Wonderful Weed
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.