Hawthorn – Crataegus monogyna

Hawthorn

Your grandparents may have eaten the leaves of the young hawthorn.  They were so filling that they were commonly known as ‘bread and cheese’.  These leaves have the extra advantage of lowering cholesterol. They can also be added to salads or used in sandwiches.  Be aware that the young, fresh leaves are the tastiest!  Try adding them to a salad of new potatoes and spring onions, tossed with vinaigrette.

The berries are also rich in vitamin C.  As a consequence, they can be used to make a syrup to help ward off colds.