Origins: Pigweed & Mulligan Stew

Subject: Origins: Pigweed & Mulligan Stew
From: GUEST,Arnie
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 07:25 AM

Heard a great song the other night - Who put the Pigweed in the Mulligan Stew - haven't a clue what it is about but really enjoyed the song though. Searching on the net I find that pigweed is a common weed in the US, so I suppose the song originates there. But what is Mulligan stew, and why would anyone put pigweed in it?? My wife, with typical female intuition, guessed that the song is about someone ruining a relationship - is she right I wonder? Anyone got any more info on this song??

Subject: Lyr Add: OLD PIGWEED (from Mark Knopfler)
From:
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 11:20 AM

From http://www.letssingit.com/?http://www.letssingit.com/mark-knopfler-old-pigweed-b7sljm1.html

Old Pigweed
Artist : Mark Knopfler

Everything was in there that you'd want to see:
Corned beef and onions and true love,
Turnips and tinned tomatoes,
Parsnips and a few potatoes,
A couple extra blessings from above.

Now this here mingle-mangle was my best one yet,
A big old bad goulash worth waiting for;
And I'm just about to dip my can,
Taste some brotherhood of man,
When I get a feeling that there's a flaw.

Who put old pigweed in the mulligan?
Was it you who put old pigweed in the mulligan stew?
I close my eyes for just a minute; what do you do?
Who put old pigweed in the mulligan stew?

You won't find self-improvement or philosophy
In a Dumpster sitting by the kitchen door.
There's plenty leek and humble pie.
Ain't too much ham on rye.
Sometimes I wonder what I'm looking for.

But a spoonful of forgiveness goes a long, long way,
And we all should do our best to get along.
Add a pinch of kindness crumbling
To your loving dumpling;
Okra for thickening when something's wrong.

But who put old pigweed in the mulligan?
Was it you who put old pigweed in the mulligan stew?
I close my eyes for just a minute; what do you do?
Who put old pigweed in the mulligan stew?

Subject: RE: Origins: Pigweed & Mulligan Stew
From:
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 11:23 AM

I see a little review of the recording from the above gentleman mentioning this song.

http://classicrock.about.com/library/reviews/blknopfler_ragpicker.htm

Subject: RE: Origins: Pigweed & Mulligan Stew
From: michaelr
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 07:59 PM

I'm guessing from the lyrics that Mulligat stew refers to a hobo meal ("I'm about to dip my can..."), cooked over a fire and containing any and all bits of food that were scrounged up during the day from "a dumpster...by the kitchen door".

Ah, the hobo lifestyle... it's so romantic!

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Origins: Pigweed & Mulligan Stew
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 10:31 PM

"Mulligan stew" first appeared in print in 1904 (OED and Webster's) in the Yukon Midnight Sun. It may have been coined by a Klondike gold-seeker. It is a stew made of whatever ingredients are available, hence usual in the hobo jungles of the past as well as hard-scrabble poor environments throughout the USA and Canada.

There are two plants commonly called "pigweed." One is an introduced (from European-Asian area) annual weed, also known as Russian Thistle, Axyris amaranthoides, a chenopod. (Now world-wide?)

The other is redroot pigweed, Amaranthus retroflexus, an annual weed which may grow to several feet in height. Originally thought to be from the southern states, but found throughout the US and Canada. (now world-wide?)

From the Depression days, I remember that one of these was edible and could be used as a cooked green and in stews, etc. I think it was the redroot, but I am not sure. Anyone know for sure??

Subject: RE: Origins: Pigweed & Mulligan Stew
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 10:43 PM

Lambs quarters, Chenopodium album, another common weed (same group as the Axyris pigweed), is edible when cooked, and was used during the Depression days. It is common throughout the northern hemisphere, and is probably introduced world-wide. In the post above, I may have guessed at the wrong one for edibility, since all chenopods are palatable "for livestock" except greasewood, or Sarcobatus vermiculatus. That species is rather poisonous to livestock, especially young sheep.

Subject: RE: Origins: Pigweed & Mulligan Stew
From: michaelr
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 11:44 PM

Ah, thanks for that info, Guest Q.

I guess the upshot of it all is that pigweed, while edible, does not appear to improve la cuisine.

By the way, Guest Arnie, the CD this song is on is worth owning. I posted a review of it in this thread.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Origins: Pigweed & Mulligan Stew
From: Allan C.
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 11:56 PM

As noted in the Latin for the one kind of Pigweed, that one is related to amaranth. I can see how it might be used to thicken a stew as well as to add nutrients.

Subject: RE: Origins: Pigweed & Mulligan Stew
From: Rustic Rebel
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 12:19 AM

Pigweed and Lamb's Quarter are two different wild, edible greens.
Green Amaranth, pig weed,red root, wild beet is in the Amaranth family (Amaranthaceae). High in A, C and B vitamins, calcium,iron, phosphorus, potassium, niacin, riboflavin and thiamine. Eat the greens young. They are very good.
Lamb's quarter looks similar, grows as abundantly ,taste similar, but the leaves and stems are hairy on the pigweed and smooth and whitish on LQ.
LQ,wild spinach,goosefoot, is in the Goosefoot family(Chenopodiaceae). The entire young plant is edible. High in calcium, Vit A,thiamine, niacin, and riboflavin.
Both grow wild in my gardens very abundantly. The seeds are edible also.
Peace, Rustic
P.S. Looks like a fun song!

Subject: RE: Origins: Pigweed & Mulligan Stew
From: open mike
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 02:13 AM

origins?? hunger i bet

Subject: RE: Origins: Pigweed & Mulligan Stew
From: mack/misophist
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 05:15 PM

There's probably no relation but this reminds me of a popular tune from the turn of the century,"Who Threw the Overalls in Mrs Murphy's Chowder". Same general time, same general theme; one can't help but wonder.

Subject: RE: Origins: Pigweed & Mulligan Stew
From: mack/misophist
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 05:21 PM

I don't remember any of the verses, it's been 40 years, but here's the refrain, in any one's interested:

    'Who threw the overalls in Mrs Murphy's chowder?'
    Nobody spoke so I shouted all the louder.
    'It's an Irish trick, that's true. I can lick the Mick that
          threw
    The overalls in Mrs Murphy's chowder.'

Subject: RE: Origins: Pigweed & Mulligan Stew
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 09:39 PM

"Who threw the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy's Chowder" is in the DT. It is not credited to the author, George L. Geifer, 1898.
The filter gets much that doesn't come up when the Forum is down. Try just one word from the title or subject- if that doesn't work, try another.
Often sung "overhalls."

Subject: RE: Origins: Pigweed & Mulligan Stew
From: ciarili
Date: 06 Feb 03 - 09:22 PM

I like to pick Russian thistle down by the sea where I live, and I cut the greens off the stem and cook it with potatos in a soup. Yum!

Subject: RE: Origins: Pigweed & Mulligan Stew
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 06 Feb 03 - 09:30 PM

As stated by Rustic Rebel, there are many good greens out there, if they haven't been sprayed. Dandelion greens were a favorite of my grandmother's. I'm sure the hoboes used them all. A neighbor made a wine from the dandelion flowers.