Medicago polymorpha L.
Synonyms: = M. denticulata, M. hispida
Common names: Burclover, burr medik, black medick
Location in Texas: all TX, sparse in N & W; very common in Travis Co.; introduced.
Form: herb; annual, perennial.
Food
Leaves – eaten fresh by Indians in northern California (Chesnut 1902:358).
Seeds – parched, ground, and made into a mush by the Cahuilla (Bean and Saubel 1972:88).
Gathering Season – spring-early summer (Bean and Saubel 1972:88).
Notes – the Wailaki had a special dance in spring when the plants became crisp and ready to eat (Powers 1877:118). Trifolium spp. or true clovers were likely preferred by northern California Indians (Chesnut 1902:358).
Experimentation
I have eaten the leaves many times. They have a good taste and seem to be very nutritious and filling. I eat them plain or on salads raw. They are great as a topping for hot meals with a red tomato sauce such as lasagna. I add them to my morning smoothies along with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and berries.
I have eaten the seeds several times. The following were my methods:
I was able to gather about 2 pints of the seeds in a half hour. I dried them on a flat basket in the sun, or on a tray in the oven at 200 degrees for an hour or so. I parched them by shaking them in a basket or bowl with a handful of hot oak coals. I ground them with mortar and pestle or a food processor / coffee grinder. I added enough water to make a gruel and heated it over a stove.
After trying the gruel, I realized it probably needs to be sifted to remove the spine fibers, as they are not softened by cooking. Bean and Saubel (1972:88) could also be referring to the seeds at a much younger stage. They are quite palatable raw when very small and young. Once full size and green, they are still edible raw, but are rather tough and fibrous.
See my video on the whole process here:
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