Mom's sellin WEED(s) at market

lambs quarter

white goose foot

fat hen

wild spinach

Hold your horses, and don't get your knickers all tied in knots, it's not that kind of weed.  I purposely raise a beautiful patch of weeds to sell at the Farmer's Market.  We have been supplying weeds for the past 5 years with mixed reviews.  Last week I was surprised we sold all the LAMB QUARTER we harvested.  Usually I will have one or two people purchase it, but this week the whole basket sold!  Lamb's quarter, or wild spinach as it is know by, is a leafy, dark green weed full of vitamins and minerals.  It has an extremely long tap root which pulls  nutrients from deep in the soil.,  It is high in Vitamin C and Riboflavin.  1 cup wilted Lambs Quarter. contains high amounts of Vitamin A, Folate, Magnesium, Potassium, Vitamin E, B6, and Thiamine.  It is also referred as white goose foot or fat hen.  It's botanical name is Chenopodium album.  Several years ago my youngest son and I were weeding together early in the morning.  He was half asleep and plopped down by my cultivated 20x30 foot patch of lambs' quarter and began weeding.  I am sure he thought this is a good place to weed without having to exert myself this early in the morning.   " Jake," I said,  "Don't pull the lambs quarter  in that patch.  It's just about ready to take to market."  I wish you could have seen the look on his face when he realized that I actually SOLD the weed at market and that people actually PAID money, cold hard cash, for weeds at market.  I guess that is quite a concept to wrap your mind around when you are 10 years old and it's 5:30 in the morning.  Now it is just a big joke about having a mom who sells weed(s) at the farmer's market.  This week we will have both Lambs Quarter and Dandy-lion Greens.  Be brave and try some!

  I raised my kids on dandy lions.  Making syrup and jelly from the flower heads, sitting in the tall grass eating the fresh picked greens as we made necklaces from the stems.  Weaving the bright flowers into the thick braids of my daughter's hair.  Making wishes before blowing the seeds high in the breeze to be carried away for another sun-shiny day's harvest.  I loved getting the first flowers of spring from tiny hands covered in dirt, a huge smile and accompanied by a hug.   I would have several glasses filled with water and bright cheery yellow flowers lining the window seal above the kitchen sink.  Dandy-lions are welcome in my yard.

LAMBS QUARTER SPREAD

 1/3 c. olives, 1 tsp. mustard, 2 tbs. olive oil

2 cups lamb quarter leaves stripped from stem.  1 small onion, 1 ripe avocado, 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts.

Process in a food processor and serve on your favorite crusty bread.

QUICHE

4 cups leaves

3 eggs

1 3/4 cup milk

1 small shallot

2 cups cheese grated

2 tbs. flour

Saute shallot until tender, add lambs quarter.  Wilt for 3 minutes.  Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

In a prepared pie crust sprinkle half of the grated cheese.  Place a layer of lambs quarter, a layer of cheese, lambs quarter, pour over eggs and milk mixture.  Top with a thick layer of cheese.

Bake 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Note this is similar to the Spinach Quiche in an earlier blog

WILTED LAMBS QUARTER

Steam lambs quarter lightly.  Plate and drizzle with olive oil

 and fresh minced garlic and seasoning.

LAMBS QUARTER AND FILLO DOUGH PIE

4 cups lambs quarter

2 eggs beaten

9 oz. feta or fresh goat cheese

1/2 c. pine nuts toasted

1/2 cup scallions

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/2 pound fillo dough

 Strip the leaves off the stems.  Measure out 4 cups.

                                   Saute scallions, add lambs quarter and parsley, wilt for 3 to 5 minutes

Set aside to cool slightly.

In a pie plate lined with parchment paper, layer the fillo dough alternately so when the edges are folded up it will fully in-case the lambs quarter.  Brush with butter between layers.  Crumble 1/2 cup cheese over bottom of pan.  Fold  pine nuts into greens and place over cheese in the bottom of the pie pan.  Salt and Pepper.  Pour eggs over top.  Fold up the edges of the dough, brushing with butter.  Transfer the pie to a large baking sheet and bake in a 375 oven for 35 minutes.

using our farm-fresh eggs and home-made goat cheese makes everything (even weeds ) taste better