves

4. Add color and crunch

• Sprinkle in chopped native hazelnuts

• Scatter violet and currant blossoms across the top for color and fragrance

5. Dress Whisk together:

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 2 tbsp local sunflower oil

• 1 tsp wildflower honey

• Pinch of sea salt. Drizzle over the salad and toss gently.

6. Serve. This is best enjoyed immediately—fresh, fragrant, and seasonal. Pair with crusty bread, spring vegetables, or grilled mushrooms for a complete, native-foraged meal.