What's up, Dock?
Narrow-leaved Dock, Rumex elongatus
Every year is a good year when it comes to learning something new about the natural world. I have used narrow-leaved dock and broad-leaf dock in the past for fall flower arrangements, but I was interested in learning more about their nutritional and medicinal benefits if they even had any. Dock is high in oxalates. Oxalates, from what I understand, must have calcium to bind to, in order to leave the body through the stool. If enough calcium isn't taken in, the remainder of oxalate passes through urine. Oxalates can cause kidney stones, with the most common stones being calcium oxalate stones. Spinach, for example, is high in oxalates, as is Kale.
I waited until the narrow-leaf dock turned brown. It was then that I ground the dried seeds into flour for use in a cookie recipe. Both narrow-leaf dock and broad-leaf dock grow here in Marianna fields and along roadways, but they are native to Europe and Western Asia.
Today, I made chocolate chip cookies and used 20% dock seed flour. The recipe called for 2 cups of regular flour, so I replaced about 1/3 of that with dock flour. Dock, a perennial herb in the buckwheat family, was popular during the Great Depression due to its edible leaves and seeds. Unfortunately, its uses and benefits have long been forgotten by many of us. But I think it's making a comeback. It possesses various amount of nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids, plus its free and abundant.
One stalk of dried dock seeds was all I needed for my cookie recipe. It happened to equal the right amount.
It's hard to tell from the photo but the cookies have a slightly darker color than regular chocolate chip cookies; this was due to the dock being brown. That said, they turned out delicious and have a very faint taste of buckwheat.
Aside from using the seeds of the narrow-leaf dock for flour (broad-leaf seeds can be used, as well), I also use the young leaves of the broad-leaf dock as a substitute for spinach in recipes earlier in the spring, when they are less bitter. There is much more about this plant I hope to learn, plus more recipes like "dock crackers" I'd like to try.
As with anything when foraging, always err on the side of caution when trying a new plant. Do your research first and talk to your doctor.
DISCLAIMER-The content of this article is for educational purposes only. Before using or ingesting any wild herb or plant for edible or medicinal purposes, please consult a physician, medical herbalist, or other suitable professional for advice. Be overly cautious when foraging, don't eat anything in the wild you are unsure of, and never harvest more than half of a patch of any given plant.
