Vegetable Mallow
 

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/honu2/garden/061210vegetablemallow1.jpg[/img]
Had no idea what to expect when I ordered this from Sandhill, but their description sounded so wonderful: "A tender mallow used as a cooked green leaf vegetable (like spinach). A favorite of Thomas Jeffereson. Very nutritious. Early and easy. Looks like an upright weed."
So I tried it, but can't get over all those pokey hairs that make my mouth and throat itch. Somehow finding it hard to believe this was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson.
Does anyone else grow or eat this?

So Ann, did they ever get any better? Those leaves look just like hollyhocks, which makes sense with them being in the same family and all.

I have tried mallow before, way back in college and found it wanting. I can totally believe it would be a favorite of Jefferson, he ate some odd stuff, if I remember right. One thing is, greens are cooked a looooong time. I mean you put the greens in a pot with a smoked hock and cook til the hock comes apart.

We also tried marsh mallow, where the pith from the stem is boiled in syrup. This also left something to be desired. Sweet but vegetal.

[quote]did they ever get any better?[/quote] Suze, if I could get over the hairiness, then it would have tasted ok.
The good thing is that no pests or diseases bother this plant.

[quote]One thing is, greens are cooked a looooong time. I mean you put the greens in a pot with a smoked hock and cook til the hock comes apart.[/quote]landarc, interesting, though I can't imagine cooking greens for that long unless it's just for soup stock. If anyone wants to try these, send me a PM or EM.

The leaves also look like the green velvet okra leaves,
okra is a mallow too.
I wounder if you can cook and eat okra leaves?
Any test subjects out there?

Worth

In the south greens are cooked with ham hocks all day long.
Just like the green beans.
its not until the last 30 years or so that things were cooked for a shorter time.
I like them with turnips or rutabagas myself.

Malva Moschata is a wildflower in this area. It blooms in both pink and white. I went to the Monticello website to see if this is the same plant as honu's. The only one they offer is Malva sylvestris (French Mallow). The flower is very nice- like a dark pink "Zebrina".