Warrigal Greens
This information is general in nature and should not be taken as professional advice.

Common: Warrigal Greens, New Zealand Spinach, Botany Bay Greens

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Aizoaceae (Ice Plant)
Genus: Tetragonia from Greek, tetra, four and gonia, angle, referring to the 4-angled fruits
Species: T. tetragonioides
No of Species:1

Origin:
It is native to New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Chile and Argentina.

Anecdotal:
Warrigal: Wolflike yellowish-brown wild singing dog of Australia. The dingo!

Rarely used by Māori or other indigenous people as a leaf vegetable, was first mentioned by Captain Cook. It was immediately picked, cooked, and pickled to help fight scurvy, and taken with the crew of the Endeavour. It spread when the explorer and botanist Joseph Banks took seeds back to Kew Gardens during the latter half of the 18th century. For two centuries T.tetragonioides was the only cultivated vegetable that originated from Australia and New Zealand.

Appearance:
It is a common species along the coast and as with other members of its family is covered with glistening bumps called papillae. The leaves are alternate, deltoid-ovate, and smooth-margined, sometimes ± wavy. The flowers are yellow-green and solitary, and are to be found in the leaf axils.  They have 4-5 spreading sepals and no petals.  The habitat for this species is mostly sand dunes, bluffs and margins of coastal wetlands below about 300'.

Eat alone with:
Do not eat raw as the leaves contain oxalates which are water soluble and can be blanched out.

Mix with:
Cheeses
Pesto style recipe
Bruchetta
Meats

Uses Food:
They are also used in quiches and stuffings (blanch first).
Asian greens (blanch first).
Blanch and toss with butter or olive oil.
Mix into omelets, casseroles, or cream sauces.

Other Uses:
Pioneer species in severely degraded ecosystems. Essential part of climax community, especially on foredune. Climax community: where a species forms part of a mature ecosystem or climax community. Vegetation communities are continually changing as climax species die (senescence) or are removed by natural disturbance (storm, wind, fire etc).

Fruiting:
None

Growing:
Prostrate spreading annual or possibly a short-lived perennial.
Spacing 24-36 in. (60-90 cm)
Very little care required.
Prefers good conditions.

Propagation:
Some references say from herbaceous stem cuttings and from softwood cuttings: that plant does not grow true to form from seed.

Another reference says the thick, irregularly-shaped seeds should be planted just after the last spring frost. Before planting, the seeds should be soaked for 12 hours in cold water, or 3 hours in warm water. Seeds should be planted 5-10 mm deep, and spaced 15-30 cm apart. The seedlings will emerge in 10-20 days, and it will continue to produce greens through the summer.

Many references say both are valid.

Growth Habit:
New Zealand spinach, also known as sea-spinach, is a non-native succulent annual with prostrate trailing stems 1m to 2m long. Can become a 'weed'.

Pruning:
None

Soil:
The plants grow naturally in sandy coastal soils and in the inland. Prefers good soil. Will grow in salty conditions.

Aspect:
Full to partial sun.

Diseases:
None

Insects:
Snails and slugs do NOT eat this.

Nutrition:
Apparently reduces risk of scurvy

Ethnomedicinal:
None cited.

Medical Warnings:
Like some other edible plants, Warrigal Greens have a high oxalate concentration and nitrates and saponins. Only leaves and young stems should be eaten and these both should be blanched for 3 minutes to remove soluble oxalates, and the water discarded.

Information Sources:
scpa.org.au
thebegavalley.org.au/seedsavers.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrigal_greens
members.ozemail.com.au/~peterrjones/bushtucker/warrigal_greens.htm
www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/newzealandspinach.html
science.uniserve.edu.au/school/curric/stage4_5/nativeplants/gallery/warrigal/index.html
www.globalgourmet.com/food/kgk/2002/1002/kgk101802.html
asgap.org.au/APOL18/jun00-1.html
davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/61772/index.html
www.abc.net.au/tv/cookandchef/txt/s1778537.htm
www.uts.edu.au/new/archives/1998/february/09.html
asgap.org.au/t-tet.html

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Recipes:

Anneke's Warrigal Green Pesto

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups blanched greens (no stalks)
1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
1 garlic clove
Organic olive oil
100 gms parmesan cheese
Seasoning

Method
Blanch leaves for one minute in simmering water then placein cold water to maintain colour and stop the cooking process.
Add garlic and oil to make a paste, add pumpkin seeds and finish with parmesan and seasoning to tatse.
Place in a clean jar with a little oil on top to stop any oxidation.

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Warrigal and Sea Parsley Pesto
ABC TV - The Cook and the Chef

Ingredients

250 g Warrigal greens
1 cup Sea Parsley leaves and stalk
200 g Macadamia
4 pieces Finger Limes
3 Lemons, juiced
3/4 cup Parmesan, grated
250 ml Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 cloves garlic
Extra olive oil to store
Sterile Jar

Method
Roughly chop the Warrigal Greens and Sea parsley, add the lemon juice and a little oil and blend. Add the macadamia nuts, the finger limes and the garlic and continue to blend. Add oil as required to help the blend and season to taste. Add the parmesan, check the seasoning and if you are storing it, leave it a little dry and put the pesto into a sterilized jar. Let it settle to get all the air bubbles out and then cover with olive oil so that it won’t oxidize. Store in the fridge.

If you are eating it, add a little more oil. Its brilliant added with a little oil to pasta or on bread.
Some caution should be taken with Warrigal Greens as the leaves do contain toxic oxates, which can be harmful for some people if consumed in large quantities. To remove the oxates it’s a good idea to blanch the leaves in boiling water for 3 minutes or so, then rinse them in cold water before using them in your cooking.

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Warrigal Greens Pie - Geoff and Colleen Keena

Ingredients
Rice (extra tasty if rice is cooked in coconut cream)
Greased dish - I used an oval dish 27 cm x 19 cm and 5 cm deep.
4 eggs, beaten with 1/2 cup milk
grated low fat cheese
blanched warrigal green leaves

Method
Put a layer of rice into the bottom of the dish, patting down firmly until layer is about 2 cm thick
Cover rice with a thick layer of fat-reduced grated cheese
Then place a layer of blanched Warrigal Greens so cheese is completely covered.
Pour over the eggs beaten with milk
Add another layer of grated low-fat cheese to finish off.
 
Cook in a slow over for 30-40 minutes
Or in the microwave for 5 minutes on high and 10 minutes on medium.
Delicious both hot and cold.