Risotto, wild dock leaf with teriyaki Szechuan Pepper and Black locust flower

Risotto, wild dock leaf with teriyaki Szechuan Pepper 

and Black locust flower 

We are not going to detail the process how making a risotto, this little article is to put in highlight the dock leaf and the black locust flower witch are both two plant quiet interesting for cooking.

The leaf of the Rumex obtusifolius are edible and i am now using them very often in salad or for this time as a substitute for rolling the risotto like a sushi. 

In companion with teriyaki szechuan pepper and the black locust flower, it make an easy and simple dishes ( adding some caramelized onion and parsnip will be more better ) 

Cooking them just 2 to 5mn in hot water and cooling them down in cold water is for me a good way to preserve the nutritious content and the color of this leaf. According of the cooking time, you can adjust the fibrous texture of the leaf and his bitterness 

After that, it is just a step to roll the rice in it with some onion and vegetables.

Teriyaki sauce 

1 teaspoon soy

3 tablespoon apple vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil 

1 teaspoon apple compote

Szechuan pepper
water 

Rumex obtusifolius

Plants can contain quite high levels of oxalic acid, which is what gives the leaves of many members of this genus an acid-lemon flavour. Perfectly alright in small quantities, the leaves should not be eaten in large amounts since the oxalic acid can lock-up other nutrients in the food, especially calcium, thus causing mineral deficiencies. The oxalic acid content will be reduced if the plant is cooked. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition 

( see here ) 

The leaf have more mild flavour if they are harvested in beginning of spring. This plant is a perennial, and spread easily by seed propagation in wild. Most of the plant can reach 1 to 2 meter in semi shade or no shade, this is a plant who adapt itself to very acidic or alkaline soil.

Zanthoxylum simulans

( More info here ) 

Szechuan Pepper, as the name suggests, is a temperate pepper tree yielding a wonderful spice that delivers the flavours of Indian and Asian cuisine. The tree is native to eastern China and Taiwan and can grow in the deep shade of a forest as well as in full sun making this an ideal candidate for the forest garden. The plant has extensive medicinal value with all parts of the plant having a specific use

The dried husk of the seed is used as strong pepper substitute and is a spicy in the famous five spicy mixture. The Szechuan pepper contains hydroxy-alpha-sanshool, which creates tingling and numbness in the mouth

Its is a shrub who grow 4 to 6m at a medium rate. It can grow in full shade to full sun