Cutleaf coneflower leaves. Photo: Nadia Navarrete-Tindall

Corn Flour Tortillas with Cutleaf Coneflower/Sochan — Salvadoran Style

Nadia in a field with yellow flowers blooming

By Nadia Navarrete-Tindall

Dr. Nadia Navarrete-Tindall, the Specialty Crops Director at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO, is an advisor to the Grow Native! program, and owns Native Plants and More, a consultation business. She lives in Columbia, MO and is originally from El Salvador.

 

Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) is a native plant that provides edible leaves. The leaves have a sweet and mild taste that can be used in recipes to replace spinach or other mild-flavored greens. It has been used by the Cherokee, who call it sochan. 

Cutleaf coneflower (also known by the common name goldenglow *) is in the sunflower family and is a perennial plant that starts sprouting in early spring and can reach up to 9 feet. According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, it is very common in Missouri and is widespread across the United States and Canada. It naturally grows in the shade, but will also grow in full sun. It is easy to propagate and grow in gardens, where it can be established under the deep shade of trees or on the north side of buildings.

The tender new leaves taste better than older leaves. Start harvesting leaves in the spring and if you want to promote new growth and more harvests, the plants can be pruned through mid-June. After the inflorescence develops in early fall, basal leaves can be harvested again. New leaves can be eaten raw and added in salads. In the summer the flavor is stronger. We have this plant and many other native edibles growing at the Lincoln University Finca EcoFarm in Jefferson City. 

The leaves remain green as a source for winter food for white-tailed deer and the occasional rabbit. In the wild, it can be found in open bottomlands or in riparian corridors along rivers or large creeks. 

*Note, “Goldenglow” and “Golden Glow” are also used as cultivar names for various plants.

Corn Flour Tortillas with Cutleaf Coneflower/Solchan — Salvadoran Style
All photos by Nadia Navarrete-Tindall.
Recipe at bottom of page.

Yellow flower and green foliage with brick wall in background.

Rudbeckia laciniata

YIELD: 6 tortillas

Ingredients:

½ cup blanched cutleaf coneflower leaves. Fresh or frozen*
*Cutleaf coneflower leaves can be harvested any time of the year but new leaves are tender and milder in flavor

1/3 cup fresh or frozen wild leeks or wild onions (bulbs and/or leaves) or 1 large fresh garlic
clove

1 cup corn flour (masa harina not cornmeal)

1 teaspoon sunflower oil

1 cup water-room temperature

½ teaspoon salt

Plums and juice in a glass by Nadia

Corn dough for tortilla

Corn tortilla ball

Tortilla with parchment paper

Directions

If you are using fresh leaves, gather new and tender leaves of cutleaf coneflower 1 hour before. Leaves can be harvested any time of the year. Blanch coarsely chopped leaves for 5 minutes, do not overcook. Set aside. Cutleaf coneflower can be blanched and frozen for later use.

If you are using frozen blanched leaves, take them out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before.

Chop wild leeks or wild onions into small pieces. Sauté in olive oil and salt. Set aside.

To prepare the dough:

In a bowl, place the corn flour with salt and add water. Knead well with your hands until you form a ball. Add blanched cutleaf coneflower and sauteed leeks or onion until they are completely incorporated into the dough. Add oil and continue kneading to form a ball again.

Separate the dough into 6 parts to make small balls.

Using a tortilla maker lined with parchment paper press each ball to make the tortillas ¼ inch thick or a little thinner**.

Cook them in a griddle or a pan in medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Check them constantly.

Serve them hot with grated cheese of your choice and sliced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes.

**You can also use your hands. It’s more fun. It doesn’t matter if they come square. What matters is the flavor.

Flat tortilla, uncooked

 Tortilla maker

Nadia and MPF’s Grow Native! program recommend purchasing native edible plants from Grow Native! professional members and planting and gathering native edibles from your own personal property. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider if you have concerns about consuming any native edibles. Native edible recipes provided by MPF or MPF’s Grow Native! program are for informational purposes only.
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