Wonderful Weed
June 14, 2015
Lamb's Quarters
A friend who was weeding her garden yesterday gave me an entire bag of lamb's quarters, and I practically danced for joy. It's my favorite forage – a gentle, easy to cook green that is not called "wild spinach" for nothing.
Unlike so many other foraged finds, it's easy to clean. Simply dump it into a sinkful of water and pull it out; these leaves do not cling tenaciously to dirt, and the gritty pollen washes right away. Pull off the longest stems – you'll know which – but don't be fussy about it. The stems pretty much vanish as they cook.
You don't need to do much. I melted some butter, threw in the lamb's quarters for a couple of minutes, watched them wilt, added a bit of salt (the leaves are naturally high in sodium), and a splash of lemon (which neutralizes the oxalic acid). Then I sat down to a totally delicious plate of greens.
If somebody offers you lambs quarter's, do not turn them down. They're extremely delicious – and their vitamin and mineral content make these among the most nutritious of wild plants.
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