Edible Weeds

By now, I’m blasé about the garden. A woodchuck grazed my green beans. A rabbit devoured my curly parsley. My beet seeds were chewed by the chipmunks before they even sprouted.

 

A few things are doing well in my raised beds, despite my lack of enthusiasm. The trio known as lamb’s quarters, sorrel and purslane are common weeds, but all make nice additions to culinary summer treats. Most gardeners pull these for the compost pile.

Lamb’s quarters grow heartily in my potato bed. Its bluish-green leaves appear dusted with white, especially on the underside. When it’s less than a foot tall, the entire plant tastes good. When the plant gets taller, I nip off the tender top shoots or the youngest leaves.

 

You can fix Lamb’s quarters just like spinach, to which it is related. It’s good in scrambled eggs, and sometimes I toss some chopped leaves in freshly dug, hot buttered potatoes.

 

Two other plants grow prolifically in my vegetable and flower gardens. The first creeps low to the ground with fleshy leaves and watery stems that radiate out from the center of the plant. Known as purslane, the succulent leaves are wider at the tip and overlap each other. This is one of those weeds that seems to continue to grow when I toss it on the garden path. If I bring some into the kitchen, at least I know it won’t grow back. It’s high in Omega-3 fatty acids and higher in alpha-linolenic acid than spinach.

 

Purslane cooks quickly. I usually harvest the tips of the stems, leaves and all. Dropping them into a small amount of boiling water for five minutes cooks them thoroughly. Butter, salt and pepper are good accompaniments for the drained greens. You can also transfer them into a skillet with chopped onions for a nice stir fried side dish. The tips can be eaten raw. They are acidy tasting and add visual interest to a salad.

Perhaps my favorite edible weed is wood sorrel. The plant is cheerful with its light green shamrock-shaped leaves and lemon yellow flowers. In my yard, it grows anywhere the soil is disturbed. The refreshing lemony taste of the leaves and flowers add zing to a tossed salad of mixed greens, and sometimes I chew on the leaves while working in the yard. It’s a great thirst quencher. Due to its high oxalic acid content, don’t sit down to a bowlful. Eat it in moderation.

 

As with most wild edibles, don’t gather plants that have been sprayed with chemicals. A field guide on edible plants or an Internet search will help you identify this weedy trio. In my garden I allow them space beside peppers and potatoes, and they get me through July’s garden doldrums. 

 

Early July is when wild black raspberries are prime for picking, and kids love to help because they taste so good! Ripe berries will be nearly black, small but sweet. Watch for the thorns, and if you are picking on private property, be sure to ask permission. If you want to pick on public property, find out if harvesting is allowed.

 

Mulberries ripen in mid-summer, too. When picked, the little green stem comes off with the berry. The stems are edible. A fun way to harvest them is to spread an old sheet on the ground and shake the branches. The sheet will be forever stained, but kids love to scramble for the fallen berries and put them in small buckets. They are mild, juicy and make a tasty pie!