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Buck's Horn Plantain "Erba Stella" (Minutina)
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Buck's-Horn Plantain "Erba Stella" (Minutina) - Plantago coronopus.
Not a weed, but a gourmet green! The crunchy "Star Herb" of Tuscany.
Many consider plantain just a medicinal weed. However, Plantago coronopus (Buck's Horn) is a refined salad crop, cherished for centuries in Italy. The variety "Erba Stella" (Star Grass) is named for its rosette shape, which spreads across the ground like a beautiful green star.
Taste and Texture:
The leaves are narrow and carved (resembling deer antlers), very juicy and crunchy. The taste is mild, earthy, with a slight nutty note and a pleasant saltiness. Perfect for adding texture to vegetable salads.
Did you know?
In Italy, this plantain (also known as "Minutina") is a mandatory ingredient in the famous Misticanza (a mix of wild and cultivated herbs). It is rich in Vitamins A, C, K, and iron. In the Middle Ages, it was specially grown in European monastery gardens as a vegetable to prevent scurvy.
Agrotechnics.
The plant is unpretentious but loves the sun.
Sowing: Densely (10x10 cm scheme) in open ground in spring. Seedlings appear quickly.
Care: Regular watering to maintain leaf juiciness. High yield — up to 1.5 kg/m².
Important: The crop withstands light frosts, but does not overwinter in Estonia and Northern Europe (grown as an annual).
Not a weed, but a gourmet green! The crunchy "Star Herb" of Tuscany.
Many consider plantain just a medicinal weed. However, Plantago coronopus (Buck's Horn) is a refined salad crop, cherished for centuries in Italy. The variety "Erba Stella" (Star Grass) is named for its rosette shape, which spreads across the ground like a beautiful green star.
Taste and Texture:
The leaves are narrow and carved (resembling deer antlers), very juicy and crunchy. The taste is mild, earthy, with a slight nutty note and a pleasant saltiness. Perfect for adding texture to vegetable salads.
Did you know?
In Italy, this plantain (also known as "Minutina") is a mandatory ingredient in the famous Misticanza (a mix of wild and cultivated herbs). It is rich in Vitamins A, C, K, and iron. In the Middle Ages, it was specially grown in European monastery gardens as a vegetable to prevent scurvy.
Agrotechnics.
The plant is unpretentious but loves the sun.
Sowing: Densely (10x10 cm scheme) in open ground in spring. Seedlings appear quickly.
Care: Regular watering to maintain leaf juiciness. High yield — up to 1.5 kg/m².
Important: The crop withstands light frosts, but does not overwinter in Estonia and Northern Europe (grown as an annual).
CHEF'S RECIPE: "Tuscan Contrast".
Salad with Buck's Horn Plantain (Erba Stella), warm goat cheese, and honey-mustard dressing.
This recipe reveals the main trump card of the "Buck's Horn" — its incredible crunch, which is not lost even under warm sauce.
Ingredients: A bunch of Erba Stella (Minutina), arugula (rocket) for spice, 100 g soft goat cheese (Chavroux or Buche), a handful of pine nuts, cherry tomatoes.
Dressing: 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey, juice of half a lemon.
Preparation:
1. Wash and dry the greens (do not tear, the beautiful carved leaves should remain whole).
2. Lightly toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until golden and fragrant.
3. Slice the goat cheese into rounds and quickly grill (or bake for 3 minutes) so that it becomes melty inside but keeps a crust outside.
4. Arrange the greens on a plate like a "nest", place the warm cheese and cherry tomatoes on top.
5. Drizzle with the whisked dressing and sprinkle with pine nuts.
Serve immediately while the cheese is warm and the greens are cold and crunchy!
