Did you know that you might not have to look further than your yard or alleyway for a delicious and nutrient-dense meal? When you eat the plants that grow in hard and nutrient lacking soil–roadside or in sidewalk cracks, for example, it can say a lot about them. Maybe it is something about their frisky determination, vitality, character, strength, and their will to grow where they want that makes them attractive to cook with. When we eat those plants, we naturally absorb those life giving energetics too.

I spent many years ripping up the wild spinach (Chenopodium album – lambs quarters) in our garden to favor planted rows of cultivated spinach only to learn that the wild variety grows where there is abundant iron in the soil. Lambs quarter is known to be rich in magnesium and potassium, beta carotene (pro-vitamin A), vitamin C, riboflavin, calcium, zinc, copper and manganese and has more fiber than domestic spinach. It just doesn’t grow in those nice straight garden rows 🙂

One of my favorite things to do in the springtime is to make a wild foods pesto. All these weeds can be found in the alleys around town and are “free”. One delicious version is made with baby nettles, violet leaf, yellow dock and dandelion, but you can certainly add lambs quarter and other common yard herbs. To those greens, add organic olive oil, garlic, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts… a dash of salt and a little lemon juice. Yummmm!!!! It freezes nicely, too.

I like to also harvest these greens and add them to soups, sautés, and stir fries. FYI—Nettles lose the sting when blended or heated. And, bitter herbs (like dandelion leaves) that are abundant in the spring are often beneficial for a gentle and natural detox by supporting the liver in its role in removing toxins from our body.

There are so many ways you can bring these common and delicious herbs into the home. And even though you are harvesting “weeds”, it is always a good idea to harvest in a good frame of mind and offer gratitude to the plant. Make sure that you take just what you need and leave an area in a sustainable way where there are plenty of plants to remain.

Next up –stir fry with the sunny heads of the dandelion! Stay tuned to my blog!