Anyone with a garden knows about weeds, but most people don’t realize that a lot of them are not only edible, but actually pretty good, and even more nutritious than the green stuff that we grow intentionally. And of course, they always seem to do better than the plants that you’re trying to pamper.
I picked some lambsquarter and sorrel to go with dinner; most greens can be used in pretty much the same ways that spinach would be – in a salad, sautéed, steamed, etc. Lambsquarter is “low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Niacin, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, thiamine, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.” (Nutritiondata.com). Sorrel has a unique taste to it, almost citrusy (which is actually due to oxalic acid, so don’t go eating bushels at a single sitting), and is a great source of vitamin C. These were both used extensively in earlier years, but have gone out of favor as people tried (in vain) to achieve perfectly manicured landscapes.
For this dinner, I sautéed the greens with some butternut squash, onion, garlic, and an apple, and tossed it all with some farro.
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